One Nation Under God?

Monday, July 11, 2022

By Jonathan Stagg

Reprinted from American Family Association

What does “one nation under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance really mean? Does it mean any god in general as some have alleged or does it have a deeper meaning? Why is the phrase “In God We Trust” stamped on all our money? The answers to these questions were never more critical or relevant than they are now.

One nation seeking God

To fully comprehend this, we must look back to our country’s origin and not to modern interpreters or historians. Why did colonists travel the rough seas and risk their lives in the dangerous frontier of America? The principal reason was for the freedom to follow each one’s personal conviction regarding the worship of God and raising of their family. Yes, some came for adventure and others for gold, but they were not the ones who kept enduring relentlessly through all the hardships. The ones who stayed and faithfully struggled to establish America had a strong work ethic and respect for God and many had true faith in Him.

For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11 NASB).

Unless the LORD builds a house, They who build it labor in vain; Unless the LORD guards a city, The watchman stays awake in vain (Psalm 127:1 NASB).

The principle here is plain: any nation, organization, group, or others that reject the teachings of Scripture will ultimately fail. It is just a matter of time. The founders of this nation understood this and chose not to reject Scripture. They valued it wholeheartedly and used it as the foundation for the laws of this land. As Ben Franklin famously noted during the disagreements at the Constitutional Convention of 1787:

“I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth – that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that ‘except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it.’ I firmly believe this.”

The wise words of Franklin reminded the men of the importance of their mission and order was restored. Though they all had very strong opposing views of what the new structure of government should be, they knew they had to be united to stand against the threat of the English army. This shows the respect our founders had for God. Despite all their disagreements, they were willing to set some of their personal views aside to see each other as fellow humans made in God’s image and compromise for the sake of unity.

A Judeo-Christian worldview

What has held America together for nearly 250 years despite the turmoil and tumultuous events like civil wars, assassinations, depressions, wars, and bombings? As mentioned earlier, America was built on the Judeo-Christian ethic. The reason America has lasted almost 250 years is that we have recognized God as Lord for most of our history, and God has blessed us.

What about the future of America? America was founded on the Word of God but what about now?

We can all agree that we have many problems to fix, but we often disagree on how to fix them. So what is the solution?  As simple as it may sound, the truth of the matter is that it all boils down to sin. Sin causes people to reject God and His standards, and then they live according to the flesh.

Without God, mankind does what is right in his own eyes which looks different to each person. Without God, no standard exists, and anything goes.

If we want America to exist in the next 50 years, many things will have to change. We need more than just the belief in one true God. We need to change at the core. Only faith in Jesus can bring that kind of change. We must each humble ourselves before God and then the more difficult pieces will fall into place as He guides our nation. Only then can we fulfill our country’s motto “In God We Trust” and truly become one nation under God.