What makes the USA the greatest nation on earth? We have three things combined that no other nation has. I call the combo the three Cs: Constitution, capitalism, and Christianity. The key to all three is freedom.
Rush Limbaugh says, “Freedom is the natural yearning of the human spirit as we were endowed by our creator.”
The Founding Fathers realized this when they designed our Constitution. The Bill of Rights limits the power of government and grants American citizens freedom of speech, freedom of the press (media), freedom of religion (not freedom from religion), and other protections.
Ken Blackwell says the Constitution is “the fundamental charter of freedom in this country.” Limbaugh goes further, saying the Constitution is “the single most important document pertaining to human freedom ever written.”
Next we have capitalism, which is the working of the free market. Investorwords.com defines capitalism as an “economic system characterized by the following: private property ownership exists; individuals and companies are allowed to compete for their own economic gain; and free market forces determine the prices of goods and services. Such a system is based on the premise of separating the state and business activities. Capitalists believe that markets are efficient and should thus function without interference, and the role of the state is to regulate and protect.”
Capitalism gives us the freedom to come up with an idea and market it, to select which products and services we want to buy and from whom, and to select a job and where we want to work.
I once pointed out my idea of the three Cs to a Frenchman living here in Rochester. He agreed the Constitution and Christianity are worthwhile, but he thought capitalism was bad. Well, of course he’d think that. He’s from France. France is socialist. (Unfortunately, the US seems to be creeping towards socialism, but we won’t discuss that here.)
The third key to America’s greatness is that it’s primarily a Christian nation. The Constitution gives us the freedom to choose a religion – or none at all. I choose Christ.
“…if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15, NIV).
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross frees us from the burden of sin. The first verse of the old hymn, “There Is Power in the Blood,” puts it like this:
Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood,
Power in the blood.
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.
That means Jesus has forgiven us and we can now get on with life: living a righteous life here on earth, and gaining eternal life later. The burden of guilt, shame, and regret is gone. The apostle Paul proclaims, “For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1, NRSV).”
How does accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior actually set you free?
God gives you free will, and you can make your own choices – whether good or bad. That’s just how you’re born. That’s, as pointed out above, is the “natural yearning.” Thus, you may think that choosing a religion would be a limit to freedom. After all, you’re expected to follow a code of conduct and morals. To some, that’s constraining. But if you choose Christ, you get something to guide you in making the right choices, something that removes the burden of remembering all the rules and trying to follow them. That something is the Holy Spirit.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18, NRSV).
Join me in celebrating our freedom to proclaim the Word of God. And thank God we live in a country that’s rooted in freedom. The three Cs (Constitution, capitalism, and Christianity) allow us to be free in all aspects of our lives: political, economic, and religious. This unique combination has allowed the USA to flourish. May God bless America so it continues to be so.
I have known of you for years (20+) I have seen your work, felt your goodness and hear your message often. Your consistency of character is just as visible as a statue in the park and yet we have never met. I hope you know that your witness is inspiring and your thoughts and POV appreciated!
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