I. A Nation Founded on a Covenant with God
Very few nations in human history have been intentionally founded on faith in God and a covenant with Him. While Israel holds the ultimate covenant, the United States of America stands as an exceptional country because it was established by a God-fearing and God-loving people.
Think back to the origins of this country: a ship filled with pilgrims left everything they knew to escape religious persecution. They braved the unknown solely to find a land where they could freely worship God—and you can be certain that God took note of that sacrifice. The Christian church was placed at the very center of every new settlement, and the majority of the men who signed our founding documents were devout Christians. Our democracy was built directly on biblical principles of moral justice, God-given rights, and liberty.
Unfortunately, we are watching a tragic shift today. Many Americans now use their liberties to celebrate an “independence” from God, running down the founding fathers and turning away from our intended purpose. When a nation walks away from its spiritual anchor, it quickly degrades.
To see America blessed again, we must turn back to the Word read tonight in Psalm 33:12:
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.”
This blessing is not exclusive; it applies to any nation that chooses to acknowledge the Lord, places itself under His authority, and governs according to His commands.
II. Righteousness vs. The Reproach of Sin
The sermon emphasized that the word “nation” means a large body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language inhabiting a territory. For any nation to be exalted, it requires a foundation of holiness, as stated in Proverbs 14:34:
“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”
God wants His people to understand their identity. In the Old Testament, God gave a strict charge to His people, which was read from Exodus 19:5–6 (referenced in the text as Ephesians 19):
“Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.”
This theme of being a distinct, holy people is echoed in the New Testament church through 1 Peter 2:9–10:
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, his own special people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
III. True Freedom and the Call to Servantship
The preamble of the Declaration of Independence reminds us that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. God doesn’t guarantee your happiness—you have to pursue it by dedicating your life to Him.
True freedom is not the license to do whatever your flesh desires or to demean others. Rather, Christian liberty means being free from the bondage of sin so that we can freely serve God and one another. The Apostle Paul gave us the ultimate blueprint for using our freedom in 1 Letters to the Corinthians 9:19–20:
“For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might win the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might win them that are under the law…”
When we fail to act as servants, we fall into division. We were strongly cautioned against conflict by looking at Galatians 5:14–15:
“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.”
Instead, we must let our actions be guided by the love of Christ, reading from 2 Corinthians 5:14–15:
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”
To maintain this unity and peace, we must consciously clothe ourselves in godly character, as instructed in Colossians 3:12–14:
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfection.”
IV. Law, Order, and God’s Formula for Restoration
For a nation to remain free, it requires law and order. It is absolutely imperative that we have righteous leaders who uphold constitutional guidelines and protect everyone’s God-given rights. When a nation falls into crisis, it serves as a healthy, sober reminder of just how desperately we need God.
The good news is that there is nothing too hard for our God. He does not delight in destruction; His perfect preference is always to heal and restore. We see His merciful heart on display in Ezekiel 33:11:
“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”
Final Encouragement & Invitation
Church, let us be a people who will defend the spiritual and moral liberties God has granted this land, using them entirely for His glory. God has provided a clear formula for restoration, but we must take the first step.