What Vision for America? What is at Stake?

by

Philip du Nard

There is an often quoted Scripture recorded in Proverbs 29:18 that is applied to the spiritual life of the nation. It declares, " Where there is no vision, the people perish."

The question is, as believers in Jesus Christ, what should our vision for the nation be, particularly our own United States for those of us who are American citizens, given that the U.S. would seem to providentially be in a position of great influence in the world? In other words, where does it fit into the divine scheme of things?

We are often reminded, perhaps not often enough, of how fortunate we are to live in what is manifestly the most God blessed nation of history even though we clearly do not deserve these national blessings we are enjoying when in some parts of the world, not a few little children wake up not knowing if they will have anything to eat that day.

Few really ask why this is as though it is an accident of history rather than the outworking of a divine plan.

The following perspectives have all been generally expressed by Bible believing Christians at some time or other. Some believers may have held different views at different points in their lives.

1- The only thing that matters is the message of personal salvation through Jesus Christ. As long as the church labors to win lost souls to Christ, everything else is secondary or unimportant. All we need is a revival like on the day of Pentecost; this is the vision needed to keep the people from perishing.

2- It doesn't matter what Christians believe about Bible prophecy as long as one is saved; this is the vision needed to keep the people from perishing.

3- Christ will return soon and the whole concept of nations will be irrelevant so no vision for the nation is needed; this is the vision needed to keep the people from perishing.

4- The church will be raptured and the world will be ruled by an Antichrist so why bother concerning ourselves with matters pertaining to the nation; this is the vision needed to keep the people from perishing.

5- The church will be raptured and the world will be ruled by an Antichrist but we should still be active in trying to set things straight at the national level because God wants us to even though it's futile because the church will be raptured and the world will be ruled by an Antichrist; this is the vision needed to keep the people from perishing.

6- The church will be raptured and the world will be ruled by an Antichrist but we don't know when so we should try to set things staight nationally as it might prolong our national blessings for a generation of two; this is the vision needed to keep the people from perishing.

7- As the salt of the earth, Christians should try to be a positive influence wherever they are, to be sure, but there is nothing different or special about America in the eyes of God; this is the vision needed to keep the people from perishing.

8- America will be blessed as long as she gives unconditional and generous support to the state of Israel but when she stops, she'll go down the tubes for sure; this is the vision needed to keep the people from perishing.

9- America is Babylon the Great described in Revelation 18 and will be destroyed; this is the vision needed to keep the people from perishing.

Undoubtedly, this list is incomplete but the question is, do any of these perspectives constitute the vision needed to keep the people from perishing?

Christian authors Peter Marshall and David Manuel have demonstrated examples of divine intervention in the founding and development of the United States indicative of some sort of divine plan but they did not correlate this with prophecy to any great extent and the future is not so clear to them.

David Barton has provided an invaluable service in documenting the influence of Christianity in our early history and upon our government which runs contrary to the current politically correct version of our history.

These are pieces of the puzzle, so to speak. But while many believers have been thrilled at what these men have to say, there remains a thought that God's grace may well be about to run out on America in light of the state of spiritual indifference and the decline in morality that exists and the inability of the Church to stem the tide of evil and the differing prophetic perspectives previously cited contribute to a certain amount of confusion.

A more solid scriptural foundation is needed.



Things New and Old

Perhaps it would be best to preface any further discussion on this question with a short exposition of one of the Lord's kingdom parables given in Matt. 13:52.

Then said he unto to them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

In what Christians commonly refer to as "the Great Commission" in Matthew 28:19-20, the Lord told the disciples to "teach all nations...to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you."


Does it not seem reasonable that this parable on old and new treasures is included in what is to be taught? Might not this have relevance and application for us as believers today? We thank God for the glorious truth of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ and His accomplished work of atonement on the cross of Calvary. From an individual standpoint, this is, by far, the most critically important matter to ponder and believe upon. This was one of those new things or treasures that the scribes and Pharisees could not stomach or accept.


But in our time, it is the old treasures that are neglected, that is, the laws and examples of God for the nation contained in the Old Scriptures such as the economic laws that would bring an end to mortgage foreclosure, make unemployment a thing of the past, and put an end to the economic burdens that tempt people to turn their thoughts to the love of money which is the root of all evil. You see, although our nation is blessed, there remain many burdens in the midst of blessing that we have brought upon ourselves by saying that all those laws that pertain to the nation are just for the Jews or are not for us today.


Is this important? Christ said, in effect, if you were properly instructed in the kingdom of God, you would draw upon these old treasures as well as the new ones. We might take this to mean if we limit our teaching to the new birth, evangelism, gifts of the Spirit, etc. and all the things we might think of as new treasures found in the New Scriiptures we are not rightly dividing the word of truth and we are not properly instructed in the kingdom of God. What is the defense for printing and distributing half-Bibles, that is New Testaments, by so-called New Testament Churches and Christians? If we emphasize the new treasures and neglect the old treasures are we being faithful to the Great Commission?


Some say that to teach the national laws of the Bible is to bring us back under the law and as Christians, we are not under the law. The problem the apostles had with teachers of the law is that they were teaching personal salvation by the law which is wrong. Also, it is the ceremonial ordinances associated with temple worship that were abolished, not the civil and moral law.


No one teaches that a person is saved eternally by obeying the speed limits on the roads but most people agree that they nevertheless serve a useful purpose. If manmade laws can serve a useful purpose for preserving good order, how much more would God's laws serve that same purpose?


Again, does this really matter? Consider that the Lord said that they who do and teach these laws would be considered great in the kingdom of heaven Matt. 5:19. Consider that the very new covenant or testament recorded in Jeremiah 31:31-34 of which so much has been said is a law covenant just as much as the old but it is a promise by God to write His laws on the hearts of His Israel people. As many of these laws are national in scope, it would appear that there is a national message that we should be pondering if we are to be considered great in the kingdom of heaven. This is not simply a case of speaking against abortion and homosexuality though these are present moral evils.


The old treasures are not just the laws for the nation but the national promises as well and trying to promote the law of God without the vision provided by the national promises can be a disheartening project.


It is with that thought in mind that the reader is referred to the Studies in Genesis section on this site. As someone has said, if we don't know where we came from, we don't know where we are headed and it is time we got some light as to what God has in mind for America. The Genesis series does not fully answer that but it is a good start and it is my hope that these neglected truths from the book of Genesis will, once again, prove edifying and contribute to a national vision to keep the people from perishing.


The first article in the series does not deal with Genesis directly but should be helpful in understanding the articles that do.