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In America’s early education system one of the things that was constantly taught was the Biblical understanding of government. Children were taught to govern themselves by internal choices. They were taught to reason every choice back to its root; that is, “What God says in the Bible about what I am facing”. This was education God’s way.  That education system created a moral people. Noah Webster, in his original American dictionary defined “moral” as:

“The conformity of an act to the divine law.”

Thus a people developed in this nation who had stable emotions. That created persistence in what they set out to accomplish.

This way of thinking would be the foundation for the greatest civil government the world has ever known. Their children were taught to let that internal self-government grow to the external civil government. It was the natural outflow of a life committed to living out the Bible in this present world. And while America’s Founding generations were certainly not perfect, they did succeed in living according to the Bible so much better than we do today that it is hard for us to believe that way of life is even possible.

But let’s look at their standard for civil government servants. Noah Webster was also the Father of our original education system in this Republic. He taught children in his U.S. History book this principle concerning government and voting. He wrote:

“When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers ‘just men who will rule in the fear of God.’ The preservation of [the government of a republic] depends on the faithful discharge of this duty; If the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made not for the public good so much as for… selfish or local purposes; Corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the laws; the public revenues will be squandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizens will be violated or disregarded.

“If [the government of a republic] fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws.” (compare Exodus 18:21 and Deuteronomy 1: 13-18)

(Webster, Noah. 1832. History of the United States (New Haven: Durrie & Peck, 1832), pp. 307-308, paragraph 49. Stephen McDowell and Mark Beliles, “The Providential Perspective” (Charlottesville, VA: The Providence Foundation, P.O. Box 6759, Charlottesville, Va. 22906, January 1994), Vol. 9, No. 1, p. 6.)

You see, government was no light matter to earlier generations. By treating it lightly in our day, we have laid the foundation for our own destruction. Christians must take politics seriously. But the reality is we are working our own disintegration by not knowing what our Founders knew: That voting is a sacred obligation. It is no option for the people of God.

Samuel Adams, probably the man most responsible for us being a free nation, stated:

“Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote… that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.”

(The Writings of Samuel Adams, Harry Cushing, editor (New York: B.P.Putnam’s Sons, 1907, Vol. IV, p. 256, in the Boston Gazette on April 16, 1781)

And yet, 50 million—one half—of the born again Christians in America are not registered to vote! And half of those who are registered generally do not vote!!! Yet the Bible is plain that all government comes from God (Romans 13:1). Thus, the people of God are the ones most responsible for maintaining government. If we, the people of the light don’t vote and maintain government, the people of the darkness will!

Christian, will you go vote?!

Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you—and for your children! And you won’t like what that brings to you. I’m Don Pinson; this has been Think About It.