Much has been said about God’s law (i.e. The Ten Commandments) being the foundation for this great nation’s judicial system. From that one would suppose that because the commandment says “Thou shalt not kill” we have laws against murder, for example. I imagine that is correct to an extent, but I believe it goes much deeper than that.
What the atheists are attempting to do is destroy the notion that we are accountable to God in the end, for when they can do that, everything else becomes relative, based solely upon the norms of society (or what is acceptable to the masses).
One would say, “Why can’t I do this, or that?” The reply would be, “Because it’s wrong to do such”. The other would say, “Who says or why is it wrong?” Then without the foundation of the Word of God to stand on, what would you say next? “Because it is against the law”? The other would say, “Well let’s change the law, and make murder, theft, and same sex marriage legal.” But with the Word of God for a foundation, you can never make “the works of the flesh” legal or acceptable.
That is why the Word is under such an assault today, and attempts are made to separate it totally from our judicial system. Jesus said, “…why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?” (Luke 12:57).
The founding father, John Adams, said in 1798, “Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.” Another, James Madison, said in 1778, “We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions…upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”
The Word of God teaches us where the liberty that these men reference comes from; “…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Cor 3:17). According to James Madison, our form of government is insufficient for a people that do not believe in or worship God, who these liberties derive from. Those who aren’t anchored in Jesus need restrictions placed on them to control them, and prisons built to put them in when they ignore these restrictions.
What Madison was referring to can further be explained by this scripture; “For the love of Christ constraineth us…that they which live [those who have eternal life] should not henceforth live [this life] unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” (2 Cor 2:14,15). What Paul is referring to is the capacity, given by and through the love of Christ, to keep this body under subjection and restrain this flesh from doing those things which are not convenient (Rom 1:28).
Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15), and in another place he was asked of the greatest commandment. He replied," Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and prophets.” (Matt 22:37-40). Paul wrote, “Love worketh no ill to its neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Rom 13:10).
As a country, we are not so much founded upon the law of God that rests on tables of stone but the law of God that was written in hearts, made possible by the death of the sinless Jesus on the cross.
Stone foundations can crack and crumble with age but the Rock lives eternally, never changing or decaying.
The Spirit of God abiding within us is what makes it possible for us to govern ourselves (Rom 6:14) as James Madison has written; that same Spirit, the Comforter that is to “…guide you into all truth…” (John 16:13).
Those of this Spirit need no law as the law was made “…for the lawless and disobedient…” (1 Tim 1:9). Where law is there is restriction of actions, or condemnation, and where liberty (through the Spirit of God) is there is freedom of actions with no condemnation or need for restrictions.
Just imagine a place where love for God and your neighbor reigns supreme; would there be any crime or any need for the law? John said, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” (1 John 3:14,15).
In a place without this love, confusion and darkness reigns because the Spirit of God is missing.
And that, my friends, is a picture of America today.