If the Foundations Be Destroyed

Psalms 11:3 – “if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

There is a story from Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias in a presentation with the same title as this article. He gave it years ago at Ohio State University and he told of visiting the Wexler Center for the Arts. He was told this was called by Time “America’s first post-modern building!” It was a building constructed with no purpose in mind echoing the philosophical bent known as post-modernism. There were “stairways that go nowhere (and) rooms shaped so as to make them unlivable” Ravi responded, “I have just one question for the architect. Did he do that with the foundation as well?” The answer is, of course not. Without a correct, solid and purposeful foundation, even an absurd building will collapse. We in our nation today are about to find out exactly what that experience is like because our foundations are indeed being destroyed.

Here is as accurate an analysis as one could wish for both the biblical passage and the ailments of our land by commentator Dr. John Gill: “If the foundations be destroyed… all things are out of order and course both in church and state; the laws, which are the foundations of government, are despised and disregarded; judgment is perverted, and justice stands afar off; the doctrines and principles of religion are derided and subverted; so that there is no standing, either in a political or religious sense.”

Let’s examine these “foundations” of politics and religion and see if our time fits Dr. Gill’s analysis. First, he states that, “all things are out of order and course both in church and state.” In the area of the state, Gill writes, “the laws, which are the foundation of government, are despised and disregarded…” The supreme law of the land is our Constitution. In recent times, we have seen the Constitution “despised and disregarded” by Congress, the President and the Supreme Court in many ways. The Constitution is the practical application of the principles in the Declaration of Independence, thus the Constitution serves as the foundation for the operation of America. If this foundation continues to be weakened, the entire structure is in danger of collapse. The result is stated by Gill; “judgment is perverted and justice stands afar off.”

The Declaration of Independence articulates our spiritual foundations alongside the political ones. The broad principles of freedom are declared as originating with “nature’s God” and that the purpose of government was to “secure” that freedom. The Declaration states we are “endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights.” The signs of a crumbling foundation in the spiritual area are described by Gill as “The doctrines and principles of religion are derided and subverted so that there is no standing…” If our national morality is any indicator, our spiritual foundations, which should work in tandem with our political foundations are also severely weakened in our day. As George Washington noted, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism who should labour to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness…” Unfortunately it is the so-called “mainline” church in America that has been “subverting” religion and morality in our land. Reliance upon their ever-changing ‘beliefs’ concerning morality will result in morality itself becoming obsolete thus hastening the destruction of the “foundations” of our nation. So we ask, along with the Psalmist, “what can the righteous do?” Those of us who believe our foundations need strengthening have at least four crucial things to do. First, we must repent of our past ignorance and inaction which allowed the liberal destroyers to ascend to authority in our land. Second, we must respond with informed, intelligent and inspired arguments against the destroyers agenda, including the false doctrine of the “constitutional” separation of church and state, and we must do so repeatedly and forcefully. Third, we must return to the original political and moral principles proclaimed in the Constitution and Declaration. Finally, we must run, not walk, to our Lord and plead for his aid to restore the goodness and greatness of our nation.

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