How You Can Have Maximum Patriotic Impact
Text: Matt. 22:15-21
Introduction
On July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, our Founding Fathers signed a document declaring our independence from the tyranny of those who would enslave the minds, the souls, the lives of men. But what many Americans don’t realize is that with the same document, we not only declared our independence from Great Britain, we just as strongly declared our dependence upon Almighty God. For the Declaration of Independence begins by proclaiming that we are subject only to the “laws of nature and nature’s God1.” Do you remember how it ends? It ends with these words: “With a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” Do you know what the word reliance means? It means dependence. The signers of the Declaration were staking everything on God watching over them and seeing them through in their struggle for freedom: “With a firm reliance upon the protection of Divine Providence2.”
Hear this statement well: Our Founding Fathers did not believe in the separation of God from government. They believed that this nation was founded by God, protected by God, preserved by God, and blessed by God. It all depends on God! And based on that belief, they were willing to pledge their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. They put it all on the line. Of those fifty-six men who signed the Declaration of Independence, nine died of wounds or hardships during the war. Five were captured and imprisoned, and in each case subjected to torture. Several lost wives, children or entire families. One lost his thirteen children. Two wives were brutalized by the British. All were at one time or another victims of manhunts and driven from their homes. Twelve signers had their homes completely burned. Seventeen lost everything they owned. Indeed these men not only pledged but gave their lives, and their fortunes, and not one went back on his sacred honor3. The nation they sacrificed so much to help found is still intact for us to enjoy on her 228th birthday. May God bless America!
That brings us to you and me, here and now. If these patriots willingly laid it all on the line for this nation, don’t you think we should do more than simply sing patriotic songs, wave the flag, barbeque burgers, and watch fireworks? I think so. Not only that, but Jesus said so. Look at our text (Matt. 22:15-21): The religious leaders were trying to trap Jesus on the issue of paying taxes, but Jesus turned the tables on them. He asked them for a coin, and then asked whose portrait and inscription was stamped on it. They replied: “Caesar’s.” Jesus responded: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (v. 21). His point: All citizens—including His followers—are obligated to support their government.
Unlike citizens of the Roman Empire, Americans are blessed to have, as Abraham Lincoln put it, a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people4.” Have you noticed that the original Constitution begins “We the People” in big, bold letters? The bottom line: Our form of government requires our active involvement. How can we “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s” in America today? Well I want to mention 5 things that every Christian ought to give his government, 5 things that every Christian can do to have maximum patriotic impact as we think about what that meant then, what it means now, and what it means to you and me personally. First…
1. Seek God For Your Government
Paul encourages: “I urge then first of all that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth” (1Tim. 2:1-4). Notice Paul says: “First of all,” not secondly, thirdly, fourthly, but first of all we are to pray for everybody in general, but then specifically we are to pray for our elected leaders: our President, our Congressmen, our Senators, Judges, our Governors, our Mayors, our Councilmen, Commissioners, our Law Enforcement officials, etc.—for all who have a place of authority.
We don’t pray that they would continue in their wickedness, but we do pray that God would give them wisdom—wisdom to lead our nation according to the Judeo-Christian principles this nation was founded upon. Above all we pray that they would come to know Christ and be saved (v 4). That is really the only way our nation will be changed is through the Gospel. It is only through a relationship with Jesus as Lord that our elected officials will lead in such a way that we will be able to live “peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (v 2).
