The Cross Before The Constitution

In his sermon “The Cross Before The Constitution,” Pastor Taylor Justice emphasized that America’s founders, though instrumental in shaping the nation’s laws, placed their faith in Christ above all. He highlighted Roger Sherman, the only man to sign all four founding documents, who confessed in 1788 at White Haven Church his belief in God’s election, Christ’s atonement as the sole ground of salvation, and the resurrection to eternal life. Justice also spoke of John Jay, America’s first Chief Justice, who boldly affirmed his belief in Christ when questioned by an atheist in 1811, and later wrote that through Jesus’ atonement, divine justice and mercy are reconciled, offering salvation as God’s free gift. Samuel Adams, signer of the Declaration, in his 1803 will, entrusted his soul to God, relying on Jesus Christ for pardon.

Pastor Justice anchored these examples in Scripture. From Judges 6 and Isaiah 9, he showed how Israel’s oppression pointed to their need for a divine deliverer, ultimately fulfilled in Christ, the “Prince of Peace.” Drawing from Matthew 15 and 23, he warned against elevating human tradition above God’s commandments, reminding believers of Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11 to find true rest in Him. Finally, Justice stressed that while America’s founding signatures were penned in ink, salvation was sealed by Christ’s blood. Citing Mark 10, Hebrews 9–12, and Luke 4, he declared Jesus as the one who gave His life to ransom sinners, securing eternal redemption and calling all to run their race with eyes fixed on the cross before any constitution.