On July 4, 1776, the founding fathers of the United States signed the Declaration of Independence. They declared independence from Great Britain but not independence from God. The first sentence of the Declaration of Independence speaks of God, and the second declares that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.“ The Declaration concludes with another appeal to God: “with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.“ Those founding fathers did not want to remain under King George, but they did want to remain under God.
Among the foremost leaders who signed the Declaration of Independence was Samuel Adams. A decade before the Declaration, Samuel Adams laid the groundwork by organizing a group call the Sons of Liberty. He played such an important role that he is known as “the father of American independence.“ Speaking of human rights, Samuel Adams said, “These may be best understood by reading and carefully studying the institutes of [Jesus] the great Law Giver and Head of the Christian Church, which are to be found clearly written and promulgated in the New Testament.“
Thomas Jefferson was less devout than some of America’s founders, but even Jefferson regarded Jesus as an extraordinary person and saw the Bible as a source of wisdom. Jefferson said, “Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis——a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?“
George Washington, the first president of the United States, spoke of justice, mercy, love, humility, and peace as “the Characteristics of [Christ] the Divine Author of our blessed religion“ and said that without humbly imitating his example, “we can never hope to be a happy nation.“ Washington warned, “Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.“
John Adams, the second president and previously a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a major contributor to the United States Constitution, said, “Our Constitution was written for a moral and religious people, and it is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.“ His son, John Quincy Adams, also served as president and said, “The Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission on earth [and] laid the corner stone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity.“
Canada is unlike the United States in that Canada gained political independence gradually. But Canada is like the United States in that its history and institutions owe a great deal to Christianity. Canada’s national anthem says, “God keep our land glorious and free.“ The opening line of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms declares, “Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law.“
Both Canada and the United States are free societies with special emphasis on religious freedom. This freedom is not meant to be freedom from God but freedom under God. American patriot Patrick Henry said, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ! For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.“ Government must not force people to join any denomination, but this very freedom stands on Christian principles of conscience.
The United States and Canada are not always faithful to God. Their government policies are sometimes wrong. Their people commit many sins. They cannot claim to be perfectly pleasing to God, but they do claim to be under God.
One Nation, Under Secularism?
Every piece of American money says, “In God we trust.“ The American Pledge of Allegiance speaks of “one nation, under God.“ Some people object to the phrase “under God.“ The Pledge of Allegiance came under attack when atheist Michael Newdow asked the courts to declare it unconstitutional. Newdow claimed to be representing his young daughter. He wanted to protect her from reciting those words at her public school. But the girl is a churchgoer who doesn’t even live with Newdow. She lives with her mother, an evangelical Christian and a supporter of keeping “under God“ in the Pledge. Anyway, Newdow persuaded a lower court to rule the Pledge unconstitutional for using the words “under God,“ and eventually the Supreme Court took up the question. Ironically, the Supreme Court opens all its public sessions with the words, “God save the United States and this honorable court.“ Could anything be more ridiculous than for the Court to rule against speaking of “one nation, under God“?
Some misguided defenders of the phrase “under God“ say that it’s constitutional because it’s just a patriotic platitude which involves no real faith or religious content. In that case, I would favor getting rid of it, not keeping it. I detest civil religion which uses God’s name only to stir up a patriotic feeling. But many who say “under God“ are not taking the Lord’s name in vain. Millions of people who say “under God“ are saying what they truly believe, and they’re not just stating their belief. They are stating a fact: the God of the Bible, the God revealed in Christ, reigns supreme over the nation, and the nation needs his guidance and blessing.
Earlier this year, The New York Times published an article by Susan Jacoby titled “One Nation, Under Secularism.“ The title was a direct slam at the idea of “one nation, under God.“ Above the article was a drawing that looked exactly like an American coin, except that in the place where the coin is supposed to say, “In God We Trust,“ the artist instead put, “In ______ We Trust“ and then offered two choices to fill in the blank: A. God or B. Man. Sad to say, The New York Times wanted man to replace God.Such arrogance is breathtaking. It is arrogant for journalists to say their nation is wrong to declare trust in God. But it’s even more arrogant to spit in the face of God and to brazenly suggest that trusting man is better than trusting God. Some of us do trust in man more than in God, but that is cause for regret, not an ideal to aim for and boast about.
