The whole scope of Scripture has been given to us by God for our instruction, for our reproof, and for our edification;

For My Good?

by R.C. Sproul

In 1993, my wife and I were involved in an historic train wreck. The crash of the Sunset Limited into an inlet from Mobile Bay killed more passengers than any Amtrak accident in history. We survived that eerie accident but not without ongoing trauma. The wreck left my wife with an ongoing anxiety about being able to sleep on a train at night. The wreck left me with a back injury that took fifteen years of treatment and therapy to overcome. Nevertheless, with these scars from the trauma we both learned a profound lesson about the providence of God. Clearly, God’s providence in this case for us was one of benign benevolence. It also illustrated to us an unforgettable sense of the tender mercies of God. In as much as we are convinced that God’s providence is an expression of His absolute sovereignty over all things, I would think that a logical conclusion from such a conviction would be the end of all anxiety.

However, that is not always the case. Of course, our Lord Himself gave the instruction to be anxious for nothing to His disciples and, by extension, to the church. His awareness of human frailties expressed in our fears was manifested by His most common greeting to His friends: “Fear not.” Still, we are creatures who, in spite of our faith, are given to anxiety and at times even to melancholy.

As a young student and young Christian, I struggled with melancholy and sought the counsel of one of my mentors. As I related my struggles, he said, “You are experiencing the heavy hand of the Lord on your shoulder right now.” I had never considered God’s hand being one that gave downward pressure on my shoulder or that would cause me to struggle in this way. I was driven to prayer that the Lord would remove His heavy hand from my shoulder. In time, He did that and delivered me from melancholy and a large degree of anxiety.

On another occasion I was in a discussion with a friend, and I related to him some of the fears that were plaguing me. He said, “I thought you believed in the sovereignty of God.” “I do,” I said, “and that’s my problem.” He was puzzled by the answer, and I explained that I know enough about what the Bible teaches of God’s providence and of His sovereignty to know that sometimes God’s sovereign providence involves suffering and affliction for His people. That we are in the care of a sovereign God whose providence is benevolent does not exclude the possibility that He may send us into periods of trials and tribulations that can be excruciatingly painful. Though I trust God’s Word that in the midst of such experiences He will give to me the comfort of His presence and the certainty of my final deliverance into glory, in the meantime I know that the way of affliction and pain may be difficult to bear.

The comfort that I enjoy from knowing God’s providence is mixed at times with the knowledge that His providence may bring me pain. I don’t look forward to the experience of pain with a giddy anticipation; rather, there are times when it’s necessary for me and for others to grit our teeth and to bear the burdens of the day. Again, I have no question about the outcome of such affliction, and yet at the same time, I know that there are afflictions that will test me to the limits of my faith and endurance. That kind of experience and knowledge makes it easy to understand the tension between confidence in God’s sovereign providence and our own struggles with anxiety.

Romans 8:28, which is a favorite for many of us, states that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (NKJV). There’s no other text that demonstrates so clearly and magnificently the beauty of God’s sovereign providence than that one. The text does not say that everything that happens to us, considered in and of itself, is good; rather, it says that all things that happen are working together for our good. That is the master plan of God’s redemptive providence. He brings good out of evil. He brings glory out of suffering. He brings joy out of affliction. This is one of the most difficult truths of sacred Scripture for us to believe. I’ve said countless times that it is easy to believe in God but far more difficult to believe God. Faith involves living a life of trust in the Word of God.

As I live out the travail that follows life on this side of glory, hardly a day goes by that I am not forced to look at Romans 8:28 and remind myself that what I’m experiencing right now feels bad, tastes bad, is bad; nevertheless, the Lord is using this for my good. If God were not sovereign, I could never come to that comforting conclusion — I would be constantly subjected to fear and anxiety without any significant relief. The promise of God that all things work together for good to those who love God is something that has to get not only into our minds, but it has to get into our bloodstreams, so that it is a rock-solid principle by which life can be lived.

I believe this is the foundation upon which the fruit of the Spirit of joy is established. This is the foundation that makes it possible for the Christian to rejoice even while in the midst of pain and anxiety. We are not stoics who are called to keep a stiff upper lip out of some nebulous concept of fate; rather, we are those who are to rejoice because Christ has overcome the world. It is that truth and that certainty that gives relief to all of our anxieties.