Bottom line: The biggest burden for the health of our nation does not rest on the White House, or on the State House, but on the Church House, it rests on you and on me. The Bible says, “If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14). If we do not pray for our nation and our leaders, not only will we continue to have little impact on the direction of America, but we are sinning against the God who commanded us to pray. First of all, Seek God for Your Government. Second…
2. Support Your Government
There are a couple of ways we can support our government:
Pay taxes to your government. That brings us back to our text. When Jesus is asked about paying taxes, He commands that we are to “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s” (Matt. 22:21), and He also leads by example (Matt. 17:24-27). Paul speaks of the government’s responsibility to punish evildoers and instructed: “This is why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing” (Rom. 13:6). Now be honest—this one hurts—especially around April 15th. Admittedly, there is a lot of waste and questionable spending. However, we do benefit from the goods and services provided by the government, such as military defense, law enforcement, roads, schools, libraries, parks, etc. So pay your taxes. Another way to support our government and make a positive patriotic impact is to:
Take pride in your government. Paul says in Romans 13:7 that we should respect and honor our government. It’s OK to take pride in your country. The Psalmist proclaimed: “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy” (Psalm 137:5-6). Listen, it’s alright to be patriotic. Don’t you let anybody tell you that as a Christian you can no longer be a red-blooded American, that you shouldn’t get a lump in your throat when you see the Stars and Stripes waving, that you shouldn’t stand and sing with a quivering chin and a tear in your eye, “God bless America, land that I love.” You can be patriotic and give honor when honor is due. You can take pride in your country as well as pay taxes to your country and in that way support your government. Third…
3. Submit To Your Government
Peter instructs: “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king who is the supreme authority or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right” (1 Peter 2:13-14; cf. Rom. 13:2-5). The Greek word for “submit” means to fall in rank under an authority. Government exists to keep order, and we must submit to the rule of law. Christians of all citizens ought to be model citizens. We ought to obey the laws of the land. If we rebel against the rule of law, we are in fact rebelling against the God who ordained it (Rom. 13:1-2).
Then Peter says in v 17 that we are to show these authorities respect. Now sometimes respecting our government is a tall order. Just think about who was in charge when Peter wrote this: Nero. Nero wasn’t exactly an Eagle Scout. Indeed, Nero was a brutal, wicked ruler, responsible for the deaths of both Peter and Paul. Ever noticed that we name our sons “Peter” and “Paul” and our dogs “Nero?” Yet, God’s word says that we are to respect the governmental authority. We may not have much respect for the man of the office, but we must respect the office of the man. Submit to your government. That said, sometimes you must…
4. Stand Up To Your Government
George Washington is credited with saying that “Government… is a troublesome servant and a fearful Master5.” Sometimes, we must stand up to our government. Now there’s a time and place for civil disobedience, but it should come only as a last resort, especially in America, which was founded upon Judeo-Christian principles and biblical laws. However, if the government commands what God condemns, then you are obligated to disobey. The midwives disobeyed Pharaoh’s command to kill all the Hebrew baby boys (Exod. 2:15-21). Daniel disobeyed King Darius’ order not to pray to His God (Dan. 6:1-23). Christians in Asia Minor disobeyed the Imperial edict to swear: “Caesar is Lord,” threw their incense to the ground in defiance, and declared: Christ is Lord!” (Rev. 2:8-10; 2:13). They were all blessed by God for their civil disobedience. Finally, the same Peter who wrote that we should submit to the government’s authority and respect the King is the same Peter who boldly told the religious rulers who ordered him to stop preaching about Jesus: “We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:29).
As Citizen Christians, we need to use our freedom to defend our freedom or we may lose our freedom. In many ways, that time has come. Decisions are being made by our government on the great moral issues of our day and on our rights as Christians, so we cannot afford to be silent. But when we do speak out, critics cry foul, claiming the mythical “Separation of Church & State,” and saying: “You don’t have a right to speak about government policy and law! Go cower in your church, lock yourself in your little stained glass prison, and stay there!” and that’s exactly what the devil wants—the salt in the sanctuary and the light in the church.
But Jesus said: “You are the salt of the earth… the light of the world!” (Matt. 5:13-16). The Bible says “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!” (Ps. 107:2). God urged his people: “Shout it aloud! Do not hold back! Raise your voice like a trumpet! Declare to my people their rebellion, and to the house of Jacob their sins” (Isa. 58:1). Moses warned Pharaoh. Nathan confronted King David. Elijah brought charges against King Ahab. Daniel pronounced judgment on King Nebuchadnezzar. John the Baptist pointed out the sins of King Herod. We must stand up and let our voices be heard in the same way.
We must persuade our government of the truths of God’s word as they apply to the policies and laws of our nation. We need to stand up with righteous rage and say: “Killing babies in a mother’s womb is wrong!” We need to speak out with holy fury and say: “Redefining marriage is wrong!” We need to remind our officials of America’s Judeo-Christian heritage, and shout: “Taking away our Religious Freedom is wrong!” Nothing is politically right that is morally wrong! Sometimes we must stand up to our government and say: Enough is enough! Yes, you need to seek God for your government, support your government, and submit to your government, but sometimes you need to stand up to your government! And that time has come. But finally, you need to…
5. Select Your Government
There are many ways we can participate in our government, such as helping with a voter registration drive, commenting on legislation and public policy, speaking out on moral and social issues, holding public office, campaigning for a candidate, volunteering for the election commission, etc. Perhaps the most basic form of participation is voting—selecting our government. Voting is a simple act with a significant impact. When we vote, we help determine who will lead our nation, make our laws, and protect our freedoms. Founding Father Samuel Adams said: “Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote… that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country6.” At iVoteValues.com you will find three action steps on voting.
