Waning National Conviction

As we approach the midpoint of 2022, there are many disconcerting trends that are troubling our nation.  Skyrocketing inflation and energy costs are hurting all but the very wealthy.   The wave of violence and crime continues to afflict particularly large urban areas but is being felt everywhere.   Moral decay persistently tears at the fabric of human society as we drift further from the patterns ordained by the Creator.  Weakened families are failing to provide stable environments in which children may be established to provide sound, courageous leadership for future generations. 

At the root of these degenerative patterns is a waning national conviction of the existence of God.   Gallop’s poll conducted in May 2022 reveals the lowest percentage of Americans expressing belief in God ever recorded.   This year 81% of people surveyed answered that they believe in God – down six percentage points from the 87% who expressed their belief in God in the 2017 poll.

When this question was first asked in 1944, and twice annually through the 1950s and 1960s, consistently 98% of respondents indicated their belief in God.  By 2011 the percentage had dropped to 92%.   So, over the past decade, the pattern of disbelief has fallen over 10 percentage points. 

When nearly 20% of the population refuses to acknowledge that there is a God to whom they are ultimately accountable, such disbelief will inevitably affect human behavior and social trends in a negative way.   Some of those degenerative patterns were noted earlier.  

Indeed, most Americans understand that all is not well.  A Gallop poll released on June 15^th indicated that half of Americans rate the overall state of moral values in the US as “poor.”  Another 37% rated morals as “only fair.”  Not surprisingly, these are the worst ratings received in the 20 years that Gallop has been asking the question.  

Our task as God-fearing followers of Christ is to ensure that our lives daily reflect the conviction that there is a God in heaven who rules in the affairs of men.   Scripture declares that only a fool tells himself that there is no God.   In our time we see many highly educated people living as fools.  

If there is hope for America, it will be found in a renewed commitment to our national Pledge of Allegiance which affirms that we are “one nation, under God.”  Whether as individuals, or as a nation, living as if there is no God will lead inevitably to devastating consequences such as we are witnessing in these perilous times.  

As we celebrate Independence Day, let us pray that the God of mercy will send revival and renewal across our troubled land.  

A Spiritual Pandemic

We have been overwhelmed since early 2020 with a daily barrage of information about the impact of the COVID-19 virus sweeping the world.  And we have all been impacted personally with the illness itself, the fallout of social restrictions, the death of friends and family, the general chaos that has impacted most of the world, or some other dimension of this plague.  Except for those who look favorably upon the heavy hand of government control, this pandemic cannot end soon enough.

There is, however, another plague which has been causing chaos and destruction at a spiritual level long before the coronavirus existed.  I’m referring to the destructive effects of the plague of pornography.  The American Family Association Journal observes Porn Awareness Week October 24-31 and highlights the devastating impact of pornography, not just upon society at large but also within the Christian church.

Covenanteyes.com, an online accountability resource, offers help for those battling the lure of pornography.  It cites statistics from 2018 which reveal that one in five youth pastors and one in seven senior pastors use porn regularly and are currently struggling [with addiction].  64% of Christian men and 15% of Christian women say they watch porn at least once a month.   The impact of pornography has not declined in the past three years.  Currently, 35% of all Internet downloads are porn related.

As Christians we must take seriously this often-secret sin which has become exponentially worse since the advent of the Internet and especially with the prevalence of smart phones.  Today, 95% of American teens have access to a smartphone.  And 90% of teenage porn use happens on their smartphones. 

The Journal notes that in 2019 the leading porn site created 170 years of new content and garnered 42 billion site visits, with 115 million daily visits.  And this is a single website.

Ted Shimer has written a new book, The Freedom Fight: The New Drug and the Truths That Set Us Free.  He states, “This book is for anyone who wants to know the pathway to freedom for themselves or so they can be equipped to help others.”  Thefreedomfight.org offers a biblically-based, no-cost recovery program.

If you, or others you know, struggle with this pervasive sin that is wreaking havoc in both the church and the world, I urge you to seek spiritual assistance.  Scripture commands us to “bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).