What a contrast to the attitude of earlier generations! The Pilgrims who came on the Mayflower were among the first colonists in New England. Their agreement to govern themselves was the first written constitution in the colonies. The Mayflower Compact begins by saying, “In the name of God, Amen“ and goes on to say that the Pilgrims came to America “for the glory of God, and the advancement of the Christian faith.“
In July of 1776, after the Declaration of Independence was signed, the Liberty Bell was rung to call people to the first public reading of the Declaration. Inscribed on the Liberty Bell are these words. “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.“ Where do those words come from? Directly from the Bible (see Leviticus 25:10).
Belief in God, Jesus Christ, and the Bible was not a minor footnote but the major source of wisdom for earlier generations in the United States. President Andrew Jackson called the Bible “the rock on which our Republic rests.“ In 1892 a Supreme Court document stated, “This is a Christian nation.“
Earl Warren served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in the 1950s and 1960s, when courts and schools became more secular and said less and less about America’s Christian heritage. But even Chief Justice Warren said,
- I believe no one can read the history of our country without realizing that the Good Book [the Bible] and the spirit of the Savior have from the beginning been our guiding geniuses… I believe the entire Bill of Rights came into being because of the knowledge our forefathers had of the Bible and their belief in it: freedom of belief, of expression, of assembly, of petition, the dignity of the individual, the sanctity of the home, equal justice under law, and the reservation of powers to the people.
What would happen today if a nominee for the Supreme Court credited Christ and the Bible for improving law and government? The nomination might be rejected. If public school teachers taught such things, their position might be in jeopardy. It’s now politically correct to pretend that freedom depends on removing faith from public life. But that’s false. The truth is, the influence of Jesus Christ and the concept of government under God have nurtured liberty and justice in the United States, in Canada, and in other countries with a Christian heritage. Many people don’t know this——their schools never told them——but we need to know the truth. If we don’t know how a free, well—ordered society got that way, we won’t know when it is slipping away——until it’s too late.
Exalted Over the Nations
The Bible says, “Dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations“ (Psalm 22:28). “The Lord is exalted over the nations“ (Psalm 113:4). If God rules over the nations, it means that the nations are under God. A nation may affirm it or deny it, but the fact remains that every nation is under God.
The Bible says, “Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples“ (Psalm 117:1). Nations that recognize and honor God’s rule are better off than those who don’t. A nation under God that seeks to uphold God—given rights and honor God—given responsibilities will enjoy more blessings than one that ignores God or serves another god besides the God revealed in Christ. Teachers, newspapers, and judges can pretend it’s not so, but facts are facts.
Jesus lived on earth at a time when his homeland of Israel was under the heel of the Roman Empire. Roman emperors claimed divine powers; the Caesars honored no law higher than themselves. Some people once asked Jesus whether it was right to pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus asked for a coin. On one side of the coin was a portrait of Caesar; on the other side was an inscription calling Caesar divine. Jesus looked at the coin and said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s“ (Matthew 22:21). Paying taxes to government for certain services is one thing; worshiping government as a god is quite another.
Only one person has divine authority on earth, and that person is Jesus Christ, not any ruler or government. After Jesus rose from the dead, he said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me“ (Matthew 28:18). The earliest Christian statement of faith was, “Jesus is Lord“ (Romans 10:9). That was a sharp contrast to the Roman claim, “Caesar is Lord.“ All must bow to Jesus as Lord, so no human may bow to another mere human as Lord. The supreme authority of Christ puts a limit on all merely human authority. This is bad news for tyrants and good news for human freedom.
Fountain of Freedom
Jesus is the fountain of freedom. When Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,“ he went on to tell his followers to make disciples of all nations. Their mission efforts upset authority figures who didn’t want Christianity to spread. The authorities threatened the Christians and ordered them to stop preaching, but the Christians replied, “We must obey God rather than men!“ (Acts 5:29) If government orders clashed with God’s commands, they had to disobey government and obey God. Still today some rulers try to control churches and try to stop Christians from urging others to follow Christ, but whenever government contradicts God, the Christian response is, “We must obey God rather than men!“ God’s law is above man’s law.
