"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."-Jesus, in Matthew 7:24-27
That which is not built on eternal truth is destined to eternal insignificance.
The Founding Fathers of the United States were not all followers of Jesus Christ. Some were deists or universalists, but they all functioned on a bed of this truth: The country they carved from scratch, and the economy they crafted, were built on an intimate, comprehensive and fundamental knowledge of the principles of Scripture. The heritage of the United States rests firmly on-and is inextricably entwined with-Christianity's holy text.
One of the significant spiritual battles fought and won in the Reformation was the right of every person to read and understand Scripture for themselves. No longer was the Word of God squirreled away in secret codes only the priests and holy men could decipher. Luther, Calvin and a horde of lesser-known heroes recaptured the wonderful truth about the Bible: A blacksmith in 19th century England or a seamstress in 20th century China or a broker in 21st century Malaysia can pick up God's word and learn how God wants His world run.
Because of that victory for civilization, Scripture became a principal part of Western culture's classic education. Poor families who couldn't send their children to school taught them to read at home using the Bible-at the time one of the few books available in the early days of the printing press. Even the elite elements of culture inculcated the Bible alongside Homer and Plato into their background of knowledge.
The result was that by the time the New World was ready to take its place alongside the Old World, the builders of that New World were saturated in the principles of the Bible. It wasn't that they pulled out Bibles and designed America or re-shaped capitalism; it was that they couldn't help but be influenced by truths already imbedded in them...even if they rejected the Author of those principles. And they kept at it: Midway through America's first century, 262 of America's 288 colleges were headed by ordained clergy.
In other words, the architects of freedom and free enterprise had a "Bible software program" running in the "background" of their brains as they shaped and re-shaped every aspect of life, from economy to government. Sadly, that is no longer true...even among the faithful.
The most technologically advanced era in the history of humanity is also among the most Biblically illiterate. (For evidence of this, please see the polling sites of the Gallup organization or George Barna.) What makes freedom ring, and what made the New World a place where every person could dream of giving their children a better life, no longer runs as a background program in the minds and hearts of the shapers of culture. For most it's a little-used tool sitting beside the dictionary on a shelf.
Eternity begins for each person the moment they meet and accept Jesus Christ as Savior. It's the beginning of a journey that empowers us to be more useful now than we ever could have been before. And usefulness in culture and society and work and family is directly proportionate to the amount of knowledge we have of God's word.
Want to matter? Build on solid ground.
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