The Second President of
the United States, John Adams, said, “Our
Constitution was made only for a moral and religious
people. It is wholly inadequate for a government of
any other.” In other words, unless our country
remains Christian the Constitution will not function
properly. Is John Adams right? Can our society
survive without the Christian faith?
There are many who would say that the church does
not have the influence it once had. I agree. But
they go on to say that the church is no longer
relevant, that it is not necessary to creating a
good world, that there are no absolutes, no
objective truth. Are they right?
Dennis Prager, the Jewish social critic and scholar,
says his favorite response to that question is a
story — “Say you are walking down an alley at 11:00
p.m. in New York or Los Angeles. Suddenly, you see
ten young men wearing leather jackets swaggering
down the alley toward you. Would you feel more
comfortable if you knew that those young men had
just come out of a Bible study? Every time Prager
has asked that question the answer has been “yes.”
In spite of what people may say, on the most
practical level, people acknowledge the church’s
positive influence.
Our society cannot exist without Christianity. So if
society cannot function, if indeed our very
Constitution will not work without the restraints of
religion, then why do so many reject the church,
Christianity, and Christ? Jesus answered that
question in John 3:19-21:
“This is the crisis we’re in: God’s light streamed
into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for
the darkness. They went for the darkness because
they were not really interested in pleasing God.
Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil,
addicted to denial and illusion, hates God’s light
and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure.
But anyone working and living in truth and reality
welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the
God’s work it is.”
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When Jesus appeared to Paul, Jesus called him by saying, “I’m
sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see
the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the
difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I’m sending you
off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family,
inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by
believing in me.” (Acts 26:17-18 The Message)
"Church?!? Why bother?” Because lives are changed. Because hope is
restored. Because eternity is offered. American needs the church
more than she will ever know.
[Ron Otto, Lincoln Christian Church] |
