Our country is clamoring for unity. But what unifying factors should structure our nation? Unity requires agreement on a set of principles the citizens of our nation will unite behind. The answer to this question will literally determine the fate of our Republic.
Past generations defined several unifying factors in our Pledge of Allegiance and coin inscriptions.
The pledge begins, “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands…” PRINCIPLE ONE is that we are a REPUBLIC, not a democracy. Beware the leadership or ideas of anyone who claims we are a democracy, for such people are either ignorant or willfully seeking to subvert our government. The names of the political parties reveal their adherents’ ideology. Enough said.
The pledge continues, “…one nation UNDER GOD…” PRINCIPLE TWO is that our nation was founded through Almighty God’s grace and providence and under His authority. Our nation is privileged to be one of only two theocracies in world history. The first was Israel, who rejected God’s leadership when they begged for a king during the time of the prophet Samuel. In His gracious mercy, God worked out His will through the lineage of King David by sending the world His Son Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for mankind. “Under God” means our nation was founded to be self-governing by a virtuous people who are informed of the attributes of virtue through God’s written Word, the Bible. Will the citizens of the United States yield to the authority of God as defined in His Word or continue to go their own way in a downward spiral of chaos, corruption and immorality?
“…indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” PRINCIPLES THREE AND FOUR are Liberty and Justice. God provided for every person to know the liberty that comes through faith in Christ and His forgiveness of sin. “If the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). Our country enshrines that liberty through the religious freedom guaranteed in the First Amendment to our Constitution. God’s Word places considerable emphasis on justice, such as Micah 6:8: “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Principles of national unity are also inscribed on every coin: Liberty. E pluribus unum (out of many, one). In God we trust. Most certainly the principle E pluribus unum is only possible because of the additional principles of liberty and trust in God. God created every person uniquely in His image (the “many”), yet He wants us all to be one in Him through faith in Christ. Jesus prayed to His Father for His disciples, “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:22-23). God’s instructions to the New Testament church advise us how to live in liberty together through the power of His Holy Spirit. One guideline for liberty many of us can already quote: “Mind your own business” (1 Thessalonians 4:11). Other scriptures counsel kindness, compassion, and forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32); respect and honor (1 Peter 2:17); humility (Philippians 2:3); and of course justice and mercy (Micah 6:8).
In sum, these are the attributes of our country that can lead to unity: Republican (representative) government by the consent and participation of a virtuous (as defined by God), self-governing people under the authority of Almighty God, conducting its affairs in a manner that yields liberty and justice for all.
Many in America want to continue to live according to these principles that have united our country for almost 250 years. We say no thanks to the brand of unity advocated by those who would “fundamentally transform” our nation into a godless, perverse, coercive, corrupt society. Don’t expect us to embrace your principles of unity.
Christ’s disciples are instructed to live sanctified and holy lives so we can “shine like stars in the universe as [we] hold out the word of life” (Philippians 2:15-16). Believers, let us pray that our unsaved countrymen will also turn to Jesus as their Lord and Savior and thereby be transformed in heart and mind to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 12:2). Christ through “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). Why would we expect God to bless our nation if we abandon the principles of being “one nation under God” and “in God we trust”? These principles must remain the cornerstone of any call for “unity.”
God will not share His Sovereign Glory with anyone. God Himself declares “…the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth…” (Numbers 14:21). It is a privilege to be part of a nation founded to be “under God,” the Maker of heaven and earth. Please do not reject that blessing.