• Vote Your Values: First, make the commitment to vote in Election 2008. Here’s an old proverb that is still true today: “Bad politicians are elected by good people who don’t vote.” Christians need to vote! However, don’t just vote for the sake of voting. Take it one step further and vote your values. Think about this: Every candidate has his or her own set of values and positions on important issues. Don’t you think that where a candidate stands on the issues is far more important than the party he or she belongs to? Shouldn’t we vote for candidates who share our values?
Unfortunately, many believers don’t even consider their values when voting, often choosing candidates whose positions are at odds with their own beliefs, convictions, and values. A recent study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows that nearly two-thirds of Americans say their faith has little to do with their voting decisions. That’s tragic because Jesus expects us to let our faith influence every part of our decision making—including the democratic process. You need to get informed on the issues, study the party platform statements, know what the candidates stand for, read what they say about the issues, check out their websites, find out who are their enemies and who are their friends, then weigh the candidates’ values against biblical values, and prayerfully consider voting for the ones who are the best match with your values. http://www.iVoteValues.com is a great place to start. Remember, how you vote today impacts tomorrow. The Bible says: “When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan” (Proverbs 29:2). Our nation’s first Supreme Court Justice, John Jay, said: “It is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation, to select and prefer Christians for their rulers9.”
• Tell Your Friend: Take your friend a Voter Registration Form and help them fill it out and send it in. Send your friends an e-Card from iVoteValues.com where they can fill out their form online, print it, and mail it in. Help organize a Voter Registration Drive in your service club, school, place of business, etc. —just be sure to get permission. Step Two: Register a Friend.
• Pray for the Election: Last but certainly not least is taking time to pray for the election!
One Caution: Aligning ourselves too closely with a political party or a politician is unwise, because we need to be free to call all political parties and politicians to repentance when they step outside of biblical morality and principle. Founding Father Benjamin Rush is quoted as saying: “I have been alternately called an Aristocrat and a Democrat. I am neither. I am a Christocrat10.” Our loyalty needs to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. Strongly consider voting for candidates who believe like you do. Don’t just vote—vote your values!
Question: What are your core values as we approach Election Day 2008? Would your list include the Economy? National Security? Health-Care? Education? As important as those issues are, think about what your core values should be as a follower of Jesus as it applies to your patriotic impact on the leadership and laws of our nation. Let me mention three: Life, Family, and Freedom.
Life: Life is precious. Miraculous. Delicate. Created by a loving God who makes every human being unique (Ps. 139:15-16). Life made in the image of God is a fundamental, God-given right. According to the Declaration of Independence, “All men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. Among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness11.” The first unalienable right, wrote Jefferson, is the God-given right to life. Therefore, human life should be protected12. Defended. Rescued. Proverbs 24:11 says: “Rescue those who are being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” There are multitudes of confused mothers and helpless little babies who need our help because there are 1.3 million abortions per year and 25% of all pregnancies end in abortion13. It is our duty as followers of Christ and citizens of America to find out where the candidates stand on the biblical value of life. Ask what their position is on abortion, cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and euthanasia. We value life. Second, we value –
Family: Family is essential. Basic. Necessary. The family is the basic building block of society, and the first institution created by God (Example: Gen. 1-2). As goes the family, so goes the nation. Unfortunately, the family as God intended it is an endangered species in America. U.S. Census figures from 2000 show that the traditional family is in a statistical free-fall14.
Families consisting of a husband and wife in their first marriage with children dropped below 25% percent of all homes15.
Households with unmarried partners grew by 72%16. In fact, cohabitation has increased by close to 1,000% from 1960 to 199817.
A third of all babies were born to unmarried women, (33%) compared to only 3.8% in 194018.
The number of same-sex homes skyrocketed over 400% since 199019.
