It is obvious that the Church and State are heading in different directions, and doing so at a rapid pace. But is that something we should be terribly alarmed about?
Nowadays, as the U.S. grows increasingly secularized, it appears that church and state are heading in different directions. The more I understand Jesus’ message of the kingdom of God, the less alarm I feel over that trend. Our real challenge, the focus of our energy, should not be to Christianize the United States (always a losing battle) but rather to strive to be God’s kingdom in an increasingly hostile world.
–Philip Yancey
I think Yancey is right. It is not our role to force our Nation to become Christian. It cannot be done. It is a losing battle. Just as one cannot legislate morality, neither can you legislate faith. Neither morals nor faith can be forced upon people. An immoral person may behave due to the punishment that would come if he broke the law, but just because his behavior “looks” moral doesn’t change the fact that his heart desires to commit immoral acts. Therefore, he is still an immoral person who, for a time, seems moral. And it is the same with faith.
Therefore, instead of being alarmed at the “direction” our nation is heading, we should realize that the Bible indicates clearly that the road to destruction is wide and broad and most people will be traveling down that way. Only a few find the narrow path of salvation and life with Christ. This doesn’t mean we should stop working in the harvest. It just means that we shouldn’t be alarmed that we see sinful people doing sinful things. That is the natural course.
The unnatural course that should be a cause for alarm is when those who say they are followers of Christ start looking just like those who do not believe. When believers look just like the world… then we have gone off-course, and it is definitely time to sound the alarm.
Are you striving to imitate Christ in this increasingly hostile world? or do you look very similar to the world… so much so that others would have a hard time knowing you have faith in Jesus Christ. If so, then sound the alarm and change your direction.