Conservatives like me justifiably feel we are losing
America. If only we tried harder pitched our political message
more effectively or done something else better we could hold or regain
ground. Some others advocate some kind of compromise to get
voters from other voting groups. However, the root cause keeps
eroding while we try to bail water out of the ship. What is
this root cause? Consider some recent statistics.
Percentages in the eighties favor the Christian religion. 43
percent or so actually go to church. Since all western
conservatism is based on Bible in some way or another, the prevalence
of Christianity in our culture should ensure conservatism's
victory. And yet it doesn't. Why? Consider another
statistic I heard recently. Asked if they would commit
fornication if opportunity arose, two-thirds of Christian singles said
they would.
In reality we are losing this battle in the Church. Apparently
the Church has lost its moral influence on two-thirds of it
followers. How then could it sway the masses? Jesus said
Ye are the salt of the earth: but
if
the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is
thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden
under foot of men. (Matthew 5:13)
Yet other sayings of Jesus illustrate why the Church has lost it
influence. Consider Matthew 24:45-51
Who then is a faithful and wise
servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them
meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord
when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you,
That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if
that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his
coming; And shall begin to
smite his fellowservants, and to
eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant
shall
come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is
not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his
portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth. [italics mine]
First focus in on the phrase "and to eat and drink with the
drunken." Application here is that many ministers fail to stand
against sin or to solicit repentance from those under them because they
have an unholy peer relationship with sinners. They allow
everyone their sin because they are afraid to offend anyone. Then
they defend their complicity with sin on the basis that Jesus also "ate
and drank with sinners." However Jesus's behavior was not
complicity with others' sin. Consider:
But Jesus did not commit himself
unto
them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should
testify of man: for he knew what was in man. (John 2:24-25)
Furthermore Jesus expressed concerned that faith would dwindle
Nevertheless when the Son of man
cometh, shall he find
faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8)
So Jesus's inferred prediction has come to pass and diminished the
Church. Bible criticism has replaced faith in the Bible in many
places in the Church and where the Bible is regarded as a fable still
useful for one's spiritual quest, the Church has lost its concern about
sin and has lost its power to influence society. Then the
compromise with
sin first mentioned becomes normal and acceptable.
Now focus on the phrase "And shall begin to smite his
fellowservants." This represents unloving acts that harm the
reputation of the Church. Although this is not generally the way
of the Church, the animal side of human nature makes some of these
things occasionally unavoidable. Consider that the reputation of
the Catholic priesthood
1 has
been greatly harmed by a pedophile scandal. I think too – in some
other area of the Church – when some leave off the proper duty to warn
people to flee from the wrath of God and think they should operate it
themselves, they create great possibility of harm to the reputation of
the Church. This known to occur in some local congregations
outside of mainstream Christianity to maintain strict discipline.
All of these violate the second command of
Christianity:
Beloved, let us love one another:
for
love is of
God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1 John 4:7-8)
At this point some confuse human love with that which is divine:
the former a social instinct of the human animal, the latter something
spiritual which for lack of a better description could be called
redemptive kindness. Many things done for the sake of human love
– often with the cover of spirituality
– are not even remotely
redemptive. Instead God's love is unchangeably bound to
righteousness. Love without righteousness and without its
redemptive wisdom is not real love. Likewise an appearance of
righteousness without love is "as sounding brass, or a tinkling
cymbal." (1 Corinthians 13:1) In this light, it is kind to
arrest and punish criminals (where the law is just) and to offend
sinners
with preaching against sin. Consider that the recent rape of
European women by refugees recently befriended shows some kind of
foolishness characteristic of inadequacy of mere human love.
Where does all this lead? If the Church continues to depart from
faith and its influence continue to diminish, politics will
follow. Without enough voters to support conservatism, the
Republican Party will either
become a permanent minority party or become liberal itself to
survive. Even when disgruntled voters want a change, they
chose one away from God only to a hole deeper than before. A
change toward God instead – one of mind and heart – is the only one
that will save. So too, the time is short because the forces of
darkness are plotting a point of no return, a point of departure that
the wise already see on the horizon.
It is time for the clergy of the Church to redeem themselves and their
followers by returning to faith and opposition to sin that is proper to
the True Church. Then politics would follow.
If I shut up heaven that there be
no
rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send
pestilence among my people;
2
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and
pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I
hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their
land. (2 Chronicles 7:13-14)
2Although I believe the plagues on
our nation directly stem from the consequences of sin, the principle is
still the same.
Document History
February 22, 2016 Created.
February 23, 2016 Added wording to clarifiy the idea that some
operate the wrath of God.