Last year, the U. S. Supreme Court declared state laws against sodomy illegal and essentially established homosexuality as a constitutionally protected lifestyle20. The Massachusetts Supreme Court followed by ruling that same sex “marriage” should be legalized, and that state has been issuing marriage licenses by the thousands. Problem: If gay “marriage” is legalized in one state, the “full faith and credit” clause of the U.S. Constitution would dictate that the rest of the states must recognize these Massachusetts marriages as legal. Result: The time-honored definition of the family in general and of marriage in particular is in mortal danger.
It is our duty as followers of Christ and citizens of America to find out where the candidates stand on the biblical value of family. Find out how they voted on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Most importantly, ask for their position on the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) defining marriage as only between one man and one woman. Christians ought to stand against any and all efforts to undermine and redefine marriage, which is the foundation for a healthy society. Indeed, Christians ought to fight for the biblical definition of marriage. We value family. Third, we value –
Freedom: Freedom is priceless. Cherished. Fragile. Gal. 5:1 says: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” Freedom must be nurtured. Defended. Protected. That is the intention of the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof21.” Unfortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court has ignored the original intent of the Founding Fathers, trashed three centuries of America’s Judeo-Christian heritage, and turned a statement in one of Jefferson’s private letters on its head in declaring a two-way “Wall of Separation” between church and state.
The Result: Religious influences must be removed from public institutions. The High Court outlawed public prayer in the schools in 196222, out went public Bible reading in 196323, and in 1980, down came the Ten Commandments from school house walls24! This agenda of radical secularization has not only been zealously prosecuted by the activist courts, but by extension, the various public entities, school boards, educators, and teachers.
For example, some have declared it to be unconstitutional:
• For a board of education to use or refer to the word “God” in any of its official writings26.
• For a student to ask and for the teacher to answer whose birthday is being celebrated at Christmas27.
• For two Middle School students to bring their Bibles to class, which were confiscated, called “garbage,” and thrown into the trash can by their teacher28.
• For some students to pray publicly anywhere in school; an Alabama Judge, Ira Dement, even assigned a tax-payer supported “prayer monitor” in schools to ensure that students did not engage in public prayer29.
• For students in nine western states to recite the Pledge of Allegiance including the words: “One Nation, Under God30.”
• For an Honor Guardsman to say: “God bless you and this family, and may God bless this country” at the graveside of a veteran31.
• For a county government building exterior to display our national motto: “In God We Trust32.”
• For former Chief Justice Roy Moore to display a monument of the 10 Commandments in the Alabama State Capitol building33.
I say again, if we don’t use our freedom to defend our freedom we will lose our freedom. You need to find out where the candidates stand on the value of religious liberty. Find out which candidates are aligned with groups like the ACLU and Americans for Separation of Church and State, who seek to remove all expressions of religion from public life. Find out which candidates are in favor of protecting and even restoring America’s Judeo-Christian heritage. Find out where the candidates stand on our First Amendment right to religious freedom. We value Life, we value Family, and we value Freedom!
Conclusion
After our Founding Fathers unanimously approved the Declaration of Independence, on July 8 they said, “Let’s celebrate! Let the cannons fire! Let fireworks fill the sky! Let the bells ring! And the very first bell they rang was in the belfry of the very hall where they approved the Declaration of Independence to summon the people to hear the first public reading of our founding document. They rang that bell—we know it as the “Liberty Bell.” Where did it get its name? From July the fourth? From the Declaration of Independence? No. The name comes from the Scripture imprinted on that bell (Lev. 25:10), which says: “Proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof!” Proclaim liberty throughout the land. Let Freedom Ring!
Let freedom ring all across America, from the White House, the State House, the School house, the Church house, and in every house, let freedom ring. Let freedom ring for every race, creed and color. Let freedom ring for the oppressed, the downtrodden, and the persecuted. Let freedom ring. Let freedom ring for the little boy who wants to read his Bible in the public school. Let freedom ring for the little girl who pledges allegiance to our flag and wants to say “under God” when she does. Let freedom ring! Let freedom ring for people all across this nation who believe that marriage ought to be reserved for one man and one woman according to God’s divine plan. Let freedom ring! Let freedom ring for the little baby in every mother’s womb who deserves to breathe the fresh air of freedom. Let freedom ring! And let freedom ring in the hearts of all those who call upon the name of the Lord in the small towns and the big cities, from the mountains to the prairies, and from sea to shining sea, let freedom ring!
