The First Principle Of Political Action

All of you saw the reply that Dr. Alan Keyes sent out in response to yesterday’s devotional. I must apologize for not keeping your emails private when I built my new devotional group list, but then each of you got to personally read Dr. Keyes’ words. I’ve since made all emails private.

Dr. Keyes struck on something that is the heart of Aletheia Group L.L.C. I know the title of today’s devotional seems political, but you probably recognize it as Dr. Keyes’ words. I’ve posted his response at my blog and here is an excerpt of what he wrote that spoke to me:

    By declaration and example, these Founders made respect for God’s endowment of right and justice the first principle of political action, the never-to-be-forgotten context for all the laws, policies, decisions and actions of the American people. This doesn’t mean that they never accepted compromise. It means they never accepted a compromised understanding of politics that involved abandoning the truth in principle.

Far too many politicians, party leaders, pastors, pro-family/life leaders, and parishioners for that matter have abandoned the truth in principle. This is not the first time a nation has done so. America, like Israel so long ago, has become separated from God:

    “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perversity. No one calls for justice, nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; they conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.” (Isaiah 59:1-4)

The Hebrew word for truth is emet and it is the Old Testament equivalent of aletheia. Isaiah is talking about truth that corresponds with reality. What happened to Israel that they became separated from God? The same as America; she stopped viewing the truth as precious:

    “Everyone will deceive his neighbor, and will not speak the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves to commit iniquity.” (Jeremiah 9:5)

How do we get back to the day that we will speak the truth, where we will once again conduct our politics in a manner that embraces the truth in principle? We have to respect “God’s endowment of right and justice.” How do we get to this point of respect?

Read your bibles.

What’s that Bro Dave?

R-E-A-D Y-O-U-R B-I-B-L-E-S!!!

And yes I meant to shout.

If you have deemed yourself too busy in the morning, then first of all shame on you! Nevertheless, you can return by doing what I taught my children to do: read the Proverb and the five psalms corresponding to the date (i.e. today is the 22nd so you would read Proverbs 22 and Psalms 106-110). That will take you about 15-20 or less, depending on the length of the psalms.

Still too busy? Then try reading just the proverb; that’ll take about 5 minutes.

Still can’t find time? Time to get a new watch and calendar.

Beloved, I am not chastising you in any way the Lord hasn’t already done me.

What I am trying to say here is the return of our nation begins with you and me. We must relearn (for some of us learn for the first time) how to be a Christian citizen. As Dr. Keyes wrote we have abandoned the truth in principle.

I know we have all been subject to the leftist and much too often pulpit brainwashing of politics and religion not mixing, but it was the intent of our Founders to do just that, mix politics and religion (more on that July 5).

Many Americans have begun reading the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution for the first time, and some are even reading history about the American Revolution. I am encouraged by this.

However, what would happen if along with this important literature we began reading the one piece of literature that inspired above all else our wonderful Founders? John Adams said this about the Holy Bible:

    Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God…What a Eutopia, what a Paradise would this region be.

Suppose indeed…

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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    Copyright © 2011 David Jeffers

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