The Blessings of a Christian Society
By Editorial Staff
Published March 2008
Have you ever stopped to wonder what this country would be like if Christian principles were indeed the basis of our public policy? I can imagine a country in which:
- a small, limited federal government releases the public from overbearing taxation;
- a sound monetary system completely rids the nation of inflation;
- an environmental policy based on the principles of Christian stewardship forces industries to stop raping the land and wasting valuable resources;
- strict and well-enforced justice codes bring swift sentences against criminals, and the crime rate is drastically reduced;
- families, freed from the tax burden, are able to save, invest, and pass on their estates to their children, thus dramatically raising the standard of living in just one generation;
- the welfare system, which has locked so many poor people into its cycle of dependence, is systematically abolished as local community service groups help to train the poor in job skills so that they can join the work force.
All of this is part of the vision for a Christian society. Doesn’t sound so bad, does it? On the other hand, consider the world that a small minority of Americans would like to create for us all. It would be a society without restraints, in which:
- free, state-funded abortions would be available to all women, bringing more emotional trauma, disease, and sterility to millions;
- the nation reaches a below zero population growth rate, thus drastically changing the demographics of the country, stagnating business growth, and forcing social security programs to end in bankruptcy;
- homosexual marriage is legalized, and laws against homosexual acts are repealed – breaking down the family unit as we know it and inviting more sexual disease to run a free course across the nation;
- continual tax increases to fund ever-growing federal programs reduce the ability for individuals to save or invest, lowering our standard of living and increasing poverty;
- more and more lenient sentencing of criminals, along with the legalization of many harmful drugs, invites a new wave of crime and violence.
Which scenario appeals to you? The society without restraints? or the Christian moral order in which justice, property rights, individual freedoms, and prosperity are protected within the secure confines of God’s law?
To most Americans, there is no question: the first scenario is the obvious choice. Throughout history, true Christianity has always brought positive, lasting benefits to society when its truths were embraced by a nation. But there are those people who would have us to believe that God’s laws have no place in public policy.
I recently received a letter from a young Spanish Christian who is interested in publishing a Christian newspaper in his country. He described the plight of his nation in this way:
“Spain today is a country in darkness with a socialist-atheist government which is openly anti-Christ. They control the main mass media and the only two television channels in the country. Spain today is the most leftist country in Europe. The socialist government scorns Christianity as an old, pre-scientific tradition while homosexuality and every other sin is promoted.”
Then this young man said something that shocked me about a prevalent attitude in Spain:
“They say the true plague in the world today is not AIDS but the puritanical/evangelical movement in the U.S.”
I was actually encouraged to know that people in Europe are very aware of the growing Christian revival in America. Apparently some Spanish people are afraid that such a movement will eventually make its way over to the continent and affect their lifestyles as well. It is indeed sad, however, to realize that some people view a Christian revival as a “plague” which would have negative results on their society.
Although it has not been as prevalent here in the U.S. because of our strong Christian heritage, there is a vocal minority of secularists in this country who have tried to spread the fear of a “Christian takeover” among the population. Political leaders, educational leaders, and even some evangelical Christians have expressed cautious reservations about the idea of Christians being involved in the political process at all – out of fear that the gospel might somehow reshape our society during the next decade.
This apprehension has emerged because Americans have bought the idea that Christianity should be relegated to a mythical“private” arena. For decades, Christians have taken the back seat in running our society; we have not served the nation, nor have we brought Christ’s principles to bear upon our institutions. As a result, whenever Christians show any aggressiveness in reclaiming lost ground, they are represented by the media as Ayatollahs or McCarthys who are on some type of witch hunt to rid America of the unfaithful. Christians are thrown into the same category with “fundamentalist” Muslims and Nazi storm troopers.
We are indeed entering into an intense time of debate over a very basic issue. The question all of us must face is this: How far does the law of God apply to an unbelieving culture? This is the issue of the decade. How we answer it is going to have far-reaching implications for the entire world before the year 2000.
Because Christians have abandoned their social responsibilities during most of this century, America – as well as most of the world – is falling apart at the seams. Our original understanding of self-government under God has now been traded for an omnipotent, omnipresent federal bureaucracy. Christian stewardship and the Protestant work ethic have been eroded by the growing welfare mentality and the tax-and-spend syndrome. Christian responsibility in the economic realm has been replaced by skyrocketing deficits on the government, corporate, and private level.
Meanwhile, the priests of the almighty state tell us that an insurmountable wall of separation has been erected between Christianity and public policy. Legal battles are now being waged on a daily basis as secularists attempt to push Christians further and further into a zone of non-existence.
Casting Off the Restraints
We need to realize that what the secularist minority doesn’t like about the idea of a “Christian society” is the restraint that such an order imposes on their personal freedoms. In Psalm 2, we read:
“Why are the nations in an uproar, and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed: ‘Let us tear their fetters apart, and cast their cords from us!’”(verses 1-3).
According to the letter I received from the young Spaniard, there are people in Spain who are upset about the possibility of the “cords” and “fetters” of Christianity coming to restrain their nation.
But we do not need to make apologies for our “cords.” Moral restraints are the fibers which hold our society together. If the Christian gospel does not bind its benevolent influence on our nation, it is going to self-destruct. God never intended that His law be applicable only in some ethereal “personal realm” where it has no direct, practical application to society at large. God intends for His law to become the basis for public policy in this and every other nation on this planet.
