Celebrate Freedom Dr. Jeff Meyers

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Understanding God's Purpose for Nations: A Biblical Worldview
Have you ever wondered why God created nations? What special purpose might the United States have in God's plan? These questions are not just academic—they're deeply relevant to how we understand our place in the world today.


When the Apostle Paul visited Athens in Acts 17, he made a profound statement about God's purpose for nations: "From one man He made all the nations to dwell over the whole earth and determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. He did this so that they might seek God and perhaps reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us."


This passage reveals something remarkable—God uses nations, even those that don't acknowledge Him, to accomplish His purposes.


How Does God Use Nations to Draw People to Himself?
Let's look at two powerful examples of how God has worked through nations throughout history:


Exhibit A: The First Century Mediterranean World
Three hundred years before Jesus, Alexander the Great conquered much of the known world. Though not a man of peace or religious freedom, he established something crucial: a common language (Greek) throughout his empire. This common language made communication and commerce easier across vast regions.


Later, Caesar Augustus built an incredible infrastructure:

250,000 miles of roads connecting the known world

A postal system for written communication

A reliable shipping system for cargo and people


Neither Alexander nor Caesar intended to honor God, yet God used their achievements to create the perfect conditions for spreading the gospel. Historians now tell us that the best time in human history to spread a message would have been during Caesar Augustus's reign—precisely when Jesus came to earth.


The results were remarkable:

70 years after Jesus: 25,000 followers

By 300 AD: 20 million followers


This explains Galatians 4:4: "When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son." God used pagan rulers to literally pave the way for the King of kings.


Exhibit B: The United States of America
The founding of America was deeply influenced by biblical principles. The founders quoted Scripture more than all other sources of ancient history combined. They weren't just finding Bible verses to prove points—they were trying to understand how God's Word should shape governance.


They were influenced by thinkers like Samuel Rutherford, who wrote "Lex Rex" (The Law is King), challenging the prevailing idea that "Rex Lex" (The King is Law). This revolutionary concept meant that no ruler is above the law—there is a higher law that even kings must obey.


This thinking was incorporated into the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights..."


The founders focused on three types of freedom:

Religious freedom - freedom of conscience

Political freedom - ensuring people's votes matter

Economic freedom - the right to private property


Why Is America's Role in God's Plan Significant?
Today, only about half the world's nations have religious freedom. Of those, only about half have political freedom. Of those, only about half have economic freedom.


And among nations that have all three freedoms AND where a majority of people say God is the source of moral values? Only two: the United States and South Korea.


This gives America a unique responsibility. As Ronald Reagan said, "We'll preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we'll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness."


What's More Important Than Political Freedom?
While religious, political, and economic freedoms are precious, there's an even deeper freedom: spiritual freedom from the eternal consequences of sin.


In the Roman world, a slave could become free if their master adopted them. Similarly, God offers us adoption into His family through Christ. As Galatians 5:1 says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."


The good news is that this freedom is available to everyone through a simple act of faith: "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).


Life Application
God doesn't wait for perfect conditions to spread His truth. He works through fallen human beings—sometimes in spite of themselves—to achieve His purposes. Even when the culture seems to be moving away from biblical values, God is still at work.

As citizens of God's kingdom, we can be the best citizens in human kingdoms because we recognize a higher law. We're called to stand for truth even when it's unpopular.


Ask yourself:

How am I using the freedoms I have to advance God's purposes?

Do I recognize that God can work through difficult circumstances and even through people who oppose Him?

Am I standing for biblical truth in my sphere of influence, even when it's countercultural?

Have I fully embraced the spiritual freedom Christ offers, or am I still living under the yoke of sin?

Remember, darkness cannot stand against even the smallest light. As bearers of God's truth, we have the privilege of bringing His eternal light into our temporal world.