A Critical Misdiagnosis

 

One does not have to be a news junky to be aware of the growing lawlessness and corruption that is sweeping across our land.  Open violence that is tolerated by many who advocate reducing police presence in our inner cities is a growing threat to those populations.  Outright lies are being told to influence public opinion on matters dealing with health issues and legitimate treatment options.  Retail outlets in certain parts of our country are facing a wave of theft that is generated by a refusal to prosecute criminal offenders below a certain level.  Parental rights and responsibilities are being undermined by public officials who believe they know better than moms and dads how children should be taught and disciplined.  Efforts are being made to cancel major dimensions of our history, thus preventing future generations from learning the lessons of the past.

What is the source of such aberrant behavior?  Why do humans engage in actions that ultimately harm those they profess to care most about?   What drives powerful people to espouse policies and actions that are detrimental to those they are charged with leading?  Why is our nation divided in a manner not seen since the Civil War? 

The wrong answer to these questions is at the root of what ails America these days.

In May of this year, 1000 Americans were surveyed to determine their worldview.  A key finding of this study revealed that 51% of adults claimed to have a biblical worldview.  But, in actuality, their responses indicated that just 6% actually have one.  A biblical worldview is an outlook that integrates the Christian faith into every dimension of life.  The Bible does not just address how and when we should gather for worship, it provides principles that must govern behavior 24/7.

Among the discoveries of this study is that just 33% of the 51% “believe that human beings are born with a sinful nature and can only be saved from the consequences of sin by Jesus Christ.”  That means that only about 17% of our population recognizes our inherent sinful nature and that the only cure is found in the work of Jesus Christ as Redeemer.

Throughout history, the depravity of the human heart has been on full display.  In the Old Testament era, children were offered as burnt offerings to the heathen god Moloch.  Today they are aborted from the wombs of their mothers in service to the god of personal freedom and convenience.   National leaders in ancient Israel abused their authority, led the nation astray, and brought the crushing judgment of God upon themselves and their people.

Today, we are in danger of suffering a national collapse because our collective conscience fails to recognize the inherent depravity of the human heart which can only be cured by the power of God.  So long as we blame our social ills on educational methodology, or the color of our skin, or the level of the minimum wage, or any other peripheral issue, we will never get to the root of the problem.

We are each born a sinner.  Only the power of the gospel can change the human heart so that one can begin to reflect a lifestyle that honors the God who made us.  As a church, our task is to effectively communicate the gospel message so that individuals can be changed and families can build their lives upon God’s eternal truth.  Any other foundation will crumble over the course of time. 

The Perilous Perspective of Gen Z

The current crop of teen-agers and young adults born between 1997 and 2012 has been dubbed Gen Z.  Raised on the Internet and social media, what the majority of these individuals actually believe should cause great alarm in the Christian church.  In 2018 Barna research characterized Gen Z as the “first truly post-Christian generation,” with only 4% holding to a biblical worldview.  Since then, the trends have only worsened.

A new study conducted last year collected data from 1,503 young adults ages 13 to 21 between June 15 and July 17, 2020.  From that study, Barna researchers determined that two-thirds (65%) believe that “many religions can lead to eternal life.”  This figure was up from 58% in 2018.

The moral relativism dominating this generation of young people was further seen in the fact that 31% “strongly agree” that what is “morally right and wrong changes over time, based on society”.  This number increased from 25% in 2018.  Another 43% agree “somewhat” with this perspective.

To look at the situation from a different standpoint, only 10% of those individuals surveyed “strongly disagree” that what is “morally right and wrong changes over time, based on society. 

Malachi 2:15 states that God ordained marriage because “He seeks godly offspring.”  I.e., God expects parents to have children and to raise them to know and honor Him, fully committed to a biblical worldview.  It is apparent that many professing Christians today are failing in this most critical mission.  

One of the primary tasks of the church is to encourage, support, and come alongside Christian parents to accomplish this God-given responsibility toward their children.  Obviously, the parents themselves must be absolutely committed to the unchanging authority of Scripture before they can instill this perspective in their sons and daughters.

