Greetings. This is Pastor David Bass at New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church with the Moment of Truth, where we challenge you to think through an important issue of life and faith. And today, I want to challenge you to think through, why is spiritual revival and reformation the one necessary key to unlock a Christian constitutional republic? Very important question. Why is spiritual revival and reformation the one necessary key to unlock a Christian constitutional republic?

For many weeks now, prior to my interview with Bill Azen, I have been arguing for a Christian constitutional republic to take the place of our now hopelessly lost secular constitutional republic. It has been a difficult and arduous conclusion for me to reach this stage, but I think it's a necessary one. Through neglect and laziness, we, the American people, have allowed the corrupt, corpulent, deep state to so suffuse and become identified with the constitutional republic that the two can no longer be separated. It's like a cancer that is metastasized throughout the vital organs of the body politic.

To cut the deep state out would mean that we would kill the patient. To cut off one head of a conjoined twin would kill them both. And that's what we've got, a conjoined twin, a deep state with a constitutional republic, and they cannot be separated. Eventually, I think everyone will reach this conclusion. We're already seeing it in this election.

There doesn't seem to be any way out from the deep state. Nobody has stopped them. The American people have rolled over like a puppy, impede themselves in fear at the COVID virus, and have accepted and swallowed the entire cultic transformation of the American people with masks and lockdowns and isolation, which is indeed a cultic practice. We bought it. We are captives of the deep state.

The entire dead and dying deep state must be completely destroyed, therefore, burnt to the ground, leveled, so that no one stone will be left upon another, as Jesus said about the destruction of Jerusalem. This may be a controversial statement to make because, indeed, today there are three kinds of patriots, three kinds of patriots that I would characterize. Number one, there's the Pollyanna patriots. Pollyanna was a naive teenage girl who always saw the positive side of life, thought that everyone meant well, and thought everything would end well if we were nice to everyone and stayed positive.

Most Americans adopt this attitude towards government, which is entirely the wrong attitude to take. The second kind of patriot we have now in America is the course correction constitutionalists, the course correction constitutionalists. It's not the document or the system of the constitution that needs to be changed, according to these kinds of patriots. Rather, the people's hearts, their minds, and their lives must change in order for the constitution to work, and in principle, this is true. This constitution was made only for a moral and religious people, John Adams said.

This constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other, he went on to say. Revive and reform the people and the constitution will operate as it is supposed to. Make this course correction, according to these patriots. Make this course correction, and we will be back on track, okay?

That's the second kind of patriot we have in America today. The third kind is the Christian constitutionalist, the Christian constitutionalist. Part of the reason we are off track at the present is due to an inherent flaw in the constitution, and I would put myself in this group, Christian constitutionalists, because part of the reason we are off track at the present is due to an inherent flaw in the constitution. It's not a perfect document, and it's been there from the beginning. That is, the constitution's failure to acknowledge the two true supreme authority of the republic, and that true supreme authority is Jesus Christ.

It's not the people. I must be frank about this. A covenant, which the constitution is essentially, a covenant is a blood bond between two parties, one of whom is a suzerain, that is a king, and the other of whom is a vassal, that is a servant, and that servant or vassal must always acknowledge the suzerain or the king if the covenant is ever to work. We've not done this in our constitution. We have not acknowledged our true king in that covenant document.

Our true king in America is Jesus Christ. No king but Jesus was the rallying cry of the revolution, and it's still true today. The original constitution of 1789 presents us with a circular dilemma. The people in the constitution, the people is both the suzerain and the vassal of the same document. That's illogical.

It is ultimately self-serving. When there are two parties to a covenant, one serves the other mutually. When there are two parties, when they both honor the terms laid out in the covenant, well, that covenant works. This is possible when Christ is the king and the people are the servants of the constitution. When there's one party to a covenant, that is the people in our constitution, then the people serve who?

Who do the people serve? Well, they serve the people. We serve ourselves, ultimately, and it eventually descends into self-serving chaos and tyranny as we see today. Even at its best, Americans did not serve God. They served themselves.

Additionally, there is, in the nature of the case, a polarity in every covenant. That is, in a covenant, there is always a suzerain at one end of the pole and a vassal at the other end, the other pole. And if it is not there to begin with, it will develop over time. And this has happened to us. The homogenous people has evolved over the centuries into the polarized deep state, which has become the suzerain, and the people.

