Letter: America and the Sermon on the Mount

Is there any hope for America? Any future? The answer is a resounding yes.

Either there are a lot of people in America who believe they are Christians that are not, or they are Christians in need of a wake up call to awaken them from a deep sleep (Ephesians 5:10-16).

The second paragraph of the first article in the Declaration of Independence contains the phrase “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” For the Bible-believing Christian the Pursuit of Happiness is found in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It’s time once again for America to sit with Jesus on the Mount and listen attentively to His Sermon.

Not everyone who lives in America is an American. Not everyone who says they are a Christian is a Christian (Matthew 7:21). Going to church or owning a Bible does not make a person a Christian. What lens are we looking through as we look at our country?

Listen to what the predecessors of our founding fathers said in 1643, for they are the rock on which our founding fathers built. “We all came into these parts of America with one and the same aim, namely, to advance the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.” They clearly understood the Chinese proverb “The journey of a thousands miles begins with a single step.” Christian citizens are to have a powerful influence on the leaders of our government.

William Bradford, their historian, said their desire was either to be the cause of reaching out to the world with the gospel or to provide a “stepping-stone” for others to do it. When they signed the Mayflower Compact, they said they had undertaken their “journey” for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith.”

They succeeded in their mission. Today, those within our churches need to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16) in our own communities. We are called to be ambassadors (II Corinthians 5:20) and fishers of men (Matthew 4:19) for the Kingdom of God.

The gospel of Matthew proclaims a kingdom. Those who receive Christ are subjects of Jesus’ Kingdom. Are you and I qualified to be part of His Kingdom?

Jesus said, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Matthew 12:30). The Sermon is a standard to be placed before all Christians. The Sermon does not present the way of salvation but shows how a Christian should conduct their daily lives. It contains nine beatitudes. They serve as a guideline for those in the pursuit of true happiness.

Beatitude, attitude and gratitude; Jesus’ Sermon ends with two different outcomes. Those who understand their sin and fallen nature and receive God’s forgiveness are truly blessed.

God is now their Heavenly Father. They now have a standing in God’s favor. It is righteousness that exalts a nation (Proverbs 14:34). If righteousness is embraced there is hope for America.

Ted Roberts, Princeton