In one of his final addresses to the nation of Israel that he had led for 40 years, Moses expressed the urgency of imparting this outlook to their children in this way: “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up” (Deut. 6:6-7).  Hence, the constant, consuming passion of parents must be to ensure their children embrace the unchanging truth of God’s revelation as the foundation for their lives.  The importance of this priority has not changed in 3500 years.

 

Christ & Covid-19

Daily, it seems, we are inundated with messages from every imaginable type of business, from banks to insurance companies to tour guides to vitamin distributors to automobile dealerships– all expressing their response to the current crisis creating havoc across our land.  Throughout the world, churches and other Christian ministries have curtailed their public activities out of a concern to cooperate with efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19 and to mitigate its potential impact upon us all.

Looking through the lens of a biblical worldview, how should Christians view this present crisis? It is easy to be driven by a fear that belies our professed faith in the Lord.  Or, on the other extreme, it is possible to ignore the present realties and act as if Christians are impervious to the potential impact of the coronavirus threat.  Neither response reflects a truly biblical perspective.  So what should we do and think?  The essence of a Christian response will include the following dimensions.

First, rest in the sovereignty of God.  The God who spoke the universe into existence continues to providentially direct the course of history.  The inception of this pandemic is no more of a disruption of God’s plan than were the Ten Plagues that rained down upon the Egyptians as a means of freeing Israel from slavery.  The Lord gave Job a strong lesson in the realities of life, reminding him that God’s infinite power, dominion, and wisdom providentially direct all that happens, from arranging the constellations of the stars to the movement of mammoth sea creatures to when mountain goats give birth.  Nothing happens in this universe apart from the sovereign will of God, including the spread of Covid-19.  Humanly speaking, the actions of Chinese government officials may have initially facilitated the spread of the virus, but ultimately God was accomplishing His purposes.

Second, recognize the fragility of life in this world.  Millions who a month ago may have been living a care-free life, without regard for the possibility of imminent sickness and death, are now overwhelmed with concern for themselves and their loved ones.  Nothing like a pandemic to bring a solid dose of a reality which has been the message of Scripture for generations!  Over 2500 years ago Isaiah declared, “All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.  The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely people are grass” (40:6-7).  In light of this tenuous hold on life, we should pray Moses’ words in Ps. 90, “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Third, realize that Covid-19 is not a sign that the end is near.  There are enterprising, self-styled prophecy experts who seek to capitalize on every major upheaval in society as a sign that the “end times” have come upon us.   Newspaper editors and internet news sites have long known the axiom that “If It Bleeds, It Leads.”  I.e., sensational news stories about big trouble are a surefire way to attract readers.  And so such stories invariably make the headlines.  Given this reality, we must resist efforts to claim that this current pandemic is a sign of the end any more than were the 14^th-century plague of Black Death, the 18^th-century  Yellow Fever outbreak, the 19^th-century Cholera Pandemic, and the early 20^th-century Spanish Flu.  These periods of intense disease killed many millions.  It is estimated that the Spanish Flu alone killed at least 50 million worldwide, a number that dwarfs even worse-case scenarios for Covid-19.

And fourth, redeem the opportunities this crisis affords.  Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”  The curse of sin is manifesting itself in unusual ways these days. But we who know Christ are charged with living carefully and wisely, taking advantage of the open doors for ministry that God provides.  While we are not able to maintain “business as usual” public gatherings right now, God is still at work and using His people.  Let us be praying for His guidance in these regards and for His purposes to be accomplished.  He will be glorified through Covid-19 in ways we could not have anticipated.  Let us, therefore, remember to pray what Jesus taught us: “Hallowed be Your name. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  And remember that God works through the hearts of kings and those with civil authority (Prov. 21:1), so let us be praying for them to be filled with wise guidance as we navigate these uncharted waters.