And we are the vassals of the deep state these days. The deep state has taken over as king of the covenant. Oh, the satanic deep state, if I can even go so far as to say the satanic deep state, is now the suzerain of the covenant of the constitution, and we are the vassals, the slaves to the deep state. If we had acknowledged the true king of the covenant to begin with, and that would be Jesus Christ, we would not have this problem to deal with. This is one reason why the Christian constitutionalist argues for scrapping, or at least seriously revamping, the present constitution in favor of an explicit Christian constitution.

Well, let us assume for the moment that we were able to wave a magic wand and make this happen. What would we have? We would have Christ the king in order to form a more perfect union, to establish justice, et cetera, et cetera, through the preamble. Christ the king, not the people. Then Christ the king does ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America.

And we would also have, in this Christian constitution, a swearing our oaths in God's name. For example, we would have, in the name of God the Father and his son Jesus Christ, I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, et cetera, et cetera. And we would also find that we meaningfully come to a national consensus as to what it means to be a Christian in a constitutional republic. Yes, we would take seriously what it means to be a Christian then, in a Christian constitutional republic. Now, all of this might be hunky-dory.

We might have everything the way the Christian constitutionalist wants it on paper, but so what? So what if it's on paper, but not written in the hearts of the citizens of the United States of America? Aren't we right back where we are now in the way the course correction constitution describes things? Only worse, maybe? Which is worse, to have a corrupt apostate people far from their God through, though the contract they have with him is not technically in his name, or to have a corrupt apostate people far from their God, which God is named explicitly in the contract there in black and white for all to see?

Oh, obviously, the latter is far worse. God would have even more reason to judge us than he does now for sinning so egregiously against his name. What is therefore utterly necessary for a Christian constitutional republic to work is for the hearts of all the people to be converted and revived. This is important. It's crucial for a Christian constitutional republic to work.

There must be a miraculous wholesale conversion of the population of the United States of America for a Christian constitutional republic to work. And this, we frankly admit, oh, we frankly confess this for that matter. This is the sine qua non, that is, that without which the thing will not work. The people must be revived and reformed. And make no mistake, dear listener, it is God alone who sovereignly gives such conversion.

As the psalmist says, as David says in Psalm 85, he says, restore us again, oh God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us. Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your steadfast love, oh Lord, and grant us your salvation.

Unquote. Verses 4 through 7 from Psalm 85. It was true for Israel as God's people, and it's also true for us, the church. A Christian constitutional republic cannot come to fruition without a constitution which establishes a true republic, but also is composed of true converted Christians who make it work. Oh, it won't work without transforming the hearts and minds of the people.

And we must all ask of God what a penitent King David asks, and that is, create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me. Unquote. There's nothing more urgent than the conversion and reformation of the American people. America, do you not know? Can you not see?

Know what God hates in a people, he says in Proverbs chapter 6. Solomon says in Proverbs 6, there are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him. Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among his brothers. America, the deep state, has done all of these things, embraces all of these things, and until America awakens and comes to a realistic understanding of her spiritual state, America will never right the ship of state.

She's teetering, she's listening, even now. America will continue to flounder and drown and sink in the waters of her sin. Yet, we see it not, do we not? We are blind to this. We do not hear it, and we continue to prance and preen ourselves in our sin, like the king in his new clothes.

John puts it this way, he says, for you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked, unquote. He says this in Revelation chapter 3. Oh, but we must confess, and we must admit, and we must see that the king has no clothes, the church has no clothes, the people have no clothes. We think we're rich, that we have prospered, that we need nothing, and we do not realize that we are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

And it is time for Americans to look at themselves the way God does, and do something about it then, once we see, and that is repent and reform before we are restored. What does that look like then, my friend? What does that look like? Well, first of all, we must confess that repentance means there is a sight, sorrow, and sea change over our sin. Repentance means that there is a sight of it, sorrow over it, and a sea change over our sin.

The hardest thing for an addict to do is admit to his addiction. His entire ego is vested in lying to himself that he's okay, that he has it under control, that his abuse is not his master. Oh, but once the addict admits that he is powerless over his drug of choice, he's on the road to recovery. He has a sight of his sin. This is the first step in any nation's road to repentance, is a sight of their sin.

