The Bible and the Constitution: Two Compasses That Matter

The Pacific Northwest was rocked yesterday by the death of Paul Allen, co-Microsoft founder, owner of the Portland Trailblazers and Seattle Seahawks, global philanthropist and the world’s 21st richest person.

Though Paul Allen and I were born two months apart in 1953 and grew up in the same part of the country. we never met and I know nothing about the the most important thing in his life–his relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

I do know that every person and nation follows a “compass” for behavior that affects all they do and that determines their destiny. Two such “compasses” are the Bible and the US Constitution.

They stand tall as two compasses that matter.

Compasses have been used for thousands of years to help navigators know the truth about the direction they are headed. A magnetic compass aligns itself with the pull of the North Pole to show the traveler which way is true north.

When you know true north and need to go that direction, you understand that going south, east or west will not get you there. In bad weather and confusing circumstances, knowing “true north” can be a life-saver let alone the proper guide to your desired destination.

In the spiritual and moral spheres we also need compasses to point us the right direction. Compasses show us the rules, the boundaries, the playing field of life.

For thousands of years, the Bible has been recognized as the most reliable compass for living. It guides us to eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ (the real True North) and also teaches us how to live our lives wisely on earth.

The US Constitution is the world’s greatest civil polity compass, showing our nation the principles that create peace and prosperity and guiding how we should govern a free people.

Beware of those who want to change both the Bible and Constitution in today’s world. If they’re successful, destruction lies ahead.

Two of my favorite writers posted articles recently–one dealing with the need for the biblical compass and the other for the Constitution.

Gary Randall reveals that the Human Rights Commission is trying to change the rules about sexual behavior among people of faith:

“Peter La Barbera, with Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, told One News Now yesterday that Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the biggest, most highly funded homosexual activist organization, has now released a new ‘Coming Home to Evangelicalism and to Self’ guide for those who identify as LGBTQ Evangelical Christians. LaBarbera says, ‘The new guide encourages homosexuals to be open within their churches to convince members to accept their lifestyle.'”

“[La Barbera] says, ‘The evangelical church is the last bulwark for truth.’ So basically they want to be rid of biblical influence in our culture. The HRC report talks about allowing homosexual so-called Christians to fully live out their sexual orientation as they put it.'”

“They have also created guides to help homosexuals gain acceptance in ‘Mormon, Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, and general faiths’ as well. HRC is also sponsoring their Wild Goose Festival—an annual gathering that teaches kids and adults how to move the agenda forward, including a day-long ‘Justice Camp’ for advocacy training to uplift LGBTQ voices in the church.”

“Their goal, they say, is to help ‘build a world in which nobody is forced to choose between who they are, who they love and what they believe.’ Therein is the spiritual conflict.”

Randall believes the HRC is trying to get us to abandon the Bible as our moral compass for sexual relationships. Forget the boundaries. Change the rules.Frankly, any “guide” that uplifts “Self” should be suspect. The essence of sin is self-desire. The Bible rightly puts self in proper perspective: the need for death to self.

Church–don’t reject your wise biblical sexual compass for some self-gratifying porridge.

There’s poison in that pot.

Next, professor Walter Williams writes about our Constitutional compass in “Why the Supreme Court Should Be More Like the Last Super Bowl:”

“Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement, leading to President Donald Trump’s nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, has thrown progressives, the Democratic Party, and the news media into an out-and-out tizzy.”

“It’s indeed a dark moment for those who’ve for decades used the courts to accomplish what would have been impossible through federal and state legislatures—such as same-sex marriage, abortion, and preferences with regard to race and sex. With this Supreme Court pick, and possibly another during his term, Trump can return us to the Framers’ vision of the judiciary—a vision that’s held in contempt by many liberals and conservatives.”

“The Constitution represents our ‘rules of the game.’ Supreme Court justices should be seen as umpires or referees, whose job is to enforce neutral rules.”

“Consider one area of ruthless competition where [neutrality] is demonstrated—sports. The 52nd Super Bowl featured the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots. Despite a bitterly fought contest and all that was at stake, the game ended peaceably, and winners and losers were civil to one another.”

“How is it that players with conflicting interests can play a game, agree with the outcome, and walk away as good sports? It’s a miracle of sorts. That ‘miracle’ is that it is far easier to reach agreement about the game’s rules than the game’s outcome. The rules are known and durable. The referee’s only job is evenhanded enforcement of those rules.”

“Suppose football’s rules were ‘living’ and the referee and other officials played a role in determining them. The officials could adjust the applications of the rules. Suppose the officials were more interested in the pursuit of what they saw as football justice than they were in the unbiased enforcement of neutral rules. In the case of Super Bowl LII, officials might have considered it unfair that the Eagles had never won a Super Bowl and the Patriots had won five.”

“If officials could determine game rules, team owners, instead of trying to raise team productivity, would spend resources lobbying or bribing officials. The returns from raising team productivity would be reduced. Also, I doubt that the games would end amicably. The players probably wouldn’t walk off the field peaceably, shaking hands and sharing hugs, as they do now.”

“We should demand that Supreme Court justices act as referees and enforce the Constitution. If they don’t and play favorites with different groups of Americans, as we’ve seen, the potential for conflict among the American people is enhanced. Who is appointed to the high court becomes the all-consuming issue.”

“The question is not whether a justice would uphold and defend the Constitution, but whether he would rig the game to benefit one American or another.”

Williams is right. Our Constitutional compass–spelling out the rules for governing our nation–is a tremendous safeguard against corruption, bribery, angst, bitterness, and mob tension and rule.

We should love and appreciate the Bible and the Constitution.

The Bible has stood as the world’s compass for thousands of years–used as a true north guide for the past five hundred years in the West–bringing liberty, strong families, human rights, free enterprise, justice under law, national security, prosperity, and an explosion of faith worldwide.

Its “rules” include the need to be “born again” (reconciled to God), godly character rooted in faith, hope, and love, coupled with the wise relational boundaries of the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule for successful living.

It was the Bible that helped produce the second compass–the US Constitution. Our Constitution has been aptly called a political expression of biblical ideas. The Bible was the most quoted book among our founders at the original Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

It lays out the “rules” for wise government:

• A nation of laws, not men.
• Checks and balances among three branches as a necessary restraint on sinful human natures and tyrannical tendencies.
• The protections of “federalism” meant to hinder group think and mob rule.
• Liberty and justice (fairness) for all people.

I love and respect the Bible and the Constitution.  I read my Bible everyday and keep a pocket copy of the Constitution on my desk. “The Book” is my guide to eternal life. The Constitution is our primer on good government.

Cherish them. Vote for people who will uphold them.

They remain two compasses that matter greatly.