Christ’s followers are not anti—government, but they believe in government under God, not government as God. The apostles of Christ told Christians to submit to government and to pay the proper taxes, not because rulers are gods but because rulers are God’s servants for restraining crime and encouraging a better society (Romans 13:1—7). In the Bible, the apostles of Christ told Christians to pray to God for their rulers (1 Timothy 2:1—2) but never to pray to their rulers as gods. In this Christian view, rulers are not masters of the universe but servants responsible to God for the good of the people. Rulers are not gods but men who need prayers and God’s help to do a decent job. Government has a limited, temporary purpose. Respect that limited purpose but don’t put too much faith in government.
Jesus put limits on the authority of government, and he also redefined the purpose of power. Jesus said, “The greatest among you will be your servant“ (Matthew 23:11). Christ himself set the pattern. He held ultimate authority but was willing to do the hardest, humblest jobs to serve others. He went so far as to wash his disciples’ dirty feet, a lowly job for servants and slaves. Then he said, “You call me ’Teacher’ and ’Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash each other’s feet“ (John 13:13—14). If the supreme ruler of the universe used his power and authority to serve people, if the greatest is a servant, then the Christian pattern for rulers is to be public servants for the good of their people, not proud tyrants who exalt themselves at the expense of their people.
Jesus set a pattern where no ruler is too important to be a servant, and he also set a pattern in which every person matters. Jesus cherished individuals that others didn’t care about. Jesus showed God’s care for every person, not just for the rich and powerful. He said that he would take it personally if anyone harmed or neglected the last and the least of humanity. Christ’s insistence that every last person counts has had an enormous long—term impact in government and recognition of human rights. Veteran journalist Malcolm Muggeridge said, “We must not forget that our human rights are derived from the Christian faith. In Christian terms every single human being, whoever he or she may be, sick or well, clever or foolish, beautiful or ugly, every human being is loved by his Creator.“
The overall biblical vision of a great society, revealed by Christ and his prophets and apostles, is not a vision of big government or impressive monuments. The pagan, humanistic empires measured greatness by territory conquered and buildings erected. The countless soldiers and civilians who died in these conquests didn’t matter. The many slaves it took to build the pyramids and pagan temples didn’t matter. In the pagan vision, people mattered less that conquest and splendor. But the biblical vision is not of imperial splendor but of free people working hard and minding their own business (1 Thessalonians 4:11). In Scripture God’s reign is seen where weapons of war become farm implements, where every man sits in the shade of his own tree without fear, free to enjoy family and property (see Micah 4:2—5).
Jesus is the fountain of freedom. From Christ we learn that grand government goals do not outweigh dignity and opportunity for each person. Every person matters. Human rights come from God, not government. Rulers are servants, not gods. Every ruler will ultimately bow before Christ and answer to him. These principles are vital for good government and healthy society, and these principles have influenced the world for the better.
Saying No to Emperors
Faith in Christ as Lord enabled early Christians to be good citizens while rejecting every government claim to absolute authority. Jesus’ first followers didn’t seek any special privileges from government, and they didn’t count on government to impose Christianity on others. They simply wanted to be free to worship God and serve the Lord Jesus without being persecuted.
Later, persecution of Christians ended and some emperors became part of the church themselves. However, emperors were still tempted to see themselves as above the law, answerable to nobody. They were also tempted to use their governing powers beyond their legitimate sphere, interfering in the affairs of the church. But those who believe in the supreme authority of Christ know that no government official can order the church what to believe and no government official is above the law.
One hero of history who insisted on government under God was Ambrose, bishop of Milan in Italy. On one occasion the government ordered Ambrose to turn a church building over to Arian leaders, false teachers who did not believe in Christ as God and did not believe in the Holy Trinity. Ambrose refused to let the Arian heretics take over the church building, so the emperor’s soldiers surrounded the church. Ambrose was told that “the Emperor was exercising his rights since everything was under his power.“ Ambrose answered that “those things which are God’s are not subject to imperial power.“ Ambrose and his congregation barricaded themselves in the church for more than a week, praying and singing hymns. Finally the emperor backed down, and the church remained faithful to the Trinity.