The Heresy of Self-Centeredness

by John MacArthur

Self-centeredness has no place in the church. That ought to go without saying. But from the dawn of the Apostolic era until today, self-love in all its forms has plagued the fellowship of the saints. A classic early example of out-of-control self-centeredness is seen in the case of Diotrephes. He is mentioned in 3 John 9–10, where the Apostle says: “I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority… . He is talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.”

Diotrephes aspired to be the preeminent one in his assembly (perhaps even beyond that). Therefore, he perceived everyone else with any teaching authority — including the beloved Apostle — as a threat to his power. John had written a letter of instructionand encouragement to the church, but because of Diotrephes’ desire for personal glory, he rejected what John had to say. He evidently withheld John’s letter from the church. He seems to have kept its very existence a secret; perhaps he even destroyed it. Thus, John wrote his third inspired epistle in part to tell Gaius about the earlier letter’s existence.

In effect, Diotrephes’ selfishness made him guilty of the most pernicious kind of heresy: he actively suppressed and opposed Apostolic doctrine. John, therefore, condemned Diotrephes on four counts: he rejected Apostolic teaching; he made unjust accusations against an Apostle; he was inhospitable to the brethren; and he excommunicated those who did not agree with his defiance of John’s authority. In every conceivable sense, Diotrephes was guilty of the darkest heresy, and all his errors were the fruit of his self-centeredness.

In our fleshly, fallen state, we are all beset with a tendency toward selfishness. It is no minor infraction, no petty character flaw, and no small threat to the soundness of our faith. Diotrephes illustrates the truth that self-love is the mother of all heresies. Every false teaching and every rebellion against God’s authority is ultimately rooted in a fleshly desire to have preeminence — in effect, to claim for oneself the glory that properly belongs to Christ. Every heretic the church has ever seen has tried to supplant God’s truth and God’s authority with his own overblown ego.

Indeed, self-centeredness itself is heretical because it is the very antithesis of everything Jesus taught or exemplified. And it produces seeds that give rise to every other heresy imaginable.

Therefore, there is no room for selfishness in the church. Everything about the gospel, everything the church is designed to be, and everything we learn from Christ’s example strikes a blow at the root of human pride and self-centeredness.

Koinōnia

As a matter of fact, the biblical descriptions of fellowship in the New Testament church employ the Greek word koinōnia. The gracious spirit that word describes is the polar opposite of egocentricity. Variously translated as “fellowship,” “sharing,” “communion,” “partnership,” and “contribution,” the word is derived from koinos, the Greek word for “common.” It connotes the ideas of sharing, community, joint participation, sacrifice for the sake of others, and the giving of self for the common good.

Koinōnia is one of the four core activities that drew the early church together: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship [koinōnia], to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). The heart of “fellowship” in the New Testament church was service and sacrifice for one another, not festivity or social functions per se. The word itself made that clear in Greek-speaking cultures. It is used in Romans 15:26 to speak of “some contribution for the poor” (see also 2 Cor. 9:3). In 2 Corinthians 8:4, Paul commends the churches of Macedonia for their “taking part [koinōnia] in the relief of the saints.” Hebrews 13:16 says, “Do not neglect to do good and to share [koinōnia].” Clearly, self-centeredness is hostile to the biblical notion of Christian fellowship.

The One Anothers

That fact is further stressed by the many “one anothers” in the New Testament. We are commanded to “love one another” (John 13:34–35; 15:12, 17); “not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother” (Rom. 14:13); “pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding” (v. 19); and “live in such harmony with one another … [and] welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God” (15:5, 7). We are told to “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2); to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another” (Eph. 4:32); and to be “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” (5:21). In sum, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3). There are many similar New Testament commands governing our relationships to one another within the church. All of them call for selflessness, sacrifice, and service to others. Combined, they definitively rule out every expression of self-centeredness in the fellowship of believers.

Christ as the Head of His Body, the Church

That’s not all, though. The Apostle Paul commonly compared the church to a body with many parts but just one head: Christ. Immediately after emphatically affirming the deity, eternality, and absolute preeminence of Christ, Paul wrote, “He is the head of the body, the church” (Col. 1:18). God “put all things under his [Christ’s] feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body” (Eph. 1:22–23). Individual Christians are like body parts, existing not for their own sakes, but for the good of the whole body: “The whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Eph. 4:16).