In fact, Solomon says in 1 Kings chapter 8, if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors, saying, we have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly. Oh, this America must do. We must first acknowledge that we have sinned and acted perversely and wickedly. Right now, America struts around the world stage as if she is God's gift to glory and glamour. And as John says in Revelation, not realizing that you're wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

There is no repentance until there is recall of transgression. That is the full realization that one has offended the Almighty. But when that does happen, another thing happens. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians chapter 7, the heart of a nation truly grieves over its offense to God. There is godly sorrow over sin.

As Paul says, godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. Unquote. When we see America's heart torn in sorrow, we will know that we are moving towards true repentance. It's happened in the past, dear listener. Did you know that during the Great Awakening before the Revolution in 1776 that this happened?

Or even during the second Great Awakening in the early 19th century, Jonathan Edwards recounts that his congregation was extraordinarily melted by every sermon that was preached by George Whitefield. And Edwards says, almost the whole congregation being in tears most of the time. Unquote. And the Lord was moving by his spirit among the people of America, moving many to repentance. And the effect was quite remarkable.

Repentance, excited humility, as Edwards says, self-condemnation, self-abhorrence, love, and joy. Many fainted under these affections. Unquote. Jonathan Edwards. And as our standards say, as the Westminster Shorter Catechism says, what is repentance unto life?

Repentance unto life is a saving grace whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, does with grief and hatred of his sin turn from it unto God with full purpose of and endeavor after new obedience. Unquote. Oh, but it doesn't stop there. Repentance is the beginning, but not the ending point. Not only is there a sight and sorrow over sin, but there's also a sea change over sin.

A sea change over sin. That is, one begins to change his or her behavior to stop sinning. We will know when America has truly repented when the abortion clinics are shutting down and children are placed in families with men and fathers instead of trafficked for sex to men and fathers. We will know America has truly repented when the evil traitors of the deep state are unmasked and justice marches them down into Guantanamo Bay instead of closing Guantanamo Bay. We will know that America has truly repented when the hypodermic needle falls away from the arm of Uncle Sam and becomes strong again to defend the nation.

Oh, but once again, it doesn't stop there even because secondly, the United States of America, excuse me, secondly, the United States of America must bring about a reformation of our morals and religious character. There must not only be revival, but there must be reformation. We must bring about a reformation of our morals and religious character. There must be repentance and reformation before there is restoration. It's not enough to repent, that is, to have a sight, sorrow, and sea change regarding sin per se, but we must also move on from there and reform what has become so terribly blighted and decayed in our country.

John tells the church in Ephesus, for example, remember therefore from where you have fallen, repent, and do the works you did at first. Do the works you did at first. That's the essence of reformation. America used to be a nation of goodness and righteousness. And as de Tocqueville said about America in the day, he said, not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power.

America is great because America is good. And if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great. Though that was a profound insight by de Tocqueville. Make America good again. She will not be great again until she is good again.

De Tocqueville was insightful. Our genius and power is directly proportional to our goodness. That is, it's bound to how righteous we are as a nation, the degree to which we practice godly biblical righteousness. As Micah says in chapter 6, he says, he has told you, O man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God. How the United States of America stands in need of reform along the lines of Micah.

When the United States is serious about biblical reform, she will practice justice again, as Micah says, justice and mercy and walking humbly with our God. When the United States is serious about biblical reform, she will practice justice again. Presently, there is a two-tiered system of justice in America, one for the Democrat and Republican elite, and one for the rest of us. For example, Dinesh D'Souza goes to prison for mistakenly handling $10,000 in campaign donations.

He's an obvious political prisoner, having produced a film critical of then-President Obama, while Hillary Clinton goes scot-free, betraying the United States as Secretary of State and grafting millions of dollars in the Clinton Foundation. Fat cats like Hillary are too fat to fail, while the rest of us are too small to warrant being free. And secondly, when the United States is serious about biblical reform, she will love mercy again. Yes, loving mercy. That's one of the things God requires of us, to love mercy.

