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by Paul Schenck and Rob Schenck, Missionaries to Capitol Hill, Washington, DC
All of us are concerned about the world we live in, but especially for our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We pray it will be a world where they can know the Lord and serve Him, be happy and safe at school and play, and enjoy the fruit of the Spirit all around them: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
There is reason, though, to be concerned and go to our knees in prayer. During the last half century we have watched the spiritual and moral health of our nation deteriorate rapidly. Thankfully, there is a way back to wholeness— not only for individual souls, but also for the soul of our American civilization.
Much has been said about the Declaration of Independence, penned by Thomas Jefferson, which became the birth certificate of the United States of America. As beautiful and inspiring as that foundational document is, there is an even more compelling and inspiring declaration found in the pages of the Bible. In fact, it is also a birth certificate, but one far more important than the one issued in 1776.
In the Gospel of Luke, the prophecy of Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, contains what we call the “Spiritual Declaration of Independence.” His words—delivered so powerfully when the newborn John the Baptist was dedicated in the temple—include the three critically important elements for a strong, enduring and spiritually vital nation. We call these elements the three pillars of national restoration. They are the Sanctity of Life, the Sanctity of Marriage and the Family, and the Public Acknowledgement of God.
Every individual created in God’s image has three vital components—a body, soul and spirit. Without them a person is “dead” physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Similarly, a nation has three necessary and vital parts: respect for bodily life, respect for the natural order of relationships (beginning with husband and wife and extending to the family), and respect for religious liberty, which is the acknowledgement of God in our public life.
Let’s examine these three key elements of a healthy nation in Luke 1:67-79 (NASB).
67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant—
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old—
71 Salvation from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us;
72 To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,
74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways;
77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins,
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
79 To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
In verses 68-71, Zacharias, inspired by the Holy Spirit, refers to the birth of John the Baptist as a forerunner of salvation. In fact, the text refers not only to John's birth, but to the future birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ, who at the time of this announcement was still in Mary's womb. It is important to note that this is a Spiritinspired “Declaration of Salvation,” and it is rooted in the conception and birth of a child. This speaks directly to the sanctity of human life from the very moment of conception. The Gospel clearly speaks about an unborn child and His subsequent birth being the medium to bring salvation to the world! Only a nation that respects the right to life of every child created in the image of God can claim to be spiritually alive and strong.
In verses 72 and 73, the prophet speaks of the covenant of Abraham. Our parents were Jewish, and before we came to know Jesus as Messiah, we were raised in the synagogue and Hebrew school. At our dedication ceremony, we were formally entered into “The Covenant of Abraham” and became part of the family of Israel. The covenant here refers to the promises God made to Abraham and to all his descendants. This is a direct reference to the sacredness of the family, and the family is anchored in the marriage between one man and one woman. This was God’s original design for human society (see Genesis 2:24), which has been called “a civilization of love.” The family is the first community, the first church, the first school, the first hospital and the first society a child knows. Only the nation that upholds the sanctity of marriage and the sacredness of the family can expect to be prosperous and enduring.
Beginning at verse 74, Zacharias tells us about an indispensable component of true liberty: Grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear. America was born precisely to guarantee citizens of the United States the freedom to worship God without fear. In fact, this is why on October 3, 1789, the entire congress adjourned to St. Paul's Cathedral in New York to worship and thank God for the establishment of our U.S. Constitution.
George Washington issued a proclamation on that day, calling for “public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a Constitution of government for their safety and happiness.”
The Founders knew that only a nation that guarantees and safeguards religious liberty and freedom to worship can anticipate the blessings of economic, political and personal prosperity. This means we are able to pray, read the Bible, display the Ten Commandments, set up a nativity scene or witness about our faith in Christ. In other words, this freedom is the ability to acknowledge God in the public square without fear of persecution, abuse or loss of liberties.
Many believers are discerning that the original ideals of the Founding Fathers—most of whom were Christians and firmly believed the promises contained in the Bible—are slowly eroding. This is especially true here in the nation’s capitol where our national ministry center for Faith and Action is located. We desperately need to see spiritual restoration begin. The foundations of our nation must be restored, beginning with the sanctity of human life: the protection of the unborn, the disabled, the elderly and the terminally ill. We must then preserve and protect the sanctity of marriage and of the family. Ultimately, as Americans we must be unequivocally committed to the public acknowledgement of God.
These three life-giving principles, drawn from the Word of God, soaked in prayer and infused with the Holy Spirit, will lead us to a true, lasting and national rebirth. It is these three rivers of life—the Sanctity of Life, the Sanctity of Marriage and the Family, and the Public Acknowledgement of God—that will bring a refreshing restoration to America’s soul. 
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