Moreover, each part is dependent on all the others, and all are subject to the Head. The Head alone is preeminent, and beyond that, “if one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Cor. 12:26).

Even the seemingly insignificant parts of the body are important (vv. 12–20): “God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be?” (vv. 18–19).

Any hint of selfishness is a betrayal of not only the rest of the body but also the Head. That imagery elevates humble selflessness to high virtue in the church — and it completely rules out self-centeredness of every kind.

Slaves of Christ

The slave language of the New Testament likewise underscores this truth. Christians are not only members of a body, subject to one another and called to the fellowship of sacrifice. We are also slaves of Christ, purchased by His blood, owned by Him, and therefore accountable to His lordship.

I wrote a whole book on this subject. There is a tendency, I fear, to try to tone down the terminology Scripture uses because — let’s face it — the imagery of slavery is offensive. It was no less disturbing in New Testament times. No one wanted to be a slave, and the institution of Roman slavery was notoriously abusive.

Nevertheless, throughout the New Testament, every believer’s relationship with Christ is portrayed as a master-slave arrangement. That entails absolute submission to His lordship, of course. It also rules out every hint of pride, egoism, independence, or self-centeredness. This is simply one more reason no brand of selfishness has any legitimate place in the life of the church.

Jesus Himself taught this principle clearly. His invitation to prospective disciples was a call to total self-denial: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

The twelve were not swift to learn that lesson, and their interaction with one another was peppered with disputes about who was the greatest, who would have the chief seats in the kingdom, and similar expressions of selfcentered bickering. So on the night of His betrayal, Jesus took a towel and basin, and He washed the disciples’ feet. His admonition to them on that occasion is a powerful argument against every whisper of egocentrism in the heart of any disciple: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:14–15).

It was an argument from the greater to the lesser. If the eternal Lord of glory was willing to take up a towel and wash His disciples’ filthy feet, then there is no way those who claim to be His disciples should seek preeminence for themselves. Christ is our model, not Diotrephes.

I cannot close without pointing out that this principle has a particular application for those in positions of church leadership. It is an especially vital reminder in this era of superstar religious leaders and young pastors who act like rock stars. If God has called you to be an elder or teacher in the church, it is not for your own celebrity and self-aggrandizement. It is for His glory. Our commission is to “proclaim not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your [slaves] for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5).

Adonai

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens”(Ps. 8:1).

- Psalm 8

Jews to this day will say “Adonai” whenever they see the tetragrammaton (YHWH) in the original Hebrew text of the Old Testament. But Adonai does not reflect the proper pronunciation of the tetragrammaton, it is in itself another one of the names for God in Scripture. In fact, it is one of the most frequently used names for the Creator in the entire Bible.

Adonai is typically translated into English as “Lord.” If we look at today’s passage, we see the English term repeated, but Adonai is not behind both uses of the term. Most translations of the Old Testament render yhwh with “Lord” (note the small capital letters) and Adonai as “Lord.” The passage really reads, “O Yahweh, our Adonai….”

If Yahweh reflects God’s faithfulness and self-existence, Adonai refers mainly to His sovereignty. Biblically speaking, sovereignty is related to the concepts of omnipotence and authority. When we say God is omnipotent we mean that He has all power to do whatever He purposes. The Lord allows His enemies to war against Him for now, but He is ultimately unstoppable and His might backs up His sovereignty. God can do whatever He pleases, and so He rules over all.

The biblical authors were well acquainted with the concept of authority, because they were familiar with monarchical rule. Most of the prophets and apostles lived in societies where the king was absolute and his word was law. Disobedience would mean imprisonment or worse. Kings most often exercised their authority through their royal decrees (2 Chron. 30; Est. 8; Dan. 3:29). These concepts are all inherent to the Lord’s sovereignty as well. 

It is vitally important that we remember our Father’s sovereign authority today. He alone has the absolute right to define good and evil, and His decree (as found in Scripture) is the supreme law. We must not negotiate this point, for we live in a culture that wants to throw off all authority and define for itself what is right and wrong. 

Finally, the title Lord for Jesus comes from the Greek Kurios, a translation of Adonai. Its frequent usage (Acts 7:59; Rom. 5:1; Heb. 13:20) is one of many indications of Jesus’ power and authority.

