In God We Trust!
Scriptures: Proverbs 3:5
Introduction
The title of my message this morning is “In God We Trust.”
Proverbs 3:5 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
In you examine our currency you will find the words, “In God We Trust.” Those words did not get on our currency by accident. This declaration was placed on our currency largely because of the increased religious sentiment (feelings and opinions) that existed during the Civil War. The Secretary of the Treasury Salmon Chased received many appeals from devout persons throughout the country urging that the United States recognize God Almighty on United States coins. From Treasury Department records, it appears that the first such appeal came in a letter dated November, 13, 1861. It was written to Secretary Chase by Rev. M.R. Watkinson, minister of the Chapel from Ridleyville, PA. Here is an excerpt from that letter: “….One fact touching our currency has hitherto been seriously overlooked, I mean the recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins. You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were not shattered beyond reconstruction? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation?” After making his recommendation, Rev. Watkinson closed with “This would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed. From my hearth I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters.”
As a result of this letter, on November 20, 1861, Mr. Chase instructed the director of the Mint at Philadelphia to prepare a motto. In his memo he stated “No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins…” Because the Act of Congress, dated January 18, 1837, prescribed the mottoes and devices that should be placed upon the coins of the United States, the mint could make no changes without the enactment of additional legislation by the Congress. After the final words were selected, the Congress passed the Act on April 22, 1864. More legislation was passed in the subsequent years to add the declaration on all United States currency. The use of “In God We Trust” has not been uninterrupted since it first appeared on the one-cent coin. A law was passed by the 84th Congress and approved by the President on July 30, 1956 declaring “In God We Trust” as the national motto of the United States. “In God We Trust” was first used on paper in 1957.
Why is this historically important? Because the “founding fathers” of this nation were Christians – most were of the Protestant faith. While many mistakes were made throughout history as this nation continued to evolve, the core belief was that we were a nation who as a whole believed in and trusted God. The declaration “In God We Trust” being added to our currency was a last declaration of what this nation would be. It was to stand so that centuries later when others viewed this nation it would be recognized as a God fearing nation, not a heathen nation.
I. The Declaration of Independence
When the Declaration of Independence was written, it was written by men who had a foundational belief in God and that His laws should provide guidance for man’s laws. There are five references to God in the Declaration of Independence, two in the first paragraph, one in the middle, and two at the last.
1st & 2nd References: “When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” Who is responsible for the “Laws of Nature” but God? Natural Law to the founding fathers was defined as the “laws of the Creator.” From the Laws of Nature sprang the awareness of natural law, understood by early philosophers to be a source of higher law that never changes.” In the 1st Century B/C., Cicero, a Roman politician described it best when he wrote, “Nor may any other law override it, nor may it be repealed as a whole or in part….Nor is it one thing at Rome and another at Athens, one thing today and another tomorrow, but one eternal and unalterable law, that binds all nations forever.”
3rd Reference: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The term “unalienable right” refers to rights that cannot be taken away – ever! This statement boldly identified our basic for at least three unalienable rights as God, and the Founders identified this truth as self-evident. In other words, any person endowed with common sense or reason would/could come to this conclusion.
4th & 5th References: “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…….And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
There was no dissent noted with respect to these references to God and their placement or emphasis in this document by any of the participants. While many do not wish to believe that our nation was founded by men who had a God-centered view of the world does not make it so. The men who founded this nation believed in God and believed in His laws as governing the behavior of man. The founders relied most heavily upon the Bible for their political justification for the Constitution. They believed that God’s laws undergird civil law. Biblical quotations comprised approximately 34 percent of all the source material offered by the founding fathers. I stress these facts only to serve as a reminder of where this nation started to where we are today.
This nation was started with a choice to trust in God. While it did not always follow through, in general, this was a nation that believed in God and trusted Him for guidance. For those of us who are of African descent, the fact that we are attending Churches today is a testament to the slave owners who owned our ancestors. Our ancestors did not recognize or know of Jesus while in Africa. This “religion” was thrust upon them when they arrived here in some instances. However, as they began to believe in God He proved Himself to them leading to our having a relationship with Him. The one thing that came out of slavery for African Americans was a knowledge of Christ and the opportunity t live an eternity with Him. If we compare where this nation is today versus the ideal that founding fathers had, I do not think our nation today would be recognized by the founding fathers as evident by the most recent Supreme Court ruling on same sex marriage.
II. The Supreme Court’s Decision
I shared with you all a few years ago that the day will come when it will be considered a hate crime for Churches to say that same sex relationships are wrong in the eyes of God. With the most recent ruling by the Supreme Court making it legal for all Americans, no matter their gender orientation, to marry the people they love, we have moved one step closer to this day. As the pastor of this Church it is my duty to make sure that you understand where this Church stands. Whether you agree with me and this Church or not is between you and the God you serve, but understand the day will come when you will have to take stand for what you believe and you need to understand as a Christian why you believe what you believe and if those beliefs are grounded in your own understanding of the Word of God of the actual truth of the Word. I say this because many people interpret God’s Word based on the life they wish to live. You really need to know.
