In a post-Christian era – Remember

Many societies, especially in the West, are getting used to the idea that Christianity is a thing of the past. The thought is, ‘now we can breathe a great sigh of relief when all that old puritanical and ecclesiastical stuff and all that decrepit morality is undone.’ Now we can continue to live our lives as we want.’ Sounds great, the way to make real progress, but have you considered where this is taking you?

• HISTORY
What many people tend to overlook is the close parallels with our current situation and those of the past. For example, we only have to look back at the history of how various men and movements from Nero in ancient Rome, to the time of the French Revolution in the late 18th century, to Adolf Hitler in Germany in the 1940s, and you will see that When people reject biblical moral absolutes and indulge in self-flattering and horrible destructive control of their societies, peace, truth, morality, and compassion take wings. And if you think those examples are too extreme, take a look at European and American society today and the rise in violence, suicide, alcoholism, hopelessness, family breakdown, and much more.

Even go back to the well-documented history of ancient Israel. There we find that after periods of peace and joyous worship of the Lord their God who had rescued them from dark oppression, the people begin to fall into lax ways, and as they do so a serious moral decay begins, with a whole series of dire consequences. . You may say, ‘well, so what if people had had enough of strict religion, just because of them who took the path of individual freedom.’

• HARVEST
That answer ignores how there are always consequences in lifestyles, and that the road to supposed individual freedom is a dark slope towards the loss of hope. Am I just being negative, spoiling the vibrant optimism of youth? No problem; Consider carefully how the Bible makes it clear that the principle of reaping and sowing applies to moral and personal issues as well as agricultural ones. And if you doubt the truth of this, reflect on what is happening in the Western world today. Reject the high values ​​and teachings of Christianity and the good news of Christ’s death bringing judgment so we can be reconciled to God and see how that void is rapidly being filled with lewd entertainment, coincidental lifestyles, secular humanism and godless socialism. .

There you can see the evidence clearly enough in the rapid rise in broken homes, domestic violence, mental health problems, drug and alcohol abuse, street violence, knife assaults, the wide availability of abortion-on-demand, child sexual exploitation, and people vulnerable living in fear, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

I contend that all of these lifestyles and behaviors are the bitter harvest we reap when significant numbers of people in our societies turn away from the true and living God and from the truths and values ​​that once flowed from clear Christian influence in the larger culture. wide of the West Yes, all have sinned. We have all missed the mark of God’s requirement, and we are all equally doomed, in dire need of God’s personal forgiveness.

• HUMAN
But if you turn away from the biblical truth of our special created origins and instead believe that life began hundreds of millions of years ago, when our earliest evolutionary ancestors emerged from the primeval muck, you will reap futility and meaninglessness. And if you think you’re just a partially developed molecular monster with an oversized brain, chances are you treat yourself and others as if that’s all you are. Once the biblical, God-given, revealed truth about special creation and the wonder of our high human value and dignity is denied, you should not be surprised if others treat you like garbage with no value or real meaning.

This is inescapable: our world view controls what we think and what we think controls the way we live. And if you prefer a post-Christian ethos, you will soon realize that you have lost the ancient and genuine freedom, and the values ​​and respect for the unborn, the weak, and the elderly that the Christian consensus gave. And instead you will find that the State will legislate more and more to control your behavior.

• TO THE
Now, in many of our Western countries, the state determines what is acceptable behavior in much more intrusive ways than in the past, and will find that instead of being a valued member of society, it is simply part of the crowd. , a nullity, like an ant in an anthill, which exists only for the greater economic good of the whole.

In this ethos, you will have lost a lofty view of our humanity and true moral conscience in which we are all directly accountable to God.

So, with this call to remembrance, let us go back and admit our great need to be reconciled to God through personal faith in Christ, who once died in the place of moral rebels like us and who was resurrected to be the Savior and Lord of all who turn to him Only with large numbers of people turning to Christ will we see the marks of a truly transformed, enlightened and compassionate society return.