Coram Deo

Our greatest temptation as Christians is to live as if Jesus is not the Lord of our lives. When the culture sets the agenda for our worship and ethics, it has become our lord. If we do not confess Christ in the face of hostility at home or in the workplace, we have walked away from the authority of God. It is therefore incumbent upon us to do all we can to recognize Jesus’ authority over everything. Take time to consider the fact that Christ is Lord over all.

Above Reproach

Ethical integrity is one of the indispensable attributes of Christlike character. As vital as it is to be sound in doctrine and faithful in teaching the truth of Scripture, it is by no means less crucial for Christians to be upright in heart and consistent in our obedience to the moral and ethical principles of God’s law.

That is no simple duty, by the way. The moral standard God’s people are supposed to live by far surpasses even the highest principles of normal human ethics.

This was one of the main points of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount: “I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20). The whole sermon was an exposition of the Law’s moral meaning. The heart of Jesus’ message was an extended discourse against the notion that the Law’s moral principles apply only to behavior that others can see.

Jesus taught, for example, that the sixth commandment forbids not only acts of killing, but a murderous heart as well (vv. 21–22). The seventh commandment, which forbids adultery, also implicitly condemns even adulterous desires (vv. 27–28). And the command to love our neighbors applies even to those who are our enemies (vv. 43–44).

How high is the moral and ethical standard set by God’s law? Unimaginably high. Jesus equates it with God’s own perfection: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (v. 48).

That sets an unattainable standard, of course. But it is our duty to pursue integrity relentlessly nonetheless. Perfect ethical consistency is a vital aspect of that consummate goal — absolute Christlikeness — toward which every Christian should continually be striving (Phil. 3:12–14). No believer, therefore, should ever knowingly sacrifice his or her ethical integrity.

Here are three powerful reasons why:

First, for the sake of our reputation. Of course, Christians should not be concerned with issues like status, class, caste, or economic prestige. In that sense, we need to be like Christ, who made Himself of no reputation and took on the form of a servant (Phil. 2:7).

There is a true sense, however, in which we do need to be concerned about maintaining a good reputation — and that is especially true in the matter of ethical integrity. One of the basic requirements for an elder is this: “He must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (1 Tim. 3:7 nasb).

Nothing will ruin a good reputation faster or more permanently than a deliberate breach of ethical integrity. People will forgive practically any other kind of error, negligence, or failure — but ethical bankruptcy carries a stigma that is almost impossible to rise above.

Several years ago, a parishioner told me something no pastor ever wants to hear. He had invited a business acquaintance to our church. The man replied, “You go to that church? I wouldn't go to that church. The most corrupt lawyer in town goes to that church.”

I didn't — and still don’t — have any idea whom he was talking about. There are dozens of attorneys in our church. My hope is that it was a case of mistaken identity and that the person he had in mind was not a member of our church. But the following Sunday I recounted the incident from the pulpit and said, “If the lawyer that man described is here this morning, please take a lesson from Zaccheus: repent and do whatever you can to restore your reputation in the community. In the meantime, stop representing yourself as a Christian. You’re destroying the whole church’s reputation.”

According to Proverbs 22:1, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” You don’t have a good name at all unless your ethical integrity is intact and above reproach.

Second, for the sake of our character. More important still is the issue of personal character. There’s a good reason why Jesus’ exposition of the moral law in Matthew 5 focused so much on uprightness of heart as opposed to external behavior. That’s because the real barometer of who we are is reflected in what we do when no one else is looking, how we think in the privacy of our own thoughts, and how we respond to the promptings of our own consciences. Those things are the true measure of your moral and ethical fiber.

As important as it is to keep a good reputation in the community, it is a thousand times more important to safeguard our own personal character. That is why Jesus dealt with the issues of morality and ethics beginning with the innermost thoughts of our hearts. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander” (Matt. 15:19).

It’s probably not overstating the case at all to say that the single most important battlefield in the struggle for integrity is your own mind. That’s where everything will actually be won or lost. And if you lose there, you have already ruined your character. A corrupt character inevitably spoils the reputation, too, because a bad tree can’t bring forth good fruit (Matt. 7:18).

That brings to mind a third reason why it is so vital to guard our moral and ethical integrity: for the sake of our testimony. Your reputation reflects what people say about you. Your testimony is what your character, your behavior, and your words say about God.

Consider what is being communicated when a Christian lacks ethical integrity. That person is saying he doesn't truly believe what Scripture plainly says is true of God: That “to do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice” (Prov. 21:3). That “the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him” (15:8). And that God “delight[s] in truth in the inward being”
(Ps. 51:6).

