10. How should a profession of life affect one’s life as a citizen.
It should serve to enlist every noble quality of the soul in behalf of the state or nation in which the citizen resides and of all other nations as well.
11. What one thing above all others determines the character of a nation and paves the way for its well being on the one hand, or its undoing on the other?
Its attitude toward God.
12. What should be its attitude toward God in order to insure its well being?
It should sincerely believe and acknowledge three things: (1) That it has its right to exist, and receive all its authority, from God; (2) That God deals with nations, as with men, through His Son, Jesus Christ, the King; (3) That the Bible, written under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is the only book that can teach nations how to keep in the “paths of righteousness.”
13. What part of a Constitution is the proper place to make such a recognition?
The Preamble, or as it is sometimes called, the Enacting Clause.
14. Is there any specific example of a Preamble that would never to the three requirements that have just been maintained?
Yes, the Preamble to Rhode Island’s Compact of Government used to read: “We whose names are underwritten do hereby solemnly, in the presence of Jehovah, incorporate ourselves into a body politic; and, as He shall help, will submit our persons, lives, and estates unto our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, and to all those perfect and absolute laws of His given to us in His Holy Word of truth to be judged and guided thereby.”
15. Is there any marked difference between that Preamble and this? – “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, 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.”
16. In your judgment which of the two would be likely to commend itself the more favorably to God and the Lord Jesus Christ?
17. What are some of the principal passages to prove that the former of these two Preambles is right in its attitude toward God, and that the latter is wrong?
(1) The Second Psalm throughout; especially the words, “Kiss the Son” – which constitute an explicit command to the nations of the earth to acknowledge Christ sincerely, devoutly, and devotedly.
(2) “The government shall be upon His shoulder.” “Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end.” Isaiah ix. 6,7.
(3) “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” Psalm xxxiii. 12.
(4) “Jesus Christ, … the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” 1 Timothy vi. 15
(5) “The Lord is our Judge” – He is at the head of the judicial department of civil affairs; “The Lord is our Lawgiver” – He is at the head of the legislative department; “The Lord is our King” – He is at the head of the executive department. Isaiah xxxiii. 22.
(6) When Satan offered the Lord Jesus dominion over the nations of the earth on other terms than loyalty to the Father, Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” Matthew iv. 10.
(7) “Render … unto God the things that are God’s.” Matthew xxii. 21.
(8) Then, as to the use of the Word of God, read Deuteronomy xxii. 18-20 – a passage which contains instructions as binding on rulers today, and as necessary to good government at the present time, as they were the moment they were first uttered.
18. Does the Constitution of the United States, as it now stands, measure up with such passages as the foregoing?
19. Ought it to?
20. If the Bible teaches that nations ought to recognize Christ as King, and our nation does not so recognize Him, in what situation does such a fact place anyone who proposes to be loyal to Christ?
It places a man in the position where his first duty is to tell the truth about the situation in a clear, kindly, courageous manner, and where his second duty is to keep himself from becoming involved in the sin he is pointing out, and concerning which he is bearing witness.
21. Is there any command or advice in the Bible which defines the citizen’s duty explicitly, as touching the political situation in the United States today?
Yes; in Proverbs iii. 6 the Holy Spirit provides expressly for this, as well as for every other, situation in life, when He says, “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”
22. What does every voter in the United States have to do?
He has to place the stamp of his approval on the Constitution of the United States as it exists in fact at the time of his voting, and accept it for the time being as his programme of government.
23. Can a man be true to Christ in Civil affairs if he swears to support a Constitution that rules Christ out of civil affairs?
24. Does the Constitution claim to be “master”?
In its own language it says, “This Constitution … shall be the supreme law of the land.”
25. Can Christ, then, be “supreme” in political life, when the Constitution does not acknowledge His supremacy?
26. Which “master” will the consistent Christian choose to serve?
27. Which “master” have you decided to serve and to give your first allegiance to?
28. Does this mean that you are going to be disloyal to your country?
It means the very opposite of that, for if I am true to Christ I will have to do what I can to bring my country to Christ; and in doing that I will be doing the very best thing that can be done for my country’s welfare.
29. If some one, on learning what you believe, were to say to you, “O, you believe, then, in the union of church and state,” what would you say?
I would say, “That is the very thing I do not believe in; what I believe is, that both the church and the state ought to have a religion, and that the religion they ought to have is the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ; and that the church being one person, and the state being another person, each for itself can believe in Christ, and acknowledge Him independently, in the way which its own nature requires.”
These are very good history to study.
ReplyDelete