Sermon, July 21, 1986

THIRD GOD STATEMENT IN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: SUPREME JUDGE

Preached at Union Baptist
July 21, '96

Text Ecclesiastes 12:14

INTRODUCTION: Ecclesiastes 12:14 "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."

Today we want to look at the third God statement in the Declaration of Independence. Christians need never be ashamed of their patriotism. The First Amendment does not outlaw Christianity from public places. We often hear the Jefferson statement about the wall of separation of Church and State. Jefferson was not at the Continental Congress that drafted the First Amendment; he was not even in the country at that time. However, Jefferson was the primary author of the Declaration. He is the one that chose these God statements. Can anyone really think that Jefferson believed that Government should fight against God in public forums? Or that He believed that a free government and God were mutually exclusive?

I have said before and I will repeat it, the use of the First Amendment by the radical non-Christian left is pure equivocation. They use the phrase separation of Church and state, as describing the First Amendment, and then they give a new definition to the phrase and then apply that to the First Amendment. We may not agree on the meaning of the phrase 'the separation of Church and state,' but the First Amendment is clear. If we are going to use the phrase, separation of Church and state in reference to the First Amendment, then let us be honest enough to use the First Amendment to define the statement.

Again I want to repeat, that while we are looking at Jefferson's words, we do not think he was an evangelical. There is no evidence that Jefferson was a Christian. There is plenty of evidence that he was not a Christian. He didn't believe in miracles; he didn't believe in the deity of Christ; he didn't believe in salvation by the blood of Jesus; he didn't believe in justification by faith. He did believe in God. He did believe in the moral precepts of the Bible. He may have even had our text in mind when he penned the last paragraph of the Declaration.

THE THIRD GOD STATEMENT IN ITS CONTEXT: "We therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in general Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES;...."

This is the first sentence of the last paragraph. This comes after a long list of charges of abuses and usurpations of King George's. After the list of charges against the King, they also charged the citizens of England for not listening to their grievances. Then they make this statement

We must again comment on Common Grace. They do not simply appeal to the sovereign God, to God almighty or the Creator, but to the Supreme Judge. In the Declaration they are calling on God to judge their actions - so they refer to Him as the Supreme Judge. We must admit that God opened Jefferson's mind but not his heart. That is common grace. Bow sinner bow!

We must be honest; it would appear that Jefferson truly believed in judgment, but that Supreme Judge would judge him according to the balance of his good works against his bad works. Jefferson apparently believed that a good moral man would go to heaven. That if you followed the moral teaching of Jesus then the blood of Jesus was not necessary.

THE SUPREME JUDGE HAS A VERY REAL PLACE IN AMERICA'S POLITICAL LIFE: Those signers appealed to the Supreme judge for the rightness of their political actions. Listen I am not just some right wing nut trying to force my religious beliefs on a nice unsuspecting world. As an American I have every right, yea every duty to appeal to the Supreme Judge for my political actions. Americans - take God into the voting booth. In 1990 the Supreme Court held, in a freedom of speech case, that religious motives did not invalidate a piece of legislation - in that decision they quoted an earlier case. I base my belief on the Word of God, but I can, as an American, use common documents to support the Governments duty to recognize God.

I heard Lynn Berry of the people for separation of Church and state say that our constitution was hostile to religious speech but was favorable to pornography. Now America is founded on the principal that we act politically in accordance with God and the rule of God. Again you had better thank God for common grace. God opens the minds of men that He doesn't open their hearts. We can use common documents of Americans because of Common Grace. We have a country built on the belief that we can go by the rule of God.

Is a Christian out of line for quoting the Bible when they speak about issues? Absolutely not! Tony Hall voted against homosexuals in the military. The Dayton Daily News Editor interviewed him; Tony said the bible was against it. The editor said, well if you are going to use the bible the interview is over - we have no common ground. How are you going to appeal to the divine judge if you do not use His word? Who did Jefferson and the other signers of the Declaration mean when they spoke of the divine judge? Jefferson was an ardent reader of Locke - Locke believed in the God of the Bible. When Jefferson wanted to know about God he used the Bible - that was his religious book - true he also thought you could reason out what God wanted, but it was the God of the Bible that he thought he was reasoning out.

Now wouldn't it be downright dumb to think that God was the judge of America but had no rules by which to judge America? Ask some liberal what standards will the Supreme Judge use to judge America. I can assure you they will say, God has no standards. He will judge us according to what we think is right. The post modern world teaches and believes there is not truth except the truth that there is not truth. Then, according to the post modernist, the judgment of God cannot be according to truth - if there is no truth.

America was found on the concept that their is a standard of truth - and that the Supreme Judge determines that standard. It is obvious that Jefferson and the others believed that God had directions for human governments. That civil government had a place in the universal government of God.

God's law included magistrates. Magistrates do not have the same responsibility as the Church - but then again they are a different institution. However, they are responsible to the same Judge. Now I am willing to appeal to the Supreme Judge, as His standards are revealed in His book. That is the book that the signers of the Declaration thought of when they considered the Supreme rules by which the Supreme Judge judged.

It is true that they thought those standards could be reasoned out but they never thought that reason would contradict revelation. So the Bible was a fair test of political correctness.

Genesis 18:25 "That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Will God destroy American? He will do right. Bow, sinner, Bow!!

SPIRITUAL CONSIDERATION OF THE THIRD GOD STATEMENT: Ecclesiastes 11:9 "Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment." Then Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." The Supreme Judge that judges nations - will judge you. This places a great responsibility on Christians - God gave us this freedom - we are responsible to use it. What a privilege to be an American - our founding documents do not tell us how to be right with God. But they do warn us of Judgment to come. The Declaration warns us to be right with God - and implies that being right with God is the most important thing. Then the first Amendment guarantees our right to witness to others about the God of the Bible" Exercise your citizenship - witness - do soul winning - speak out publicly about the Lord Jesus Christ - tell others of Judgment to come" Use it or lose it.

This places a great responsibility on the unsaved - God gave you this freedom so that you can freely seek after Him. Truth is part of our heritage - use it or lose it. What does it mean to be an American? It means that your country was founded on this principle - there is a Supreme Judge. It is as Ecclesiastes says - God is going to bring you into Judgment.

The spiritual standard for the Supreme Judge is His Son. Acts 17:30, 31 "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." You are judged by what you do with Jesus - have you submitted to His rule? Notice how God judges according to His law. James 2:10 "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." Romans 3:10- 11 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

You cannot pass the test by being good, no one is good enough. Romans 3:24-25 "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;" Will you trust the Lord Jesus? Will you learn from our founders? Judgment is coming. Flee to Christ - settle it with the Lord - make things right with God. Acts 16:31 "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."