What a great quote by A.A. Hodge:

Above all the narrow, meagre patriotism on earth is the large, free, ecumenical patriotism of those who embrace in their love and fealty the whole body of the baptized. All who are baptized into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, recognizing the Trinity of Persons in the Godhead, the incarnation of the Son and his priestly sacrifice, whether they be Greeks, or Arminians, or Romanists, or Lutherans, or Calvinists, or the simple souls who do not know what to call themselves, are our brethren. Baptism is our common countersign. It is the common rallying standard at the head of our several columns. It is our common battle-flag, which we carry forward across the enemy’s line and nail aloft in the heights crowned with victory (A.A. Hodge, Evangelical Theology, p. 338).

All who are baptized into the Triune Name, and recognize the Trinity and the Humanity of Christ are our brothers–these are the essentials!  This is what it means to be justified by faith, faith in the Triune God, the incarnate Son!  We are justified by this faith, NOT our understanding of justification by faith or any other doctrine.

(HT:  ReformedCatholicism)

According to this USAToday article, most think they intended to.

This is an interesting article for several reasons.

First, I like how the USAToday reporter maintained so-called “neutrality” with this line:

“The survey measuring attitudes toward freedom of religion, speech and the press found that 55% believe erroneously that the Constitution establishes a Christian nation.”

Erroneously?  Erroneously?  Where’s the neutrality in that word?  Never mind the fact that the documents of our Founding Fathers express thanks to God, calling Him the Giver of our rights, or that the Constitution was written in “the Year of our Lord.”  What LORD would that be?  Allah?  Mohammed?  Buddha?  Or, the Lord Jesus Christ?  You get one guess.

Second, it is interesting because of how many Christians out there would disagree with the sentiment that America can be a Christian nation.  I’ve heard Gene Cook, Jr. from the Narrow Mind state over and over again that America cannot ever be a Christian nation, that no nation can be a Christian nation.  There is only one kingdom of God, blah, blah, blah. 

Again, this interests me because it is a flat rejection of the Great Commission,

“Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.”

The therefore is a reference back to the fact that Christ has been given ALL authority both in heaven and on earth, I wonder if that means over whole nations on earth?  But, it doesn’t matter, because He then specifically says that we are to make disciples of the nations!  And whom do we baptize?  THEM!  Them is not a reference to just a scarce few individuals from a nation, but to the whole nation, and then we teach the nation.  Without the pronouns, the passage would read like this:

“Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing the nations in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching the nations to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.”

The very Commission given to God’s people for the expansion of His Kingdom teaches us that His Kingdom will engulf whole nations, and when it does those nations will be Christian nations.