In other words, the person who neglects ethical integrity is telling a lie about God with his life and his attitude. If he calls himself a Christian and professes to be a child of God, he is in fact taking God’s name in vain at the most fundamental level. That puts the issue of ethical integrity in perspective, doesn't it?

That’s what we need to call to mind whenever we are tempted to adapt our ethical principles for convenience’ sake. It isn't worth the high cost to our reputation, our character, or our testimony.

Bearing One Another’s Burdens

The troubles of this world are manifold and relentless. It’s not easy to stay so focused on heaven that we remain unperturbed by the afflictions of earthly life. We’re commanded, of course, to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things (Col. 3:2), but even the most committed believer will testify that earthly trials sometimes obscure the heavenly perspective.

We worry. We grieve. We stumble. We strain under the toil of our daily labors. We feel the guilt of our fallen condition. Meanwhile, we are assaulted with adversities of various kinds. Those are just a few of the many worldly burdens that frequently keep our thoughts from rising to heaven.

And yet we are commanded repeatedly to “seek the things that are above” (Col. 3:1). We are instructed to “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen” (2 Cor. 4:18). We must not allow the burdens of this life to divert our hearts from heaven.

How is that possible? When the load weighs us down and the troubles become too much for one person to bear, pie-in-the-sky sentiments can sound very hollow.

But that is precisely why the church is so important. It is our duty as believers to help bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2). When someone staggers, we help steady the load. If he is straining, we help bear the burden. And if he stumbles, we lift him up. Helping fellow believers carry the weight of their worldly troubles is one of the chief practical duties that ought to consume every Christian.

Of course, that concept is contrary to the drift of our culture, with secular society’s tendency to foster self-absorption. Our generation has developed an unhealthy obsession with entertainment; we are daily assaulted with a plethora of trivial diversions; and we tend to interact with one another in sound-bites or through faceless media. We live in crowded cities and over-populated neighborhoods; yet most individuals are more isolated than ever.

And let’s be honest — Reformed and evangelical churches nowadays often imitate the culture precisely where we most need to confront and counteract its influence. As churches seek to become bigger, flashier, and more technologically savvy, they usually tend to become more cold and impersonal. Contemporary churches sometimes even seem to encourage the “me first” agenda of self-love rather than the “one another” commands of Scripture. As a result, we don’t bear one another’s burdens as we should.

Yet Paul made this duty a high priority. It was the centerpiece of his admonitions to the Galatian churches. The first half (or more) of Galatians is a defense of justification by faith and a series of arguments against the false teaching that threatened to place those churches in bondage to the Law. In Galatians 5:14 he reminded them: “The whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

How is that love best manifest? “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (6:2).

The first and preeminent example of burden-bearing Paul mentions involves dealing with the burden of another Christian’s sin. “If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness” (v. 1). That, of course, isn’t a different approach from the steps of church discipline Jesus outlined in Matthew 18:15–17. It merely explains how that process is to be carried out (gently and meekly), and it underscores the true goal (restoration, not punishment or public rebuke per se).

In other words, the person restoring the sinning brother isn’t to approach him as if he were a master over him but meekly — as one who is willing to help shoulder the burden so that the one who has stumbled can get to his feet again.

Verse 2 then simply states the underlying principle as an imperative (“Bear one another’s burdens”). Obviously, the precept applies to all kinds of burdens — not merely the burdens of those who stumble into sin. When Paul suggests that burden-bearing “fulfill[s] the law of Christ,” he makes it clear that he has the whole moral law in view. Every act of compassion and self-sacrifice on behalf of our brethren is a practical means of displaying the love of Christ and thereby fulfilling the moral demands of His law.

But the apostle clearly has in mind spiritual, emotional, and temperamental encumbrances — not physical freight only. The burdens we need to help carry for one another include guilt, worry, sorrow, anxiety, and all other similar loads.

Do you want to fulfill the moral requirements of the Law? Love your neighbor. How do you love him? By bearing his burdens.

It’s interesting that Paul would emphasize this theme in an epistle written to confront people who were falling into legalism. It’s as if he were saying, “You want to observe a law? Let it be the law of Christ. If you have to impose burdens on yourselves, let it be through acts of love toward your neighbor.”

