One Nation Under God. One Nation Designed in His Image.

As we all know, this week marks 250 years since our nation’s inception.  And while some want to point out the flaws in our history at this historic moment (no denying we have them), we have so much more to celebrate and appreciate about being Americans. God has blessed this nation and we are all the beneficiaries of His blessing.

The founders of our nation were by and large men of great faith and conviction.  And it seems that they got their ideas for the structure for the US government from God’s Word:

      For the LORD is our judge,
         the LORD is our lawgiver,
         the LORD is our king;
         it is he who will save us. - Isaiah 33:22

God is the ultimate lawgiver. He sets the standard and IS the standard for what is right and wrong, what is morally good and what is evil. That standard has been revealed in his Word. We are all accountable to what God alone says is good. That being said, the laws of this nation are tied closely to that standard of morality outlined in the Christian faith. And even where man’s laws can and do deviate from what God says is good, God gets the last word on the subject.

Meaning, God is the final judge. Our judicial system is in place to ensure that laws are inherently fair, being applied equally to all our Americans. It also ensures that people have a means and right to defend themselves.  Due process is a beautiful thing that is a rarity in human history. This system is also meant to ensure that victims get some form of justice, as violators of the law receive punishment that is proportional and corrective, and serve as a deterrent.

God is the King above all kings.  He reigns with supreme authority, as earthly kings are subject to God’s rule and are in position as He allows. Kings have the responsibility of upholding the laws of the land. It is ultimately God who upholds His laws and decrees one guilty or innocent. And while we have a president, NOT a king, this branch of government is tasked with ensuring that laws are enforced, order is kept, and with the protection of its citizens.

And where we’ve all fallen short of God’s law, deserving to be judged and condemned, it is God who saves us!  This is the good news of Jesus - that God does not treat us according to our sins, but forgives us by faith. That was good news in Isaiah’s day, 250 years ago, and is still the best news today. The gospel of Jesus is still the hope for us and for the world. It is incumbent on us to receive the good news, to live according to its grip on us, and to spread it to a world that is desperately in need of it. It is THE hope for every person who calls America home, and it is the hope for our nation to endure and thrive for coming generations.

God alone can be trusted with all three of these roles - judge, lawgiver, and king. In their wisdom, our founding fathers separated this authority into three branches of government. These checks and balances were put in place to ensure that our constitution and the people it governs are protected from tyranny and injustice. No human can or should have authority in all these areas. This independence day, join with me in thanking God for the wisdom the framers of the constitution had in recognizing this truth, in thanking God that our nation is a reflection of his very nature and character, in thanking God for the saving power of the death and resurrection of Christ, and in thanking God that one day, but faith in Jesus alone, we can live under His perfect rule forever.