Thursday, April 06, 2006

As the Church, so the Nation


I am so convinced that the only hope of any nation is the health and vitality of the true Church of Jesus Christ. A nation's economic health, level of corruption, choice of national leaders, advances in science, technology, and education -- all these depend on the Church. I realize that this may be a tall order for the Church. But after all, righteousness exalts a nation, and sin is a reproach to any people. This is not so much about whether Christians should run for public office, or whether a believer should preach in every street corner. I believe Christians should learn to live out the gospel in every aspect of life and living. This will require a radical paradigm shift. We are commanded not to conform to the patterns and behaviors of this world, rather to be transformed by changing the way we think. Our cognitive processes must be so diametrically altered for our lifestyle to make any kind of impact on soceity. I am primarliy, but not exclusively, talking about a working knowledge of the Word of God. No, this is not about how many passages of Scripture you can commit to memory. This is about knowing enough of Holy Writ so that everything you think, say, or do reflects the very nature of Christ and the Kingdom we represent,

It's about time for Christians to let their light shine for all men to see. This will, inevitably, attract persecution. But since when did we back off from such? This is par for the course.

I am still rather perplexed that Christians are so quick to back off from pain and difficulty. Except for some places around the globe, it really isn't life threatening to profess one's Christianity. In many places, such as the Philippines, we do not have to fear capital punishment for having and professing faith in Jesus Christ. We are not prohibited from carrying and reading our bibles in public. And, unlike in the US, we are free to pray in public.

If we truly love our nation, it is imperative that we live lives that will make a difference, lives marked by righteousness, peace, and joy. For of such is the Kingdom of God.