The Blueprint: The Bible and the Signing of the Constitution
On this day, September 17, 1787, thirty-nine delegates gathered in Philadelphia to sign a document that would change the course of history. As we celebrate Constitution Day, it’s easy to focus on the political theories and famous debates. But if we look closely at the document itself, and the men who wrote it, we find a clue to its deeper foundation.
The final line of the U.S. Constitution reads: "Done... in the year of our LORD one thousand seven hundred and eighty seven." That phrase isn't just a stylistic flourish; it’s a cornerstone. It places the entire framework of American government within a worldview that acknowledges a higher authority. It points to the blueprint behind the blueprint, a truth we champion at The Cross Works Ministries: The Cross Works, not just to redeem individuals, but to provide the timeless wisdom needed to build a just and free nation.
The Surprising Source Code
Where did the Founders get their ideas for separation of powers, representative government, and inherent rights? While various political philosophers played a role, one source stands supreme. A landmark 1984 study by Professors Donald Lutz and Charles Hyneman examined nearly 15,000 writings from the founding era. Their conclusion was stunning: the Bible was, by far, the most cited source in all their political writings. Specifically, the Book of Deuteronomy was quoted more than any other single source. Why Deuteronomy? Because it is a book of law and government for a new nation, outlining principles of justice, fair trials, and distributed authority. The Founders didn't invent these concepts; they inherited them from a biblical blueprint. The Cross works by providing a perfect standard of justice and righteousness that, when even imperfectly applied, can guide a nation toward liberty.
A Guarantee of Freedom
Some may argue that the Constitution created a secular nation that pushed faith out of the public square. George Washington, a man who presided over the Convention, would have strongly disagreed. Just ten days after his inauguration, he wrote to a gathering of Baptist churches and gave them this powerful assurance:
"If I could have entertained the slightest apprehension that the Constitution framed by the Convention, where I had the honor to preside, might possibly endanger the religious rights of any ecclesiastical Society, certainly I would never have placed my signature to it."
— George Washington
The goal was never to create a government hostile to faith, but one that protected the freedom for faith to flourish. The Founders understood that true faith cannot be forced by the state. The Cross works by setting hearts free, and a government informed by that truth will protect religious liberty, not suppress it.
A Heritage of Lordship
The Constitution is more than a historical document; it's a testament to the profound influence of a biblical worldview on the founding of our country. The phrase "in the year of our LORD" was a public declaration that history itself unfolds under the sovereign watch of Jesus Christ. On this Constitution Day, let us remember the true source of our liberties. Let's thank God for a foundation laid by men who, for all their flaws, looked to the pages of Scripture for a blueprint. And let us pray that we, as a nation, would once again recognize the Author of the liberty we so often take for granted. Because the ultimate truth is that for a nation to be truly free, The Cross Works.