Being Christian Does Not Make You Perfect Union, Our Founders Understood It Would Be Work To Get There Happy Independence Day!
The following is a quote borrowed from a press release that announces the findings of the
Cultural Research Center (CRT) at Arizona Christian University which is headed up by my friend the famous Christian and Political Pollster George Barna. George has been doing this research and poling for over 30 years and is considered the gold standard in this area. What he has found should be of grave concern to every Pastor, Minister, Priest and Christian in America. Basic Christian Tenets have been replaced with a form of Moral Theistic Dualism (MTD) and “watered down, feel good, fake Christianity” to quote Mr Barna. These false beliefs do not at all align with the Bible as the following table reveals:
“According to new research from the CRC, although three out of four people (74%) who lean substantially on MTD for life guidance consider themselves to be Christians, numerous beliefs held by MTD-reliant adults conflict with biblical teaching. For instance:
- 95% do not consider success in life to be described as consistent obedience to God
- 91% do not believe that people are born into sin and need to be saved by Jesus Christ
- 88% say they get their primary moral guidance from various sources other than the
Bible - 76% contend that good people earn a place in Heaven through their good behavior
- 75% do not believe that God is the basis of all truth
- 74% believe in karma
- 73% say that having some type of religious faith is more important than which faith is
embraced - 71% do not believe that the Bible is the true and reliable communication from God
Other errant beliefs possessed by a majority of adults who are substantially influenced by MTD include that they do not believe in the creation story, reject the existence of absolute moral truth, deny the existence of the Holy Spirit and believe it is possible to reach complete spiritual maturity in their lifetime.”
Based on an understanding of the impact of the above on our culture today and specifically on the “church”, it may explain things like the 1619 Project and the “lefts” interpretation of our founders. Much as “evolutionists” frame their arguments by assuming today’s reality and placing it into time in memorial to arrive at their theories about rock formations and fossil records, the liberal church and the left seem to impose their understanding or lack thereof onto the founders to draw certain conclusions.
Sadly they are wrong in their worldview and they are joined by media and “academia” in forwarding this false narrative. I have posted here several verses, which I will be referencing to gain a clearer picture of a Biblical worldview and that of a Christian in the time of our founders.
I begin with Paul’s admonition to “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation“. From the very beginning Paul and the other apostles battled apostasy and heresy within the teachings of Jesus Christ as Gnostics and others sought to usurp authority from them. The assumption of some might be that those who believe so adamantly that the founders used scripture and God as the foundation of our nation and argue against the 1619 narrative that America is inherently evil, do so believing the founders were some form of saints.
This could hardly be the truth. To believe that the founders were Christians and had a much more closely understood Biblical Worldview, should not assume them to be perfect. It is in fact not necessary but would be to our detriment. You see recognizing their own failings and their futile attempts at perfection, which as Christians we strive to attain, “that which Christ has laid hold of for us”, they wrote these documents with the Bible as their guide and with the very present understanding of their own weaknesses and failures. They considered human nature to be tainted and thus set in a balance of power. They suspected Government of being bad and so they gave guaranteed liberties to the people. As they wrote “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Nowhere do they claim that the Union was perfect at its inception. Rather they looked to a future time when following the formula of these documents and a reliance on the Biblical Worldview we would move closer to this perfect Union. “12Not that I have already attained,or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”
They spent many days and nights wrestling with just how this document would be written
knowing that the goal of it was to ultimately lead to this “perfect Union”, and also knowing the dangers and pitfalls in the road ahead. Thus they looked for ways to restrict power and
authority by demanding a Representative Republic and putting responsibility on each and every citizen present and future to be a part of the body of this great “experiment”. However they understood that without God it would be impossible. Benjamin Franklin is famously quoted calling for prayer, “Before I sit down, Mr. President, I will suggest another matter; and I am really surprised that it has not been proposed by some other member at an earlier period of our deliberations. I will suggest, Mr. President, that propriety of nominating and appointing, before we separate, a chaplain to this Convention, whose duty it shall be uniformly to assemble with us, and introduce the business of each day by and address to the Creator of the universe, and the Governor of all nations, beseeching Him to preside in our council, enlighten our minds with a portion of heavenly wisdom, influence our hearts with a love of truth and justice, and crown our labors with complete and abundant success!”
Having just fought a war against the mightiest nation on earth at that time and with the
assistance of Divine Providence, they defeated that foe. They were determined to make such a sacrifice mean something in posterity. Again drawing on their own weaknesses they set aside their sins, seeing the trials that were ahead they forged our Constitution. I believe they hoped that this document and the Hand of Providence, which they understood to be the God of the Christian Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, would be the foundation and the plumb line that would assure a more Perfect Union in the years to come.
They endeavored to set a course whereby we could run this race using the Declaration of
Independence and the US Constitution and its Bill of Rights with the assistance of Almighty God to keep and preserve the Union while bringing it closer to perfection.
So we may boldly claim on this Independence weekend in the year of Our Lord Two thousand and Twenty One, that America with all of her imperfections, is in point of fact a magnificent example of the vision our forefathers cast and worth every ounce of blood spilt to defend her and every effort now to preserve her. God bless America!
Philippians 3:1. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. 2Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! 3For we are the circumcision, who worship [a]God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, 4though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
Hebrews 12:1. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 4Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 5And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Romans 5:1Therefore, having been justified by faith, [a]we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.6For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
1 Corinthians 9:24. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