Mercy in the Bible is that attribute of God which shows compassion towards the helpless and the forsaken, those who perhaps cannot help themselves and who may not otherwise even deserve our help and compassion. That's mercy. God has mercy on the sinner who cannot save himself. And we, in turn, show mercy to one another and to others who otherwise may not be able to help us. And we will show compassion towards the unborn, the sojourner, the orphan, the sick, the hungry, and the poor among us.

But this will be done by the church and not the government, indeed, when genuine biblical reform comes about. And then lastly, as Micah says, when the United States of America is serious about biblical reform, she will walk humbly with her God. In the past, America has owned the God of the Bible as her own. The Supreme Court in 1892 stated flatly, our civilization and institutions are emphatically Christian. The Supreme Court said that.

They wouldn't say that today. George Washington was insistent that the divine hand of providence was upon him and the entire course of the American Revolution, too. The task of reforming America along the lines of justice, mercy, and a humble walking with our God. These are immense. That task is immense.

But it must not be ignored. It must not be shirked. The longer we delay repentance and reform, the deeper we sink into the morass and decay of our sin, and the more difficult it will be to bring reform. There is an urgency to this, dear listener. Not only does the task of reform become a more difficult task with every moment we neglect it, but we also tempt the patience of God in judgment.

The longer we postpone repentance and reform in the secret counsel of God's own will. And in his own sovereign timing, God does reach a point when repentance and reform are no longer an option, but only judgment is an option. He tells Jeremiah in chapter 14, he says, Then said the Lord unto me, Pray not for this people for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry. And when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them, but I will consume them by the sword and by the famine and by the pestilence."

Unquote. Oh, I'm afraid for America when I consider this about God. Behold what must happen, dear listener, before the United States of America can ever hope to be transformed into a Christian constitutional republic. She must repent of her sin and reform her way of life according to biblical principles. Without this fundamental transformation, any talk of a Christian constitutional republic or even a restored historic constitutional republic is academic, and it's doomed to certain failure.

Ezekiel puts it very succinctly. He says, Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Ah, this is the future of America without repentance and reform, dear listener. Lest we not apply this personally, individually, do not do what I tend to do when I hear something I agree with. I say, amen.

Go get them. You tell them, preacher. When in reality, it's probably precisely the very thing I need to hear personally, which it is for me. This is something I need to hear personally. Repentance, like judgment, begins with me in the house of God.

Peter says in chapter four of his letter, first Peter chapter four, it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God. And if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? Unquote. Yes, I have begun to change the way I live, dear listener. There are areas of my life where I get lazy and I need to repent of these things.

I have people who hold me accountable. Fortunately, blessedly, there are people that hold me accountable personally. And God always begins holding those with whom he is in covenant. He holds them accountable first. And we are in the covenant of the constitution and we will be judged for our delinquency.

It is time for judgment to begin at the household of God, Peter says. Yeah, it's time to begin with us. That is the church. As goes the church, so goes the nation. And we need to keep that in mind as the people of God, that the nation will go as the church goes.

Repentance must begin with the church and the repentance in the church must begin individually with you, the particular believers within that church. Oh, dear listener, if you know that that judgment is coming and God will judge America for her sins, unless we repent, it may already be too late. But let us not presume upon the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. And let us repent here and now, personally first, then as the church, and then as a nation. Dear listener, if you know that this is coming, that judgment is coming, then get your household in order, believer.

This is Pastor David Bass at New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church. And we meet for holy worship at 10 a.m. at 101 4th Street on the corner of 4th and Boulevard. And I would just urge you then to also join us for a conference on the Trinity. Many of the ministers in Idaho Falls have gotten together, five different ones of us, and we have assembled then a conference on the Trinity, which will be held Friday and Saturday. That is October 23rd and 24th, and that's going to, or 24th and 25th, Friday and Saturday.

And I just encourage you to come and join us on this conference on the Trinity. I'm very excited about it. And we've managed to assemble five ministers from five different churches across Idaho Falls. And we'll be speaking to this topic on the Trinity. And you can call us for more information on this at area code 208-523-0196.

And we meet for holy worship at New Geneva. We meet for holy worship on Sunday at 10 a.m. at 101 4th Street on the corner of 4th and Boulevard. I encourage you to join us for worship on Sunday, 10 a.m., 101 4th Street on the corner of 4th and Boulevard. And you can call us for more information at area code 208-523-0196. 208-523-0196.