by a power without them ; either by the Word of God or by the strong arm of man , either by the Bible or by the bayonet .”
In our former days , the concept of “ self-government under God ” defined liberty among leaders such as John Winthrop and Robert Winthrop . But our current notion of “ liberty ” idolizes the self-government part , while the under God part is under the bus .
The greatest deterrent to human liberty is independence itself . Independence from God , that is . As we move further away from individual recognition of Higher Law and personal accountability to the Higher Judge , we all have less liberty . That ’ s because the more citizens there are who lack internal control under God , the more calls there will be for external controls — under man . And this is not a pleasant prospect . For who will govern our controllers ? What will guide their minds and hearts ? The Bible ?
As external controls increase in number , no amount of legislation will solve the root problem . That ’ s because the real problem is internal . Yes , we do need God-honoring legislation . But genuine liberty within the halls of power , in the public square , the marketplace , and the home , must be voluntarily carried into these places by individual players controlled by a power within them . We need politicians , plumbers , and parents who willingly ( and gladly ) carry their respect for God and His authority within them wherever they go . This is the kind of liberty John and Robert Winthrop had in mind .
Both Presidents John F . Kennedy and Ronald Reagan invoked John Winthrop in political speeches when they quoted Winthrop ’ s famous line : “. . . We shall be as a city upon a hill — the eyes of all people are upon us .” But neither Kennedy nor Reagan told the American people what Winthrop said next in that very same message : “ So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken , and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us , we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world . We shall open the mouths of enemies to speak evil of the ways of God and all professors for God ’ s sake .”
It pains me to write this , but to a large degree , Winthrop ’ s prophetic words have come to pass . If there ever was a time to renew a nation , it ’ s now . But this renewal can only come with a renewed understanding of the kind of liberty John and Robert Winthrop had in mind : self-government under God . ■
Dr . Christian Overman is the author of Assumptions That Affect Our Lives and God ’ s Pleasure at Work : The Difference One Life Can Make . Dr . Overman has taught on biblical worldview and Christian education across America and Central America , South America , Europe , Africa , and Asia . He and his wife , Kathy , have four adult children and twelve grandchildren . Contact Dr . Overman at overman @ biblicalworldview . com .
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