the basic message #E243
1/30/04
If only one thing amazes me in life, it's how God can speak to me. No, I never heard God's voice come out of a burning bush or anything like that, but when God speaks, it comes through like a bolt of lightning. While saying my prayers tonight, a message came through that I've never even remotely considered. You might think it has little meaning, but hear me out.
Back in 1741, a preacher named Jonathan Edwards delivered a legendary sermon called, "Sinners in the hands of an angry God". It's very easy to find on the internet, and I'd recommend everyone reading it. As the name implies, God is angry when he's dealing with sinners- well, at least unrepentant sinners. But, you might protest, church-going people are exempted from God's wrath, right? Let's hear what Edwards said in that sermon regarding who needed to hear the message:
"The use of this awful subject may be for awakening unconverted persons in this congregation."
Gee, even way back when there were people inhabiting the church every week that were bound for Hell. It seems the more that things change, the more they stay the same.
So what's the message that God gave me tonight? It's all about the ongoing downward spiral of the American Christian. The concept of Justification has been reduced to the concept of justification. In other words, we were originally Justified in Jesus Christ. In the old days, they used to say "Justified- Just's-if-I'd never sinned". These days, justification is to justify all of our sinful actions by saying, "everyone does it", or "that's what Jesus died for". I'll be 50 years-old this year, and I've lived long enough to see how America has slid morally to a point of no-return. Turn on standard cable TV and hear people curse or see naked women with "blur" spots strategically located. Not much is left to the imagination. It's funny- I read a poll on AOL this week that showed that out of those responding, the vast majority didn't want to hear profanity on radio or TV, and under no circumstances did they want nudity on TV. If that is really the case, why is it happening?
If I could transport myself back to 1950, I would be shocked at how mild America was at that time. If I fast-forwarded myself to 1960, I'm sure I'd see a major difference in the way Americans viewed sexual discussion and adult topics. If I moved ahead to the 1970's, I'd certainly be shocked to see how sexually liberated America had become in just a few years. Another thing I'd notice as the decades passed would be that America's feelings about divorce and remarriage become more and more accepted as time goes on. Although the 80's and 90's would see a slow-down on the sexually-liberated mood of the 1970's, divorce, remarriage and the "blended" family would be fully embraced by most of America. So here we are in 2004, and we're even further down in the cesspool of sinful living. But here's the real danger- very few American Christians even understand how far we've sunk.
When Jonathan Edwards preached "Sinners in the hands of an angry God" over 150 years ago, you can rest assured that divorce was nearly unheard of. Working women that neglect their family's needs would have been run out of town. Philandering husbands would have been horse-whipped publicly. Unruly children would have had their butts worn out. Lazy people that sponge off of the government would have starved to death....after they were tarred and feathered. Prosperity preachers like Ken Copeland would have probably been burned at the stake for suggesting that "God owes you something". Can we agree that with each passing decade, and each passing century, the sinfulness of America greatly increases? If you don't agree with this premise, you might as well quit reading this right now.
It's funny how our dedication to what God wants diminishes with each passing decade, yet we still fully expect God to make good on his promises of Salvation to each one of us. It's a one-sided arrangement- we want God to maintain his full promise to us, yet we believe we can cheat him on what we're supposed to do for him. Should unrepentant rapists and murderers be assured of Heaven? Of course not, but if America continues to slide downward, we will arrive at a time somewhere in the future in which people like that will operate freely in our midst, yet will still claim salvation. So you think that's a ridiculous, impossible scenario? If Jonathan Edwards could be transported from his 1741 America to 2004 America, how do you think he would view our America? He could go to the beach and see women walking boldly in outfits tiny in comparison to the underwear of the women of his day. He could even choose from tens of thousands of bars in America in which women dance topless, and often bottomless as well. He could walk by abortion clinics and have people explain how a pregnant woman can enter the clinic in the morning and walk out un-pregnant later in the day. Even more importantly, she can enter the clinic in broad open daylight and walk boldly through the front door under the protection of the United States law. Edwards could see how "pillars of the community" enter bars and get falling-down-drunk, and then get into a 5000 pound sport utility and endanger the lives of innocent people. Even if they kill someone while driving drunk, Edwards could sit in an American court of law and see how a slick attorney could get them off the hook if they have plenty of money to spend. Pastor Edwards could stand outside of the average American home and see how the streets of America look like the Indy 500 with kids, mothers and fathers zooming to their various locales. He might be surprised to find out that most families never eat meals together anymore, and in many households, the mother doesn't even cook.
If Edwards tuned into a Christian radio program in 2004, he might be confused, after viewing life in America, how the "Moral Majority" has decided that homosexuals are the cause of the ruination of our country. I think Edwards would mostly be shocked that God has allowed our society to continue its death-spiral into the gutter of sin rather than destroying this earth. Most of you will dismiss me as some sort of nut, and that's okay. Your life is probably characterized by much of what I've stated is wrong with Christianity and America today, so it figures. There's only one thing I ask of you: go find where your lifestyle is approved of in the Bible. Good luck.