Not long ago I made a comment post on the Internet regarding an article that was about how religion and faith in God are on the decline in the United States; how they do not fit our times and that people are less interested in the things of God… and that the trend for Christianity is on the decline in America.
I did not voice my opinion or put any personal words in the post. I decided to post biblical Scripture instead and let it reflect my thoughts.
Romans 1:28-32…
“Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice.
They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”
My post was met with a flurry of responses that disturbed me deeply. The responses were accusations of hate, phony gods, disgust toward God. The Bible was called a fairy tale book and a whole slew of other things were said not worth mentioning here. It was as if I had struck a chord within hell’s domain. The responses were more of a reaction of the spirit of Satan that dwells among the hearts of people rather than the people themselves. I likened it to demons screaming from within as if they had been thrown a punch in the gut by the words of God’s truth.
I did give them credit for one thing, although it is really sad. The secular world which includes atheists, and the many that make up the legions of the lost, solidly agree on one thing: That there is no God and even if there is a possibility of the existence of God, it wouldn’t affect how they live or go on about their lives. That type of unity is easy to accept and to just keep living like there is no tomorrow or any accountability to a supreme God—the Creator of the universe.
So where are we today? As described in Romans 1:28-32, we are on a path in this nation that no longer turns to God and is seemingly no longer a Christian nation as President Obama declared. Is he right?
Let’s take a look back. Despite what today’s Constitutional scholars like to believe, we are a country founded on biblical principles but as time goes on we stray further from the things that once made this country great when the presence of God was more widely accepted and adhered to.
The First amendment of the U.S. Constitution states:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances…
This by no means sets any wall of separation between church and state. It basically can be interpreted in many ways, but it is believed that what is meant is that the government cannot sponsor or fund a religion as an established national religion. The Thomas Jefferson letter to the Danbury Baptists may state that government should be separate from church but it is not the law of the land.
With this in mind, it is not against the law for governing officials to use biblical principles on account of their own personal beliefs in regard to lawmaking. Unfortunately, that is not the case as the growing number of people represented by these officials in this country turn away from God. These lawmakers do not dare use or say anything to jeopardize losing their jobs — by being voted out.
It’s sad but it’s true. What is even sadder is that a large number of voter eligible adults in this country identify themselves as being of a Christian background or affiliated with a Christian based faith. A Gallup poll in 2012 taken found that 77% of adults in the United States identified with the Christian faith.
If this is the case, you would think that there would be no one else who could stand against a nation of unity in Christ but that is not what is happening. I do not need to go into the reasons why. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see where we fail to stand together as a Christian nation, a nation whose light is diminishing.
If all people who say they are Christians were to stand united in this country regardless of background or denomination, pray unceasingly together as a nation, and put their faith in a direct relationship with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, this country could be healed and restored. For if God is for us, who could stand against us?
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (Chronicles 7:1).
With the end times drawing near, this is hard-pressed to happen. Not only because of what is going on here in this nation with constant attacks and persecution over these recent years, but also throughout the world. In solidarity, secular lawmakers would not stand a chance against the will of a unified body of Christ nor would they have to take up the defense of the Christians in this country today (as the conservative movement is recently doing) while gearing up for these midterm elections in November.
First and foremost, always follow Jesus Christ as your guideline. Trust in Him and you cannot fail. If you are one of the many that identify yourself as a Christian but have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life, I urge you to do so. Time is running short and there is no guarantee of tomorrow.
I know what Christ has done in my life and it has opened my mind and revealed much from God’s perspective a bit more clearly (although we cannot fathom the mightiness and magnitude of God in our fleshly bodies). One day we will know those answers but until then we need to pray as a nation for peace, hope, discernment, and unity.
Always open to help anyone who needs it… Edward Dedloff
Email: JHP230gr45@verizon.net