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T
he scandals surrounding America's political leaders raise the
question of whether character matters in a leader. For a Christian, the
only answer must be an emphatic, "Yes! Character does matter."
Scriptural passages setting forth the
characteristic of leadership for civil and religious leaders makes it
clear that sound character and a pure moral life are essential
prerequisites. The reason for such requirements was identified by Jesus in
Matthew 7:16-20
and Luke 6:43-44:
bad roots will always produce bad fruits.
Samuel Adams spoke on this Biblical principle
when he explained:
"He who is void of virtuous attachments in
private life is, or very soon will be, void of all regard of his country.
There is seldom an instance of a man guilty of betraying his country who
had not before lost the feeling of moral obligations in his private
connections... Private and public vices are in reality... connected...
Nothing is more essential to the establishment of manners in a State than
that all persons employed in places of power and trust be men of
[exceptional] character. The public cannot be too curious concerning the
characters of public men."
While many other Founders made similarly clear
declarations on the necessity of private morality in public officials, in
recent weeks I discovered an especially interesting essay on this topic
written in 1801 by Noah Webster. In that work, Webster explained why a high
level of morality was necessary in the Presidency:
All history is a witness of the truth of the
principle that good morals are essential to the faithful and upright
discharge of public functions.
The moral character of a man is an entire and indivisible thing -- it
cannot be pure in one part and defiled in another. A man may indeed be
addicted, for a time, to one vice and not to another; but it is a solemn
truth that any considerable breach in the moral sense facilitates the
admission of every species of vice. The love of virtue first yields to
the strongest temptation; but when the rampart (resistance) is
broken down, it is rendered more accessible to every successive
assailant... Corruption of morals is rapid enough in any country without
a bounty (an encouragement) from government. And... the Chief Magistrate
of the United States (the President) should be the last man to accelerate
its progress.
America long understood what the Bible taught: the
quality of government in any country depends more upon the quality and
characteristic of leaders than laws. Signer of the Constitution and
Supreme Court Justice William Paterson was one of the many Founders who
reminded citizens of this truth by citing
Proverbs 29:2
"...When the righteous rule, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule,
the people groan."
For a Christian, there can be no other position:
character does count, and morality—both private and public—is essential in
our leaders.
Heavenly Father, As the world spins apparently
out of control, Help us to keep our eyes on thee and to realize that you
are still on the throne and in control. Help us to see that whoever you
have in a position of authority, You have the ability to remove the one
that brings shame toward You and on a nation. Teach us Thy patience, and
grant us Thy wisdom and peace.
Amen
RECOMMENDED FOR FURTHER READING:
These Bible References
Exodus 18:21;
1 Timothy 3:2-4;
1 Timothy 3:7;
Titus 1:6-8;
Acts 6:3
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Christ The Lord
Is Risen Today
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