If you will do that faithfully, your own burden won’t seem so heavy. Best of all, you will find it easier to keep your focus heavenward, regardless of the trials you suffer in this life.

Can God Bless America?

 In this era of terrorism, poverty, oppression and a few less-distinct enemies, waves of patriotism occasionally revive the slogan “God Bless America.” Sadly, though, the sentiment long ago became a cliché to which people rarely give serious thought. The phrase is even seen, ironically, on bumper stickers adjacent to other bumper stickers expressing humanistic and atheistic sentiments. One assumes that even those who don’t believe in God want His blessing on our nation.

Anti-God philosophies and worldviews now clearly dominate most of Western society. God has been removed from public discourse; prayer has been virtually banned from the public arena; agnosticism and humanism dominate public policy. So it is remarkable that the slogan “God Bless America” is still in vogue. We have to wonder what most people have in mind when they repeat it.

Originally, “God bless America” was a prayer for divine blessing. In its current form, it sometimes seems nothing more than a patriotic battle cry — usually intoned without much serious reflection. Perhaps it is sometimes recited with the superstitious belief that merely invoking God’s name can garner His blessing. One thing is clear: while Americans universally want God’s favor, as a whole, they do not want God.

Some apparently believe that America enjoys God’s blessing by divine right. After all, God has blessed America throughout history to a remarkable degree. But His blessings are not measured — as most people believe — by material affluence, power, and world dominance. The greatest blessings God has graciously given America have been spiritual blessings — freedom for the gospel to be propagated, sweeping revivals like those of the Great Awakenings, and growth and spiritual prosperity for the church in our nation. The sad truth is that all those blessings were in serious jeopardy long before the terrorist strikes reminded us that our freedom and material prosperity hang by a fragile thread.

Does our nation really desire God’s blessing? Do Americans truly long for the spiritual awakening that would be the necessary condition for true blessing, or would the policy-makers and media moguls in our society be as hostile to such a revival as they are to the threat of terrorism?

And what are the means by which the people of God should seek to have God’s blessing on our nation? Can we help position modern society to receive God’s blessing merely by influencing public policy through politics and protest, or is something more needed to fulfill the conditions under which God will bless our nation? Can external moral reform alone make America fit for God’s blessing, or is something even deeper needed in the lives of most Americans?

To ask such questions is to answer them. Scripture is clear that a wholesale spiritual renewal, brought about through the preaching of the gospel, is the true pathway to divine blessing. What is needed is not merely moral reform but spiritual regeneration. And unless this occurs on a widespread scale that deeply impacts all of society, we will continue to forfeit the true blessings of God for our nation. Merely reciting the slogan “God bless America” will do nothing for us until it becomes a heartfelt prayer for spiritual renewal and regeneration.

The remedy to our nation’s moral and spiritual woes must begin at the house of God. The process starts with personal repentance. If Christians truly want to see God’s blessing on our society, we ought to be models of genuine contrition and humility rather than merely pointing fingers of blame at the evils of secular society.

The church today is in a serious state of spiritual decline. Many churches are apparently more willing to imitate the world’s fashions and opinions than to confront them with biblical truth. Meanwhile, Christians concerned about the moral evils of society often opt for all the wrong remedies — as if the only thing needed to cure the spiritual malaise of our nation were some kind of federal legislation against abortion, sexual promiscuity, pornography, or other forms of corruption.

I am by no means opposed to legislative efforts to outlaw abortion, drug abuse, and similar abominations. But political remedies to our nation’s moral ills are no cure for the underlying spiritual problems. Of all people, Christians ought to know that, and the preponderance of our efforts ought to be focused on proclaiming the truth that can genuinely set people free. In other words, the majority of our energies ought to be invested in preaching the gospel and living the kind of life that gives testimony to the redeeming power of Christ.

Lives, not just laws, need to be transformed before America will be in a position to ask for and expect God’s blessing. The blessings of God cannot be acquired by any legislative process. Law cannot make people righteous. Scripture is clear on this. No one is justified by works of law, but by faith in Jesus Christ (Gal. 2:16). And saving faith is an individual matter; it cannot be imposed by legislative force.

In other words, society as a whole cannot be delivered from moral bankruptcy unless individual lives are transformed by the power of Christ. If that conviction does not frame the priorities of the people of God and drive the activities of the church on earth, we can forget about God’s blessing on our nation.