The leaders of groups like Planned Parenthood, People for the American Way, and other anti-Christian organizations in the U.S. usually say that Christian activists only want to take Americans into another “Dark Age.” They warn that all personal freedoms (especially the sexual ones) will be forcibly removed by Bible-carrying believers who stone homosexuals and burn Communist flags. Their campaign is the ultimate in disinformation.
Americans – along with citizens from any other country – have no reason to fear a blossoming of Christian society. But we do have much, much to fear if we allow the secularists to remove all restraints and complete their national agenda.
Forerunner - Home » The Forerunner Newspaper » Reformation
Your comments are welcome!
A Revival Account: Asbury 1970 (DVD)
What is true Revival and Spiritual Awakening?
Discover the answer in this eyewitness account by Dennis Kinlaw, President of Asbury College, Wilmore, Kentucky, who recounts the story of a visitation of the Holy Spirit in 1970. This is the presentation that has continued to spark the flames of Revival in the hearts of people around the world. Contains eyewitness footage from the Revival at Asbury College in 1970 in Wilmore, Kentucky.
Certain to challenge you to greater holiness and a deeper commitment to full-scale revival. Original news and private footage has been included. If you are a student who longs to see a spiritual awakening at your school, you must see this video!
“This simple video does a wonderful job of conveying something of God’s heart and power, Everyone we have ever shown this to has received an immediate impartation of faith for revival and the power of prayer.”
— Bob and Rose Weiner, Weiner Ministries Int’l
Running Time: 40 minutes
$19.95 — ORDER NOW!
Click here for more information
The Four Keys to the Millennium (Book)
Foundations in Biblical Eschatology
By Jay Rogers, Larry Waugh, Rodney Stortz, Joseph Meiring. High quality paperback, 167 pages.
All Christians believe that their great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will one day return. Although we cannot know the exact time of His return, what exactly did Jesus mean when he spoke of the “sign of His coming” (Mat. 24)? How are we to interpret the prophecies in Isaiah regarding the time when “the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:19)? Should we expect a time of great tribulation or reformation and revival before the Lord returns? Is the devil bound now, and are the saints reigning with Christ? Did you know that there are four hermeneutical approaches to the book of Daniel and Revelation? These, and more questions, are dealt with by four authors as they present the four views on the millennium. Each view is then critiqued by the other three authors.
$9.95 — ORDER NOW!
Click here for more information
Amazing Grace: The History and Theology of Calvinism (DVD)
Download the Free on-line Study Guide!
Just what is Calvinism?
Does this teaching make man a deterministic robot and God the author of sin? What about free will? If the church accepts Calvinism, won’t evangelism be stifled, perhaps even extinguished? How can we balance God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility? What are the differences between historic Calvinism and hyper-Calvinism? Why did men like Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon, Whitefield, Edwards and a host of renowned Protestant evangelists embrace the teaching of predestination and election and deny free will theology?
This is the first video documentary that answers these and other related questions. Hosted by Eric Holmberg, this fascinating three-part, four-hour presentation is detailed enough so as to not gloss over the controversy. At the same time, it is broken up into ten “Sunday-school-sized” sections to make the rich content manageable and accessible for the average viewer.
Running Time: 257 minutes
$19.95 — ORDER NOW!
Click here for more information
The Beast of Revelation: Identified (DVD)
Who is the dreaded beast of Revelation?
Now at last, a plausible candidate for this personification of evil incarnate has been identified (or re-identified). Ken Gentry’s insightful analysis of scripture and history is likely to revolutionize your understanding of the book of Revelation — and even more importantly — amplify and energize your entire Christian worldview!
Historical footage and other graphics are used to illustrate the lecture Dr. Gentry presented at the 1999 Ligonier Conference in Orlando, Florida. It is followed by a one-hour question and answer session addressing the key concerns and objections typically raised in response to his position. This presentation also features an introduction that touches on not only the confusion and controversy surrounding this issue — but just why it may well be one of the most significant issues facing the Church today.
Ideal for group meetings, personal Bible study — for anyone who wants to understand the historical context of John’s famous letter “… to the seven churches which are in Asia.” (Revelation 1:4)
Running Time: 145 minutes
$17.95 — ORDER NOW!
Click here for more information
Martin Luther (DVD) 1953 Classic
Niall MacGinnis – Digitally Remastered
The dramatic classic film of Martin Luther’s life was released in theaters worldwide in the 1950s and was nominated for two Oscars. A magnificent depiction of Luther and the forces at work in the surrounding society that resulted in his historic reforming efforts, this film traces Luther’s life from a guilt-burdened monk to his eventual break with the Roman Catholic Church.
In spite of its age, this film continues to be a popular resource to introduce Luther’s life. This historical epic captures the life and times of the greatest figure of the Protestant Reformation with depth and clarity, while giving a glimpse at the private man in the eye of the storm. Luther’s protest against the established order of the Church gave birth to one of the largest religious and cultural movements history and serves as a prime example of how one man’s spiritual convictions can change the course of human events.
Running Time: 105 minutes
$9.95 — ORDER NOW!
