16Aug 08
The Founding Father’s Foundation Part 2
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What did our Founding Fathers know? They understood the real answer to one of the most basic questions of any culture or society that has ever existed. The question has been greatly ignored in our culture today. It stands as the elephant in the room that no one is talking about. The answer to this basic question has determined the direction of every group of people since the beginning of time. Hitler and Stalin killed millions based on their answers to this question. Others have given their lives to help millions because of the way they answered this question. Most ignore it and let others answer it for them. The question, what makes something right or wrong? The answer to this question under girds everyone’s decision process. It makes us who we are and it determines where we are going in the near future all the way through eternity.
Ask yourself.
When I get ready to make a decision about whether something is right or wrong, what principles do I use to make that decision?
How do you decide if something is right or wrong?
If you are like 60% of the people your answer will be something like this, I decide what is right or wrong based on how I was brought up. Your foundation will be the values of your parents, teachers, and others that influenced your life. The decisions you make will reflect the standards and values of those that influenced you. While on the surface this seems satisfactory, how do you know if the people who influenced you were right or wrong?
Consider a New Guinea pygmy who was influenced by his parents and teachers to kill and eat other human beings. His guiding principles come from the way he was brought up. The results of his upbringing however seem greatly flawed by our standards. How do we decide if he is right or wrong?
We see that the way we were brought up, if used as the sole determining factor, fails as a consistent standard for what is right and wrong. There must be something else.
The next 20% answer the question with the idea that they have some innate sixth sense that guides them. They say I just have a strong sense or felling of what is right and I do it. A little consideration of this principle and we quickly see the problem. Feelings are not reliable. I sometimes feel like staying in bed instead of getting up and going to work. If I trusted in my feelings as the standard of what is right and wrong I would stay in bed and loose my job.
Feelings are not trustworthy as a consistent standard of what is right or wrong.
The last answer that I am usually given is that I determine what is right or wrong based on what the law says. The law becomes the guiding principle. While the law is important to follow, how do those making the laws decide whether a law should be a law or not? For example if I bought an island in the South Pacific, moved there with 500 others, we formed our own little country and passed a law that made murder legal, would that make murder right? No we all know murder is wrong, don’t we? Or do we? We have forgotten what makes something right or wrong.
Our Founding Fathers had not forgotten. They staked their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors on what they knew were right.
There is a right and there is a wrong. However you and I cannot be trusted to decide right and wrong based on our upbringings, our feelings or even on our laws. There must be something greater than us that establishes the standard of right or wrong. Something, that is always consistent and in control. That something greater is actually a person. His name is Jesus Christ. He is the creator of all things and therefore the only one capable of setting the absolute standard by which we, his creation, must live. Not only is He capable, He has done it. It is called the Bible, a book that He inspired and that He has preserved for us to know Him by. Many will say, without ever reading it, that they do not believe it is true.
I was one of those once until I read it. It is true, it is relative and it is absolutely imperative for you to know what it says if you truly want to have Life, Liberty and the freedom to Pursue Happiness.
Our Founding Fathers knew this and gave their lives, fortunes and sacred honor for it. It is never to late to turn back to the truth.
Thank you Dad for your words of wisdom here! What a blessing it is to live in a country that had such a God honoring beginning. Yet it definitely came with a cost!
Jesus Christ was the answer back then and is still the answer today! He is the only one that will truly be able to change the hearts and ways of man today.
May our prayers for this nation be that we as a body of believers will be burdened to share what Jesus has done in our lives.
For no one can refute a testimony that is real and life changing.
Heb 13:8 says that “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
Thanks for a well written piece. We discussed it a bit today as a family on our way to pick peaches.
Regarding the Scriptures, for certain they are inspired by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. And more importantly, we have been given the living word, Jesus, who is our life and the gift of the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us into all truth.
One of the things that came up in discussion is how we deal with issues arising when two people or groups appeal to the Bible as their reason for being right, and they are not in agreement.
For instance, there was a time when the church was divided on the issue of slavery and both sides made their appeals from Scripture. Even today within the body there are issues that groups of people disagree on and both sides appeal to the Bible in defense of their position.
Any thoughts on the matter?
Very true! Without a solid foundation, we have nothing lasting to build our lives around.
“Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste” (Isaiah 28:16).
Thank you Dad! Because of your discipleship, I was able to share this series of questions with a lady on the plane the other day. I believe it shed some light on concepts she had not considered and thereby left her with a better foundation to view life upon.
Kevin – Sir, thank you for taking the time to drop a note. Those are some important concepts to wrestle through. In thinking through what you said about slavery and other issues the church has wrestled through, a couple thoughts came to mind. First, a question these parties ought to ask is, “Why?” (Why have slaves). It seems that a reason why such debates between Christians exist is due to the wrong desires we have for self-preservation, worldly success, pride, etc. I also think that because we live in a fallen world, our tendency is to utilize human realizing and the Bible. Setting aside the world’s reasoning (though it may appear very logical) and taking only the Scriptures with open & pure hearts (very key) lead of the Holy Spirit, will guide the church unto all truth (John 16:13).
I look forward to hearing more thoughts on this.
A couple of other thoughts…
The natural man does not receive or understand the things of the Spirit. Things of the Spirit are foolishness to the natural man.
However, even those of us who have the mind of Christ, can disagree on some things. Through Paul, God even wrote about how we deal with that.
Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. [Romans 14:1-5]
I love the last portion of this… “To his own master he stands or falls. And he WILL stand, for the LORD is able to make him stand.”
Praise the Lord, it’s not our ability to understand and obey every jot and tittle that makes us stand, but Him.
[...] is incumbent, as American citizens, that we stand not idly by, but go, as did our founding fathers, and pray with passion for our nation, stand up for the cause of Christ, and proclaim the truths [...]