And freedom will ring louder, freedom will ring clearer, if Christians all across America will do these 5 things and “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” Just imagine the impact Christians could have on the direction of our government, the character of its leadership, and the moral health of our nation if we all simply applied biblical principles to every aspect of our lives—including our patriotic duty as Citizen Christians. Make a commitment today to register to vote, register a friend, vote your values, live your values, share your Savior, and pray for God to bless America!
1 As found in One Nation Under God: Our Founding Documents (Nashville: For Faith & Family Publishing), 10.
2 Ibid., 18.
3 Summarized from Paul Harvey, Our Lives, Our Fortunes, Our Sacred Honor (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1976). See also, D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe, What If America Were a Christian Nation Again? (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 37-40.
4 Abraham Lincoln, “Address at Gettysburg,” delivered on November 19, 1863 as found in The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, edited by Roy P. Basler (Rutgers University Press, 1953), 7:22.
5 Attributed to George Washington by Frank J. Wilstach, A Dictionary of Similes, 2d ed., (New York: Bonanza, 1924), 526.
6 Samuel Adams, The Writings of Samuel Adams, Harry Alonzo Cushing, editor (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1907), 4:256, originally in the Boston Gazette on April 16, 1781.
7 See the statistics provided by the U.S. Census Bureau at http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/voting.html .
8 Ibid.
9 John Jay, The Correspondence and Public Papers of John Jay, Henry P. Johnston, ed. (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1890), 4:365.
10 David Ramsay, An Eulogium upon Benjamin Rush, M.D. (Philadelphia: Bradford and Inskeep, 1813), 103.
11 Founding Documents, 10.
12 Obviously those who are justly sentenced to death by Capital Punishment are another story (See Genesis 9:5-6).
13 2003 Statistics from the Alan Guttmacher Institute. See http://www.agi-usa.org/pubs/abslides/abort_slides.pdf .
14 See http://www.census.gov .
15 Eric Schmitt, “For First Time, Nuclear Families Drop Below 25 Percent of Households,” The New York Times, May 15, 2001, A1.
16 Barbara Kantrowitz and Pat Wingert, “Unmarried, with Children,” Newsweek, May 28, 2001, 46.
17 David Popenoe and Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, “The State of Our Unions 2000,” The National Marriage Project, Rutgers University. See http://www.marriage.rutgers.edu .
18 “Unmarried, with Children,” 46.
19 Genaro C. Armas ”Census…most comprehensive count yet of gays and lesbians,” Associated Press, August 21, 2001.
20 Lawrence et al. v. Texas, No. 02-102 (U.S. Supreme Court, 2003).
21 Founding Documents, 46.
22 Engel v. Vitale 370 U.S. 421, (1962).
23 Abingdon School District v. Schempp 374 U.S. 203, 220-221 (1963).
24 Stone v. Graham 449 U.S. 39 (1980).
25 Frank J. Murray, “Federal Court Hears Lawsuit Over Kindergarten Christian; New York School may relent, may let tot say grace at meals,” The Washington Times, June 12, 2002. While the child was eventually allowed to pray, the fact that her prayer was challenged by school officials demonstrates the point.
26 State of Ohio v. Whisner 351 N. E. 2d 750 (Ohio Supreme Court 1976).
27 Florey v. Sioux Falls School District, 494 F. Supp. 911 (U.S.D.C., S.D. 1979).
28 News Release, “School Officials Trash ‘Truth for Youth’ Bibles and Ten Commandment Covers,” Liberty Counsel, May 19, 2000.
29 Chandler v. Siegelman, 230 F. 3d 1313 (11th Cir. 2000).
30 Newdow v. United States Congress, 292 F. 3d 597, 608 (9th Cir. 2002).
31 David O’Reilly, “Honor Guardsman is Fired for Blessings,” Philadelphia Inquirer, January 22, 2003.
32 “N.C. County Will Fight “In God We Trust” Lawsuit,” The First Amendment Center, August 15, 2003; http://fac.org/news.aspx?id=11828 . “N.C. County Will Fight “In God We Trust” Lawsuit,” The First Amendment Center, August 15, 2003; http://fac.org/news.aspx?id=11828 .
33 Glassroth v. Moore 229 F. Supp 2d 1290, 1297 (M.D. 2002, 11th Cir. 2003).
