I want to say first thing that there is no greater priority, responsibility, and honor in the world than the spreading the message of the Cross. Evangelism should always be at the forefront of everything that we, as Christians, pursue. Everything that we do is worship. Our actions should go hand in hand with our words otherwise they are just words.
Now to answer the question, Can America be restored to what it once was? A return to having a respect and reverence for our Judeo-Christian principles.
Some may object and say shouldn’t the spread of the Gospel be our most important duty? Shouldn’t we prioritize evangelism over restoring and repairing our cultural/public institutions?
I believe that our founders would agree as many were fundamentally motivated by the furthering of the Gospel message as they began to set foot in the new world.
The great Pilgrim historian and governor, William Bradford was very clear on the desires of the Pilgrims as they came not to make war but came in peace with the love of the Gospel message. There were two different groups that landed, one at Plymouth and the other at Jamestown.
The Jamestown crew came with different goals and desires in mind as they were more motivated financially but that is another discussion for another time but it is a discussion that we will have.
Here are William Bradford’s own words on the desires of the early Colonist’s:
“A great hope and inward zeal (passion) they had of laying some good foundation, or at least to make some way thereunto, for the propagating and advancing the Gospel of the Kingdom of Christ in those remote parts of the world; yea, though they should be but even stepping-stones unto others for the performing of so great a work.”
Their priority, even as they sought out new worlds, was to disciple nations. [1]
Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Our forefathers prioritized discipling nations as well as proclaiming the Gospel to all of the world. We must realize and understand that not only is God glorified and souls reached through our words but His light shines through us as we practically apply our Christian principles to all areas of our life, not just within the walls of the church or our homes.
The Scriptures teach us in the book of James that “faith without works is dead”.[2]
James 2:20 & 26
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Yes, our home is the place that we must glorify God first. If we cannot do it there, then we will not be effective in our witness to the world.
There must be a balance.
When we look into the God’s Word, we find balance. We have the OT and the NT. When we look at our government, there should be balance. No one branch should ever have too much control. Our Founders set up a system of checks and balances. Each branch keeps the other in check. There is accountability in balance.
As a government for the people, of the people, and by the people we should always be holding one another accountable respectfully even when we strongly disagree on issues.
Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams all were very different but were united in the common cause of liberty.
There was a balance between evangelism and the manifestation of Judeo-Christian culture in America that was very clearly illustrated from our very beginning. We were not set up as a Theocracy. That system had been tried and tested as you cannot force people to worship. People must be free to choose even if that decision differs from our own path.
America came into existence through the obedience of millions of people who took the message of the Gospel and then applied it to every faucet of life.
America was once likened to a “shining city on a hill” and a “light to all nations” as we were “caring for our own vineyard”.
Through the faith of the founding generation, our nation demonstrated the power of Christ in the lives of these individuals to the entire world.
We must do it again.
America once stood proudly on these principles and the world took notice. We had and still have enemies that hate us and always will but what do they hate us for?
Before there may have been hatred but respect was there. Is there still that hatred combined with respect for our country?
Even enemies can show respect. How can the world respect us when we as a people don’t even respect ourselves?
We must regain our focus, regain our desire to feed our hearts and minds with the Scriptures daily. The founders had revival before revolution. If we want a revival of Americas fundamentals now, we must have an awakening. [3]
[1] Matthew 28:18-20
[2] James 2:20-26 KJV
[3] Foster, Marshall. The American Covenant: The Untold Story. Page 23.
Restoring Faith, Family, and Freedom in America 