Faith of Our Founding Fathers
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. – Hebrews 13:7
Dear Friends,
The writer of the Book of Hebrews repeatedly emphasizes the superiority of Christ. He tells us of the superiority of Christ to angels, to Moses, to the priests, in His sacrificial work and in the New Covenant. Among these proclamations of Christ’s superiority are five warnings to the reader to remember God’s just punishment against those who ignored His commands in the past. In the closing chapter, the writer encourages the reader to remember those leaders who preached the Gospel to them, to consider the way they lived their lives and to imitate their faith.
Yesterday, my girls and I spent the day in Washington D.C. As we toured the monuments and museums, I reminded them of the importance of God as the foundation of our government and society. Throughout the city there are references to God. Even the mall is laid out as a cross with the Washington Monument at the center, the Lincoln Memorial at the top, The Capital building at the bottom and the White House and the Jefferson Memorial on either side.
But what is of most importance is the faith of our Founding Fathers themselves. While the secular world is trying to rewrite history by telling us that the Founding Fathers were not men of faith, the truth is that they were. And their faith shaped the direction of this country. Here are just a few quotes from some of them:
“It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of God and to obey His will.” – George Washington
“God governs the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, it is probable that an empire can rise without His aid?” – Benjamin Franklin
“I am profoundly engaged in reading the Bible. Take all of this Book upon reason that you can, and the balance by faith, and you will live and die a better man.” – Abraham Lincoln
Then again, we are told that there were men like Thomas Jefferson did not let his faith guide his decisions. After all, didn’t Jefferson profess the idea of the “separation of church and state” and didn’t Jefferson rewrite the bible to remove all the miracles retaining only the moral teachings of Christ? This is partially true, but like most things these must be taken in the context of his time.
England, like most other European nations at the time, had an official state religion. If you were an English citizen, you were expected to be a member of the Church of England, the Anglican Church. At times, it was illegal in England to practice any other religion. This is the context of Jefferson’s thoughts on separation of church and state. He did not intend to remove faith from the government, but he did intend to prevent the government from imposing a specific faith.
As for the “Jefferson Bible,” while it is true that he dismissed the miracles of Christ, Jefferson was a product of his time, the Age of Enlightenment when anything and everything that did not have a rational, natural explanation had to be dismissed. Unfortunately, this same rationalism of the 18th century spills over into the disbelief of many people today.
But the best way to rebuke those who would speak ill of the faith of Thomas Jefferson is by his own words in which he stated that his views, “are the result of a life of inquiry and reflection, and very different from the anti-Christian system imputed to me by those who know nothing of my opinions.”
As the 4th of July approaches and we begin to make plans for the celebration of our independence, let us remember the words of the writer of Hebrews in the context of his day and let us see if we can apply it to ourselves today. Let us remember our leaders who indeed spoke so highly of God. And finally, let us continue their work of keeping faith as a foundation of our government and society instead of entertaining the lies of those who wish to suppress the truth.
In Christ,
David
P.S. - I receommend “Rediscovering God in America” by Newt Gingrich. It comes both as a short book and as a DVD tour of Washington D.C.
