American “Exceptionalism”
Psalm 9:17
The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
What is wrong with America? I find that many of us who call ourselves Christians really have not considered well what God is about doing in our nation and in the world. The American citizen is not some exceptional being. Americans are sinners, saved and unsaved. Unless Jesus returns sooner than most expect, all living now will die and no one human, no matter how “exceptional,” is excepted.
1) The USA is not the promised land. Whatever the founding fathers are found to be, they did not institute a theocracy, nor did they come close to calling the government they formulated a theocracy. The Republic of the USA was (and remains) a very labored attempt to establish a land where life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were the birthright of all it’s citizens. The USA is not heaven or the Kingdom of God, nor is it the church, nor is it even a christian nation. It is an earthbound worldly government destined to fade away as will all other earthbound worldly governments. This is a future event.
Revelation 11:15
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
3) The peoples of the USA who are following Jesus in daily faith are citizens of heaven and are seated and secure in the Messiah Jesus in the heavenly realms. God’s Spiritual Kingdom also exists here in this realm of materiality amongst them. They enjoy is divine favor and divine destiny of everlasting life. Not every citizen of the USA enjoys that status. If those who do are motivated to influence others by the preaching of the gospel, they ought to do so without dependence on the US Constitution for that authority.
4) The USA has accumulated much wealth and power.. If faithful christians are blessed materially because of their just works, their honest labors, and their law abiding disciplines, is it not right that God allow them the good fruits of their labors? But if christians are not faithful, and are ignoring the moral and ethical principles of God’s ways; if they are violating the Spirit of the law, and counting on God’s promise of everlasting mercy, if they are excusing sin and even the practice of sin, can God grant them continued favor?
I see the nation as three groups of people:
2) Those who should be saved.
3) Those who will not be saved.
The same three groups are found everywhere in the nations of the earth. Groups 1 and 2 should by grace through their faith in the Messiah live in God’s Kingdom eternally. Those in group 3 are sadly simply those who refuse the knowledge of God. Is it fair for God to send to hell those who are never taught about Jesus? According to the New Testament scriptures, yes it is.
Romans 1
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
In verse 21 note the phrase: “when they knew God.” All men have known God. He has revealed His existence, even giving evidence of that which is invisible, to all men by what He has made. The “fingerprints” of God are all over the created world, the visible and the invisible.
So those whom God cannot reach or wills not to reach with the saving knowledge of His Son are unreachable by their rejection and suppression of the truth of His Being.
But what is wrong with America? Perhaps the question needs to be adjusted. What is right with America? All human life is essentially in the crisis of judgment. And judgment has more than one source. There is God’s judgment, man’s judgment and satan’s judgment. What is right and what is wrong? Is life that simple? Or are their various shades of grey that we can endorse? I am afraid that some Americans consider themselves so exceptional that they except themselves from the purity of God’s judgments. Even some christians.
American exceptionalism is a phrase born out of “neo-conservative” thought, out of right wing republican political philosophy. Yet I see the “loyal opposition,” the liberal democrats holding forth the same confidence in their political philosophy. Regrettably we have become a house divided. How long can American stand? From the looks of things, not much longer.
The tragedy is that we Americans see ourselves as some great gift to the world. Whatever good thing Americans did, it was God who should get the credit, for goodness comes from God alone. Whatever else America did, she did without the blessing of God. My understanding is that God does manage the universe. But He does always contravene the autonomous acts of humankind. He allows human failure that we should learn the exceptional success we might have by doing His will.
The greatest thing we as humans can ever hope for is to be found doing the will of God in Christ! For this to be accomplished we must actually KNOW God. He is the Creator, (our) Father, (our) Savior, (our) Lord, He is the bridegroom of the redeemed. Yet we must KNOW Him. And the way to the knowledge of God is the reverent fear of His Son. The fear of the Lord is the beginning.
Job 28:28
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
Psalm 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Jeremiah 9
23 Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man
glory in his wisdom, nor the strong man glory in his
strength, neither the rich man glory in his riches.
24 But let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he
understandeth and knoweth me: for I am the Lord,
which show mercy, judgment, and righteousness
in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the
Lord.
This is where we might want to be exceptional, for many, many Americans do not KNOW God the Lord. Some plain don’t desire to know Him. And even in the church we find those who ought to at least know that they should know Him, as a Father, as a Savior, as a bridegroom who will soon become their husband.
Hebrews 5:8
Though he [Jesus] were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Hebrews 12
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Every human who receives Jesus has the authority to become a son or daughter of God.
John1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: KJV 12 But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name—AMPLIFIED BIBLE
That truth is what will make us exceptional, and it is what will make us free. The Pilgrim fathers came from England to “America” in 1620. In England they were “exceptional” for their faith in the Messiah Jesus. The King of England and the state “church” of England were suppressing their faith and freedom to exercise their faith. Whatever happened to America after that?
John 8
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
If anything will make us truly exceptional it must be the presence of God in our congregation. Without God there is nothing exceptional about humanity, American humanity or any other.
