I have really been studying about what the role of a Christian is supposed to be within our civil government. Should we stay out of the political arena altogether? Should we be involved in the decision-making process within our government at all levels? There are some Pastors/Christians who believe that God’s people have no business getting into politics.
Now keep in mind that the audience that I am generally speaking to are those here in America but the Gospel transcends any nation. God does not sit on His throne wrapped up in an American flag.
Do I believe that a Pastor should spend his Sunday mornings standing behind a pulpit campaigning for who is running for office? No. Do I believe that a Pastor, a Christian should be involved in the decision-making process that effects our communities, our families, our churches, our kids? Yes. Christians all over the world should be actively standing up for what is right.
We should be aware of what is happening on all levels of our government at the local, state, and national level. I will go as far as to say that the reason that our nation is in the shape that it is in is because we decided a long time ago that Christians had no business getting involved the day-to-day decisions that our politicians make on our behalf.
Why do I say Christians should be involved? Well, look at the words and actions of our founders. Look at what they wrote. Look at our Declaration of Independence. Look at our first 10 amendments and then tell me that the Word of God has not shaped the foundation of America. If you can honestly tell me no, then I will be quiet.
George Washington was sworn in as our first President as he placed his hand upon the Scriptures swearing to defend and protect the newly drafted Constitution of the United States of America.
I want to talk about a topic that has caused much division within our nation since her founding.
Slavery. This has always been a hot button issue in our nation no matter what generation we are talking about. It is important that we know how many of our founders felt regarding the issue of slavery and not take their actions and words out of context because they don’t fit the narrative of today. It was a different time back then. That doesn’t make slavery any more right but let us take a look at how our founders laid the groundwork when they began the process of drafting of the Constitution for the abolition of slavery.
The year is 1773. Pennsylvania has just passed a law to help bring slavery to an end. Yes, 1773. Several other colonies were also striving at other attempts to bring about the end of slavery. The Colonies began putting measures in place before our Constitution was even though of. However, King George III had vetoed these new “American” laws. King George was very much pro-slavery as the British Empire had been practicing slavery for many years. The Colonists soon realized that if there was any hope of abolishing slavery, they would have to sever the ties of America with the British Empire.
Many prominent founders were very discontented in their hearts by the position that King George had taken on slavery. Henry Laurens, a President of Congress during the American Revolution had strong convictions about the position of the British:
“I abhor slavery. But I was born in a country where slavery had been established by British kings and parliaments ages before my existence.”
There was only one way to set America on the path to end slavery…. a complete and total separation from Great Britain. Several of our founders believed that that was the only course of action. This was very radical and would be met with much hostility, from those within the Colonies.
During the drafting of the Declaration of Independence this was Thomas Jefferson’s original clause as strongly denounced slavery as he declared:
“King George III has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating and carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither…Determined to keep an open market where men should be bought and sold, he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or restrain this execrable commerce.”
King George III, as he engaged in the slave trade, opposed every effort at every turn to put an end to slavery. Ending slavery was a very important issue to many of our Founders so much so that when we finally did separate from England in 1776, many states began the process of abolishing slavery right away including Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and New York.
Not every state put in measure the steps to get rid of slavery as quick as these states did nor did every state take any measures at all to abolish it but the overwhelming majority of our Founders were anti-slavery.
In Jefferson’s original draft of the Declaration, he was very blunt about his denunciation of the slave trade but his strong denunciation was complained about so strenuously by the delegates from Georgia and South Carolina coupled with the indifference of some Northern Delegates that his clause was removed from the Declaration and a much milder condemnation was put in place.
And just like Sanballat and Tobiah, just like the indifference of some within the Church today, South Carolina and Georgia were trying to be a stumbling block to what our Founders were trying to build.
Nevertheless, the desire to put an end to slavery was very much a major factor in our Founders words and actions.
Now imagine if our Christian Founders had never got involved in the forming of America? Where would we be and would America even be a nation at all?
The Revolution was a result of the Second Great Awakening. America’s revolution was sparked by a revival that spread across the land. Our laws were inspired by the Scriptures. The idea of America was made possible because the Church decided to wake up. That generation that ushered in the spirit of ’76 was powered by the hope of the Gospel.
Will the Church wake up today and spark a similar great awakening that our Founders experienced? Revival starts within the heart of just one individual.
Restoring Faith, Family, and Freedom in America 