So why is this “big deal” for Christians and for Churches? When Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of same-sex marriage those in favor based their conclusion on the 14th Amendment, citing the clauses that guarantee equal protection and due process, and therefore made same-sex marriage protected by the Constitution. The justices who voted in favor of the ruling found that, “under the 14th Amendment, states must issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and recognize same-sex unions that have been legally performed in other states. They wrote that the right to marriage is an inherent aspect of individual autonomy, since "decisions about marriage are among the most intimate that an individual can make." The decision was a historic victory for gay rights activists and public support for the ruling included those who were not gay and were of the Christian faith. In his dissent, Chief Justice John Roberts, joined by Justices Scalia and Thomas, argued that same-sex marriage is not endorsed by the Constitution. "Celebrate the opportunity for a new expression of commitment to a partner. Celebrate the availability of new benefits," they wrote. "But do not celebrate the Constitution."
Some of you may be sitting here thinking that there is no conflict for the Church. So what if same-sex marriages take place – they deserve to be in love just like anyone else. You already know my stance on homosexuality based on my understanding of the Word of God so I will not go into that, but I do want to make this statement. I believe that every person has the right to choose how they live their life and we should respect that – not endorse the lifestyle, but respect the person’s right to choose how they want to live. It is their choice! This right was given to man by God when He made man as a free-will being. Man has the right to follow God or to not follow God. When a man chooses to walk a road that, according to Scripture, conflicts with God, as a Christian we need to recognize the decision they made but continue to love and treat with respect the person. We do not have a hell to put anyone in and God truly knows the heart. Although He is the one who will make the final decision we are His ambassadors and we have to represent Him. This means, given the opportunity, we try to explain why we can’t support their lifestyle choice – regardless of what it is. I want to make it clear that while some may label Christians who do not support same-sex unions, marriage or not, as haters or living in the dark ages, I’d rather carry that title than sin against my God.
Because the Supreme Court has ruled that same sex marriage is a Constitutional right and protected by the Constitution, Churches who do not accept this are now violating the “Constitutional rights” of another person. If I refuse to perform a same-sex marriage, I could potentially be accused of violating the constitutional rights of another person. If we refuse to allow a same-sex wedding to take place in this building, we could be accused of violating the Constitutional rights of another person. Do you understand what I am saying? Some of you are probably thinking that I am taking this way too far – that this would never happen. Do you know that this is what people said about prayer being taken out of schools? No one during that time thought that it could ever happen because this was a God-fearing country. They sat back and watched it happen because they did not believe that it would happen – so they were on the sidelines – watching. When Christians sit down, laws are passed because there is no one to speak against them.
Since the law was passed less than two weeks ago, critics have already begun pushing for the removal of the tax-exempt status of Churches who do not support the ruling. In other words, if our Church is theologically opposed to same-sex marriage and refused to recognize them the recommendation is that we lose our tax exempt status. Two articles, one published by Fusion and another by a New York Times columnist both suggested that this should be the outcome for any Church that refuses to recognize this ruling. In the first article, the author wrote: “Now that the U.S. government formally recognizes marriage equality as a fundamental right, it really shouldn’t skew the tax code so as to give millions of dollars in tax breaks to groups which remain steadfastly bigoted on the subject.” In his view, because gay marriage is now a “fundamental right”, tax exempt groups cannot disallow it and retain that status. He further states that since churches are the primary social driver against homosexuality they do not deserve the tax benefit of being tax exempt. The second author wrote that “Rather than try to rescue tax-exempt status for organizations that dissent from settled public policy on matters of race and sexuality, we need to take a more radical step…its time to abolish, or greatly diminish, their tax-exempt statuses.” In other words, you agree with the policies of the land and keep your status or if you refuse to accept the new policies, lose your status. Do you think this is what the founding fathers had in mind from the beginning?
Conclusion
Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
I do not know about you personally, but this Church will trust in the Lord. We will not allow the world’s standards to determine how we interpret what God’s Word says. If God says it’s wrong, it’s wrong. This is not a judgment on a person it is a fact based on the Word of God. While we will accept and love anyone who walks through those doors, we will not shame the Word of God by teaching a doctrine that is not His. We will speak the truth and hold to that truth. We will treat everyone with dignity and respect but we will not compromise His Word because one day when we stand before Him we will have to give an answer for why we did it and that my friends will not happen to me.
You need to decide what you believe in reference to this decision and what your responses will be when you are asked about the decision. Will you say God’s Word is true or will you respond with everyone person has a right to be happy? What will your response be when it comes to the steps of this Church?
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
