Not Angels

SCRIPTURE: I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Romans 7:21-22 NLT

QUOTE: “If Men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and the next place, oblige it to control itself.” – James Madison, Founding Father, 4th President of the United States

THOUGHT: Madison is dubbed the “Father of the Constitution” for his pivotal role in drafting both Constitution and Bill of Rights. One of the authors of The Federalist Papers, he loved the nation he helped create, but was well-aware of the foibles of humans. In this quote, we find a healthy belief in the Christian theological concept of the depravity of man.

Thomas Jefferson would say, “The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first.”

The government must be obliged to control itself, and the Constitution is the vehicle they envisioned to do that.

The salient question is how do we hold lawmakers and laws accountable to that? We learn, we pray, we act, we accept the answer from God’s hand.

PRAYER: Oh God, you more than any know the contents of all hearts, our own included. You see the warring in the human heart to love what is right and good and act accordingly. It’s a never-ending battle, but Paul saw a way forward: Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! In this way, please make us a blessing to our nation, holding ourselves and our leaders accountable to our Founders intents.