Taking America Back… to where?
It is a mistake to think that we can somehow “Take America Back” or return America back to some imaginary “Christian Roots”.
That is not our focus. Jesus did not say “Go and make all nations Christian”, He said “Go and make disciples of all nations.”
Our federal government has never been a “Christian” government. There at times have been very moral and christian men in various offices, and many of our laws have a footing in selective Biblical principles — however, our federal government is a product more of “new Atlantis” Enlightenment thinking than anything else.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as the government is limited to very specific roles and the people in general have liberty.
The only good thing about the “good old days” of post revolutionary America was that there was LESS government involvement and MORE freedom.
The thing that we definitely do not want is a government that legislates and enforces morality. The problem is, whose morality should the government enforce? It may be a great thing to have the government enforce a morality you agree with today. But, once the government has that power, what happens when the next guy takes office and starts implementing a morality you don’t agree with?
The key is always LESS government authority, and ideally a government that can only exercise those powers granted it by the Constitution.
The one thing the founding fathers definitely got right was that ALL government is bad, but having at least SOME government is unfortunately necessary.
The thing to keep in mind is that the system of this world is at enmity (actively opposed or hostile) against God. (Ps 2:1-3; Eph 6:12)
According to the Bible, this world system will continue to wax worse and worse as the time approaches for the return of Messiah. A Bible believer should see these signs and look up, and realize that our time is short.
An Example
It was not BECAUSE of the government that the Bible was used in schools up until the 1960s, it was BECAUSE of government involvement that the Bible was taken out of schools.
Bibles were used in schools because the schools were managed by the local people who had children attending there, and the local populace was generally Christian or at least had a Judeo-Christian foundation.
We do not need to return the government to being “christian”, we need to cut the role of government back, so that we have the FREEDOM FOR US TO BE CHRISTIAN.
We get the government we deserve.
Proverbs 28:2 says When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.
It is when the general population has a relationship with God and adheres to the Bible that the people are able to rule themselves and so make a government for themselves that allows them to do so.
A people with a strong moral foundation do not need a government to control every detail of their life.
Instead of focusing all of our time advocating for people to adopt a particular political platform, the very best thing we can do is to preach the Gospel and introduce people to Jesus. It is only the Gospel that can change people’s lives and thereby influence the culture.
Unequally Yoked
Any “movement” that does not have the true Gospel at it’s center and the Bible as it’s “plumb-line” is a tool of this current world system that is governed by the “god of this world”.
We as Christians are not to have fellowship with darkness or be unequally yoked to unbelievers (2Cor 6:14)
Do any of these ecumenical movements advocate the preaching of the Gospel? No, of course not, it might offend someone. All these various ecumenical movements are just a distraction from what we really need to be doing.
Why harp on this?
Currently we are seeing many spiritual and “conservative” leaders compromising their beliefs in order to join together with organizations and movements that promote some of the issues they have in common. Anything less than spreading the Gospel and making disciples is just a waste of time and a distraction.
What to do
First things first. Before engaging in any political activities, be sure that we are putting a priority on learning the bible, spreading the Gospel, and making disciples.
Put spiritual duties ahead of civic duties. Only after we have prioritized our time with God can we have proper wisdom and discernment to engage the political system.
– Stay informed, however put all the information from the various voices out there through the test of scripture.
– Vote in all elections!, write your representatives and newspapers, speak out, blog, and, if called, run for public offices.
– Don’t compromise Biblical truth in order to join with a political, ecumenical, or quasi-religious group.
