In the third installment of “Silence is Agreement,” we took a difficult look at a period in history when the Church consciously decided to detach from cultural issues and allowed government to operate outside of any moral or religious constraint. Part 3 was a difficult assessment because the story exposed a massive failure of God’s Church resulting in the death of millions of people across the globe during World War II. During the 1930s and 1940s, the German Church, specifically, turned its back on human suffering and destruction by failing to uphold the biblical principles of justice and loving others. It forsook God’s immutable moral law and allowed unchecked injustice and corruption rule the country.
In this post, the fourth and final piece of this series, we will explore what the Church, those who are true believers in Jesus Christ, must do now to turn things around in our America. I am about to say some things that could be viewed as offensive, so I ask you to please accept them as coming from Christian love.
Wake Up!
It is high time for believers to wake up! It is unloving and unhealthy spiritually to pretend the upheaval in our nation will simply pass over. It will not. We are in a fierce spiritual battle. There is no room for pacifists in this battle. Instead of subsiding, it is a battle that grows more intense every day. Hiding from it is naïve and standing down will deliver a miserable outcome for people across this nation. The Church must wake up, face the truth, and act. If you do not believe me, then study your Bible. God’s Word is replete with writings speaking to the fact that we face an enemy, Satan, intent on destroying the lives of people. The Savior never taught that we should close our eyes and ignore the raging battle around us. Ezekiel 33:1 – 6 communicates a message directly applicable to America’s sobering situation today. Ezekiel wrote:
The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and tell them, ‘Suppose I bring the sword against a land, and the people of that land select a man from among them, appointing him as their watchman. 3 And suppose he sees the sword coming against the land and blows his ram’s horn to warn the people. 4 Then, if anyone hears the sound of the ram’s horn but ignores the warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his death will be his own fault.] 5 Since he heard the sound of the ram’s horn but ignored the warning, his death is his own fault. If he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 6 However, suppose the watchman sees the sword coming but does not blow the ram’s horn, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes away their lives. Then they have been taken away because of their iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’ (CSB)
The sword is coming and already here. God places “watchmen” in the pulpits of America and some of them preach the full counsel of God’s Word and fulfill their responsibilities to God and the people. Tragically, some do not. Verses 4 through 6 outline two profoundly grave consequences for failing to warn and failing to heed warnings received. Ezekiel declares that if we do not heed the warnings sent to us, our blood is on our own heads. There is no one else to blame. What is more, if God’s “watchmen” fail to preach the warnings, the blood of those he failed are on his hands. Those are serious words, and we cannot afford to take them lightly. I do believe the Church will be “caught up” before the terrors of the Tribulation begin, but Scripture does not proclaim any guarantees that believers will be free of persecution prior to the Rapture. Millions of Americans already view Christians as being the problem in our culture rather than the solution. Jesus warns in Matthew 24:9 about the hatred His followers will face as we move closer to His return. The question for us is will we heed the warnings we encounter? If you claim Jesus as your Savior, you also are a watchmen. Jesus followers are responsible for sounding the “warning trumpet” to those around us daily. We have a decision to make and cannot hide from it. That decision is whether we will do our part, or whether we will cower and fail as watchmen? Watchmen never sleep on the job. Wake up before it is too late!
Pray and Repent!
In Matthew 5: 13 – 16 Jesus said:
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (CSB)
Jesus calls believers to be a preservative (as salt with food) and an enlightening influence on the hearts of men (as shining light in the darkness). The world must see our devotion to Christ through the works we enact in His name. Any choice we make resulting in a moral compromise with the world, because of our desire to avoid conflict, denies the power of Christ in our lives. Over the past 60 plus years, the Church repeatedly and willingly compromised with the world and lost its saltiness. It grew dim rather than shedding light on what is evil and displeasing to the Lord. Now, our testimony is blurred and our influence on the culture and our government is ineffective. We allowed the enemy to shred the moral fiber of America. An untold number of hearts and lives were and continue to be shattered. Our silence and unwillingness to stand as watchmen is destroying America from the inside out. Remember, silence is agreement.
The Church (you and me) must recover our saltiness and we must shine brilliantly again for Jesus. This will only at only happen through honest and sincere prayers of repentance. A nation cannot repent. Individual Americans, especially those who claim Christ as Savior, must repent. Repentance is a personal act that can result in a moral change at the national level. If the people repent, the nation benefits. I believe God can restore America to our moral and godly beginnings and that we can save the nation we love if we are willing to humble ourselves before Jesus and seek His mercy and forgiveness. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says:
“And my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” (CSB)
Do you believe this?
Actively Share Jesus’ Love with Others
How do we show Christ’s love to others? First, we share the good news about Jesus. If we genuinely believe what we say we believe, we are compelled to tell others about the consequences of dying in their sin and the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Next, having a natural interest in disciplining new believers is a way to show our love. Loving them means teaching them everything Jesus taught as He commanded in Matthew 28:19-20. New believers require encouragement to grow in their faith, so they too become equipped to make disciples of others. Finally, we show love through acts of service to others. The well-being of others was a primary driver in Jesus’ ministry and is an example for every Christian to follow. So, what does this effort include? Obviously, as in Acts, we should look out for the general welfare of those in need and provide or share life sustaining help when needed. This is not the government’s job. This is the job of believers. In the mid-1960s, the government stepped in and took over when the Church failed to fulfill its responsibilities. But does showing love to others also include ensuring life, liberty, and dignity for others? Simple answer, yes. Love stands in the way of evil. Love does not mean approval of everything someone does, but it does mean loving them despite their actions. Love means telling the truth, biblical truth not the world’s truth, even if it is not what someone wants to hear. Love is sacrificing self for the benefit of others. Love is making a personal decision to seek what is best for others even if it brings ridicule and censorship. Love is fearing God more than fearing men and doing the right thing no matter the consequences.