Thankful for the Pilgrims

Recently I watched a series of student interviews at a “Christian” college in the Midwest.  They were asked whether it is appropriate to celebrate Thanksgiving.  The vast majority answered negatively, citing concerns about oppression and colonization.  The few that affirmed the holiday did so only as it pertains to the joys of feasting and family gatherings, apart from any historical significance.  Clearly, these students were ignorant of the real history of Thanksgiving and demonstrate the impact of indoctrination by “enlightened” high school teachers and college professors.  If such a perspective dominates the next generation we are not only in danger of losing our true history but also of squandering the freedoms upon which our nation was founded.

As I write, it is Thanksgiving Day 2019, a year before the 400^th anniversary of the arrival of the Pilgrims in the New World.  On this day I am most thankful for the blessings of salvation through the finished work of Christ.  I am thankful for the joys of family and the fellowship with other like-minded Christian believers.  And I am thankful for the steadfast faith, love, and courage that motivated the 102 Pilgrims to sail across the Atlantic and establish a beachhead of Christian civilization in North America.

Nearly half died in the terrible rigors of that first year in the New World.  Still, they struggled on, driven by a love for God and desire to establish a civilization where their descendants could freely serve the Lord.  H.U. Westermayer has observed, “The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than homes.  No Americans have been more impoverished than these, who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.”

Yes, they planned a time to publicly declare their gratitude to the Lord for His blessings upon them in that first year.  Despite the hardships, they were filled with praise to the God they served.   The 53 survivors were joined by 90 Indians from a nearby village.  Together they feasted and celebrated.  God used the natives to provide instruction and assistance on how to survive in the wilderness.  The thought of colonial oppression did not cross their minds.  Attributing such motivation to the Pilgrims reflects the distortion of warped minds devoted to rewriting history by attributing to the Pilgrims the sins of their descendants

Gov. William Bradford described their mentality before sailing from Europe: “They knew they were pilgrims, and lifted up their eyes to the heavens, their dearest country, and quieted their spirits”.  The future was uncertain, but their trust was in the God who would guide their voyage and the initial settlement at Plymouth.  Such an example inspires us to persevere in the face of life’s challenges four centuries later.

Disengaging from the Bible

Research released recently by Barna indicates that approximately one-half of American adults (48%) are “Bible disengaged.”  I.e. such people interact with the Bible infrequently, if at all.  It has minimal impact upon their lives.   Furthermore, more than one-third (35%) never use the Bible in 2019.  On the other end of the spectrum, only 5% (down from 9% last year) are “Bible centered,” meaning they frequently interact with the Bible so that its truth concretely shapes their relationships and choices.

These numbers are more than merely academic.  The lifestyles of many reflect the real consequences of ignoring the revelation of their Creator.  The breakdown of families, the scourge of drug addition, the proliferation of pornography, the plague of gender-dysphoria, and the unending violence are all the fruit of a society that has turned its back upon God. 

It is easy to complain about the nature of the politicians that represent us locally and nationally.   The lack of character and the absence of wisdom and integrity are endemic among the political class.  Many espouse certain perspectives on the campaign trail that seem to evaporate when established in office.  But the reality is that the paucity of honor and moral strength among our politicians is ultimately merely a reflection of the populace that elected them.

Consider from where we have fallen.  American statesman Daniel Webster (1850-1852) captured the essence of the Pilgrims’ worldview: “Finally, let us not forget the religious character of our origin. Our fathers were brought hither by their high veneration for the Christian religion. They journeyed by its light, and labored in its hope. They sought to incorporate its principles with the elements of their society, and to diffuse its influence through all their institutions, civil, political, or literary. Let us cherish these sentiments, and extend this influence still more widely; in the full conviction, that that is the happiest society which partakes in the highest degree of the mild and peaceful spirit of Christianity.”

If there is hope for America it will be found in emulating the spirit of our Pilgrim forefathers.  In our homes, our schools, our governments, and our churches, we must recapture a love for the Word of God and make it the supreme arbiter of moral and spiritual truth.   

Unless the core values of our nation change, we will continue on the fast track to societal and national disintegration.  As Christians, we must pursue the truth of God’s Word as our greatest passion in life.  And that truth will govern how we spend our time, how we vote, how we train our children, how we worship, and what our expectations are of the future.