As the United States of America celebrates its 250th anniversary, it is fitting to reflect upon the Biblical bedrock that supported its foundation and the eternal perspective that should guide its citizens. While we take pride in the “choicest bounties of Heaven” bestowed upon this land, the Christian patriot recognizes that every liberty enjoyed on these shores is a gift from the Almighty. Drawing from the King James Version (KJV) and our national history, we see a dual calling: to love and serve our nation with fervor, while never forgetting that we are but “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13).
The Bible as the Principal Record of Liberty
The American founding was not an exclusively secular event; rather, it occurred in a culture where the Bible was the “principal literary record”. Research indicates that between 1760 and 1805, the Bible was the most frequently cited book in American political literature, surpassing all secular Enlightenment thinkers combined. This scriptural immersion led the Founders to believe that the United States had a “divine mission” to serve as a “model republic” for the world’s oppressed.
George Washington, in his 1796 Farewell Address, established the foundational principle of American nationalism: “religion and morality are indispensable supports” for political prosperity. He warned that “the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of right and order which Heaven itself has ordained”. This sentiment was echoed by Andrew Jackson, who described the Bible as “the rock on which our Republic rests”.
All Good Things Are From God
A cornerstone of godly patriotism is the acknowledgment that national success is not the result of human ingenuity alone. Abraham Lincoln famously reminded the nation that we are the “recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven,” but cautioned that we often “forget God” and “vainly imagine that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own”.
The Biblical worldview teaches that “Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34, KJV). Therefore, true pride in America is not rooted in arrogance, but in a humble recognition of God’s Divine Providence. As James Madison observed, the very formation of the Constitution was so improbable that it could be considered a “miracle” of divine intervention.
Faith in Jesus Christ: The Legislator and Savior
Central to the faith of many Founders was the person of Jesus Christ. John Quincy Adams, the second President, declared to the American Bible Society that the Bible “discloses to [man], in the infant born at Bethlehem, the legislator and savior of the world“. The Founders’ belief in an afterlife characterized by divine rewards and punishments—rooted in the teachings of Christ—motivated them to “hazard all” for their fellow citizens.
The “sublime doctrines of philanthropism, and deism taught by Jesus of Nazareth,” as Thomas Jefferson noted, provide the moral precepts necessary for a social being to thrive. This faith informs our patriotism, leading us to “live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Timothy 2:2, KJV) as we pray for those in authority.
The Pilgrim’s Progress: Citizenship in Heaven
While we celebrate the freedoms of America, the KJV reminds us that our earthly dwelling is temporal. The heroes of the faith “confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth,” seeking “a better country, that is, an heavenly” (Hebrews 11:13, 16). The Founders themselves interpreted personal and national misfortunes as lessons in “the futility of a life focused on fleeting earthly pleasures rather than on eternity“.
The Apostle Paul writes, “For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20, KJV). Thus, our nationalism is a stewardship of the “Creation Mandate” to properly order the blessings God has given us, but it is always subordinate to our primary allegiance to the Kingdom of God.
Conclusion
On this 250th Birthday, we honor America as a land of religious liberty and unparalleled freedom. We are right to be patriots, for we have been “highly favored” with a “moral compass” in the Word of God. Yet, let our pride be tempered by the truth that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17, KJV). We are blessed to be Americans, but we are most favored because our names are written in Heaven through faith in the Savior. As we seek to make this nation a “holy people,” let us do so with our eyes fixed on the Entity in Heaven, our final and eternal home.