Vote!
According to My Faith Votes, nearly one-third of Americans who claim to be Christians did not vote in the last election. I have no ability to comprehend the position some Christians take about not voting and not getting involved in politics. In America, we can pick who we want to represent us in government. Billions of people across the globe do not have that freedom to choose. Did you know that Exodus 18:21 confirms that God instructs His people to choose their leaders:
“But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.” (CSB)
Not only does God instruct us to choose our leaders in this verse, He gives us the guidelines for making the correct choice in the voting booth.
The key biblical issue rejected by not voting is being a faithful steward of God’s gift of liberty granted to us. I do not buy the idea that we should separate ourselves from politics because it is dirty. Political dirtiness should not surprise us because we, of all people, should understand the brokenness of sin and realize that wherever we find money and power, we find corruption. It is in man’s sinful nature. How does staying away from the polls help? It does not help- it makes the problem worse. We have the right to vote to uphold righteousness and justice. Doing so is a way to love those who are hurting and needing a leg up in society. No candidate for office is perfect but we must determine which one represents lesser evil and vote accordingly. We should never forget that Jesus did not abstain from politics. He addressed politicians and their politics multiple times in Scripture like overturning the tables in the temple, confronting the leaders of the Sanhedrin, and healing the child of a Roman centurion who represented the occupying government. Are we playing the “super pious card” by placing ourselves above Jesus when we abstain and stay on the sidelines concerning politics?
Believers live in a two-dimensional state. Yes, we are citizens of heaven, but we are also citizens of America in our earthly life. We are given an opportunity to have influence in both dimensions. We must be faithful in both dimensions and maximize our stewardship responsibilities for His glory in both places. We must join the battle and be His people in the earthly kingdom as much as being His people in the coming heavenly Kingdom.
Stand up and Speak Up!
On April 19, 1775, Captain Parker, and a ragtag group of 77 colonials stood on Lexington Green facing 800 of Britain’s best trained and superiorly equipped soldiers. It is easy to see how intimidating their situation was but at the same time we know these brave men represented the spirit of liberty and freedom. They possessed a resolve to give whatever was required, even their lives, if necessary, to ensure their loved ones would live independent and free. As they silently gazed across the green at the British force that cool, misty morning, Captain Parker shouted something we need to live out today. Without trepidation he proclaimed, “Stand alone if you must, but stand!” They did! Those 77 men, husbands and fathers, stood firm against unimaginable odds and in a moment the “shot heard around the world” was fired and the battle for American independence began.
Today, we face a well-equipped, formidable enemy fighting against what is morally right and just in every facet of our lives. People who serve the enemy stand against us targeting our freedom of speech, our freedom of religion, our right for self-defense, our children, our laws, our Republic, and everything conveyed in God’s moral law. What should we do? As Captain Parker said, we must stand. Our situation is different than Captain Parker’s group; however, because we never stand alone. Sometimes it may feel like it, but feelings can lie. Our warrior King, Jesus, promises to always stand with us and for us. We do not face unimaginable odds. We know the battle is already won and we know the Victorious One personally.
Standing up for what is right also requires believers to speak openly without fear. Because of Whom we know and Whose we are, there is no justification for compromise or silence on our part when challenged by evil. Remember, silence when we know something is wrong equates to agreeing with what the enemy is doing. God is noticeably clear in Scripture about the need for Christians to speak against evil and injustice. He is equally clear about His displeasure when we fail to speak against evil. Because it is extremely important to understand what God says about His people remaining silent in the face of evil, I embedded a 14-minute video by Christian nationally known speaker, best-selling author, and president of Amerisearch, Inc., a publishing company dedicated to researching America’s noble heritage 1, William Federer. Mr. Federer can do a much better job of explaining God’s position than I, so please watch his video.
Conclusion
Church, standing in the shadows and allowing moral debauchery and pure evil to continue to grow and penetrate our hearts, the hearts of our children, and the American culture is not an option if you claim Jesus as your Savior. God will not hold any of us guiltless. Christian silence emboldens the enemy. It should be evident to all of us that things will continue to get worse and worse if we do not act. It is true that if we stand up for biblical principles concerning marriage, family, human sexuality, and sanctity of life, we will be called names. Jesus assured us we would face troubles. But why should that matter? The God we serve already won the battle. The problem is whether we fear God more than man. Our calling to be salt and light to the lost world requires individual involvement in our culture and our government. We must stand in the gap for those who are suffering under the weight of spiritually and physically destructive polices and evil political ideologies driven by the enemy. Pious pronouncements of “living above politics” do not work. They are simply cover ups produced by fear of men. They are illegitimate arguments.
We have the Good News the world needs to hear. We have God’s truth on our side. We are winners already. Jesus calls us to stay in the battle and to speak up for truth, for justice, and against moral corruption. It is not just a suggestion. It is our duty. Be about the Father’s business and remember that we are here “for such a time as this!” For the Christian, silence is not an option.
Absolutely agree 💯!!
When believers truly feel called to run for political office, it is our responsibility to support them with our vote! It’s our best action step.