Ambrose insisted that government cannot dictate doctrine to the church, and he also insisted that no ruler is a law to himself. This led to a confrontation with another emperor, Theodosius, who often attended his church. Here’s what happened.
A mob of people in the city of Thessalonica killed a Roman officer. When the emperor heard this, he was furious and ordered his troops to start killing people throughout Thessalonica. More than seven thousand men, women, and children were killed to avenge the death of that one man, with no regard for whether they were guilty or innocent.
The next Sunday Emperor Theodosius went to church, expecting to receive holy communion. But Ambrose stopped him at the door and would not even let the emperor enter his church. “How will you lift up in prayer the hands still dripping with the blood of the murdered? How can such hands receive the body and blood of the Lord? Get away and do not heap crime upon crime.“ The emperor was shocked and offended. He was the emperor; his word was law; he could do as he pleased. How dare anyone talk to him like that? “The Church of God,“ he complained, “is open to slaves and beggars. To me it is closed.“ At last he humbled himself and repented. He grieved for his sin and said, “Ambrose is the first man who told me the truth.“ The brave bishop had reminded the emperor (who could have killed him on the spot) that even the most powerful ruler on earth must answer to the God of heaven.
No ruler is above the law, and no government may dictate matters of faith to the church. Government is under God, not above him. Anywhere in the world that this principle has been practiced, it has made a huge, positive difference.
Separation of Powers
Christians and churches have made far too many errors in political matters over the centuries, but where they have been faithful to Christ and the principles of God’s Word, they have done much good. When Christians have asserted the final authority of Christ, limited government to its own proper sphere, and based human rights and responsibilities in God’s authority, not man’s, the influence of Christ has been a blessing to nations.
Christianity has helped to limit government to its proper place, and Christians also contributed to having separate branches of government: judicial, legislative, and executive. When some Christians read in the Bible, “For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us“ (Isaiah 33:22), they reasoned that only Christ can be trusted with authority to be the supreme judge, lawgiver, and king. No sinful human could be trusted with judicial, legislative, and executive powers at the same time. It would be better to separate those powers into different branches of government, as checks and balances to lessen the likelihood of too much power being concentrated in any one person or group of people. Followers of Christ were so aware of human sinfulness and so committed to Christ’s supremacy that they didn’t trust anyone but Christ to hold all the powers of government and be judge, lawgiver, and king at the same time.
If you look around the world today, the countries with the most freedom and opportunity are generally those where many citizens are Christians or where systems of government were formed under centuries of Christian influence. I’m not saying that the United States or Canada or any other nation with a Christian heritage is the Lord’s special favorite. No nation or government has a special claim to being God’s people on earth; only the church of Christ is set apart in that way. But the reign of Christ extends beyond the church, and the blessings of Christ are most evident in nations that recognize his reign.
No system of human government is perfect, not even systems that have been most influenced by Christian principles. Only when Christ returns will the nations be governed perfectly. In the meantime, though, there’s no denying Christianity’s important part in making governments and political structures better.
Societies based on non—Christian religions have placed few limits on political power. Societies based on atheism often promise freedom but end up with dictatorship. Without God there is no power higher than the power of the state, and the state has final authority in every sphere of life.
Clement of Alexandria said it well centuries ago, “Does it not seem monstrous that you——human beings who are God’s own handiwork——should be subjected to another master, and even worse, serve a tyrant instead of God, the true king?“ Freedom flourishes only under God.
David Feddes
Dr. David Feddes is pastor of Family of Faith Church and provost of Christian Leaders Institute, which supports mentor-based ministry training through online courses. David is also adjunct missiologist for Crossroad Bible Institute, which provides biblical distance education to more than 40,000 people in prison. Previously he served as broadcast minister for the Back to God radio program, reaching people in more than fifty countries. David earned his Ph.D. in intercultural studies from Trinity International University, Deerfield, IL and is a graduate of Calvin Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Wendy, have nine children (one in heaven).
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