A True Manifest Destiny

Rom 3:19-28

Reformation Day 10/30

† In the Name of Jesus †

Grace and Peace to you, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ!

The Dream of a Nation

God’s Dream of His Nation

It was during the rapid expansion of the United States, from 1810 to 1840 that a Doctrine solely began to develop. It was first titled in 1840, and by 1880, it was an officially recognized position, by which men measured whether one was a true patriot.

The doctrine was half political, half theological. It was called the Doctrine of Manifest Destiny. In its original form, it stated that God’s favor was on the United States, as evidenced by the rapid expansion of its territories. At one point, the “doctrine” indicated that the USA would eventually rule all of the Northern Hemisphere, including the Caribbean Islands. The doctrine was based on three theories, according to a prominent historian:

The first based God’s favor on the “exceeding virtue” of the American people and their institutions.

The second inferred that because of our exceeding virtue, God gave the United States the Mission to spread these institutions, thereby recreating nations in the image of the United States.

The third point simply stated that this was God’s specific destiny for us, as revealed in the scriptures.

Though I would disagree with this Doctrine of Manifest Destiny for the United States, the three points can be used to show us a different destiny. A destiny based on virtue, a destiny that results in being remade in an image, a destiny God truly made manifest in scripture, clearly made manifest in today’s reading from the Letter to the Church in Rome.

Not our Virtue, but His

Virtue (Greek αρετη; Latin virtus) is the habitual, well-established, readiness or disposition of man's powers directing them to some goodness of act. A sense of ethical perfection, and the determination to maintain it. Not how I would describe a nation that while noble in many ways, also supported slavery, oppression of native Americans, and struggled with controlling the morality of its frontiers. I have often wondered whether the pastors of that day supported the idea of Manifest Destiny.

Surely, they realized, like Israel in the past, that their people were not truly virtuous. Like Israel of the past, worship of God often faded into the background, as they pursued that which they defined as important or necessary. They gave up the God who rescued them from Egypt, who provided them His presence. They traded Him for gods who would provide them with the trappings that gave the appearance of virtue, good harvests, physical pleasure, and many descendants.

Surely, their pastors realized that like the early church, their people, struggled with sin. Greed, lust, envy challenged them, as did putting the trust we are supposed to put in God, in ourselves. A great example, was in the time of Luther, as the church once again was teaching that man could save himself, by buying God’s forgiveness and his favor. Put bluntly, as Paul does in Romans, all have sinned, there are none who are virtuous. There were none then, there are none now. None can be justified, Paul says clearly, none can be judged righteous, based on their own work.

Their idea of Manifest Destiny therefore falls short. Yet there is a destiny, made manifest for us, that does rely on virtue, but not ours. The virtue of Jesus, the perfect, ethical , virtue-filled life that He lived, that He lives. The virtue, that Paul tells the Philippians, that caused him to serve, to die, and will result in every knee bowing down before him.

Not our Image, but His

The Propitiation

Just and Justifier

That leads us to the second point in the concept of Manifest destiny. The idea that the mission was to see our institutions spread, so that we could “redeem and remake” other nations in the image of ours. This concept still exists a bit today, as we attempt to take nations like Haiti, or Afghanistan, or Iraq and turn them into democracies, after they have dealt with dictators for decades. As if they could quickly make that transition. Please don’t misunderstand me, I think a republican democracy is a fine form of government, yet I also, as a student of history, know the problems one faces, that we still face today.

The Doctrine of Manifest Destiny would have us reproduce our nation, in those we have power and influence over. Yet would we not replicate our problems as well? For instance, is our system so perfect that there is truth in advertising, when it comes to those things we are asked to decide upon? Perhaps I am too cynical, but I think we need a better image to recreate people in.

The Historian is correct, the nations of this earth need to be created in the image of one who is virtuous. The image of Christ. Even as Paul tells the believers in Colossians,

⁹ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Colossians 3: (ESV

Even that image of Jesus, who is according to Paul the very Image of God.

That is a transformation that will make a difference, it is a transformation that occurs to us in Baptism, and is made more complete, as we continue to receive His grace, through encountering Him in His word, and I the Lord’s Supper. As we focus on what Christ does for us, even as Paul tells the Corinthians,

¹⁸ And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)

We know, it is His virtue, not ours, and it is His image we need, as well as the world needs to be transformed into, yet we need to see this destiny worked out, how is it accomplished.

The reason our destiny is set is revealed, it is made manifest in our epistle reading. There in the reading, there is a big “Church” word. The word “propitiation”. It is a pretty technical term, going back to the Hebrew Temple worship. It is the word desribing the blood that was poured, once a year, on the mercy seat in the holy of Holies. It was the blood of the sacrifice, offered for the sins of the people.

The blood which covers the sin of the people, the blood of the sacrifice offered for our sins. The forgiveness, the actions of Christ that we receive as “for us” by faith. In the past, the blood of animals was poured out, on the altar, so that God would pass over the sins of His people. This is incredibly explained in Hebrews chapters 7-9, here is one explaination of that,

¹¹ But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) ¹² he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:11-12 (ESV)

Not a People’s Destiny, but His People’s

We become His People, His nation

Nothing can stop it….

In doing so, the man who was virtuous accomplished what we could not. He earned the pleasure of God, by completing His mission, to make us in His image. He did that through His blood.

He made, from all the peoples of the earth, a people. The destiny of those people, He determines, and no one can separate us from Him. Not a nation, not those who would get us to trust in our own works, rather than His work on our behalf.

That is what is seen, what is heard, His gospel. It is a gospel we share with our world, for the blood on the altar, guarantees our salvation, it guarantees His virtue, and His mission, to set our destiny, as the favored people. A destiny manifested in Christ, and His sacrifice.

To Him, be the honor, the power and the glory, now and forever more. AMEN!