Monday, May 30, 2011

A Formula That Will Heal The Nation

America is a sick country right now.  And its sickness is more than a political one.  The sickness is at the very root of the country.  There are two things that will put the country back on the track to health.


The first thing the country needs to put it on the road to recovery is God.  The Founding Fathers realized the country needed God if it was to survive.  The wise man said, "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people" (Proverbs 14:34).  The Founding Fathers knew that.  In a speech before the Second Virginia Convention (March 23, 1775), Patrick Henry said, "There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us [2 Chronicles 32:8] (Apologetics Press).  Benjamin Franklin remarked in the Constitutional Convention, (June 28, 1787), "We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that “except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it” [Psalm 127:1].   I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel [Genesis 11]" (AP).  Henry and Franklin realized that, if a nation were to survive, it needed to put its trust and dependence on God.  It is also clear that the Fathers expected the new country to be a Christian nation.  The sixth president of the United States,  John Quincy Adams, remarked:


From the day of the Declaration, the people of the North American Union and of its constituent states were associated bodies of civilized men and Christians.... They were bound by the laws of God, which they all, and by the laws of the Gospel, which they nearly all, acknowledged as the rules of their conduct (1821, p. 28, emp. added). (AP)

America was once considered a "Christian Nation."  The nation's ills will only be healed if it truly becomes a Christian nation.  And, it is not enough to be called a Christian nation.  It must, be a Christian nation.  It must, as Adams rightly asserted, be "bound by the laws of God, which they all, and by the laws of the Gospel."


The Second thing the country needs to do is to go back to the Constitution of the United States.  For the last fifty years or so, the country has been losing our freedoms a little at a time. Activists judges have "legislated from the bench" and have declared things constitutional that were not, and things unconstitutional that were.  Things that for two hundred years were  never, or rarely, challenged are suddenly being declared unconstitutional  Constitutional amendments have been twisted to mean whatever a lawmaker or judge wants them to mean.  In other words, the constitution is no longer followed completely!  Two examples come immediately to mind.  Abortion, which has been sinful since the writing of the Bible, and illegal since the signing of the constitution, suddenly became legal in 1973.  Laws against abortion were suddenly declared unconstitutional.  Yet, there is nothing in the Constitution that forbids such laws.  Another example is the sudden declaration by judges that laws against homosexual marriage are unconstitutional.  Homosexuality, and consequently, homosexual marriage, have been sinful since the writing of the Bible,  and illegal since the signing of the constitution.  Now laws against such are suddenly unconstitutional.  Both abortion and homosexual marriages are still sinful, by the way.  And, I won't even go into the recent health care bill that requires, unconstitutionally, every American to buy health insurance.


The founding fathers were wise and godly men that carefully and studiously framed a constitution based on the laws of God and history of freedom and democracy.  When America returns to God and His laws, and to the Constitution of the United States of America, the countries sickness will be healed, and not before.

A Formula That Will Heal The Nation

America is a sick country right now.  And its sickness is more than a political one.  The sickness is at the very root of the country.  There are two things that will put the country back on the track to health.

The first thing the country needs to put it on the road to recovery is God.  The Founding Fathers realized the country needed God if it was to survive.  The wise man said, "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people" (Proverbs 14:34).  The Founding Fathers knew that.  In a speech before the Second Virginia Convention (March 23, 1775), Patrick Henry said, "There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us [2 Chronicles 32:8] (Apologetics Press).  Benjamin Franklin remarked in the Constitutional Convention, (June 28, 1787), "We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that “except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it” [Psalm 127:1].   I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel [Genesis 11]" (AP).  Henry and Franklin realized that, if a nation were to survive, it needed to put its trust and dependence on God.  It is also clear that the Fathers expected the new country to be a Christian nation.  The sixth president of the United States,  John Quincy Adams, remarked:


From the day of the Declaration, the people of the North American Union and of its constituent states were associated bodies of civilized men and Christians.... They were bound by the laws of God, which they all, and by the laws of the Gospel, which they nearly all, acknowledged as the rules of their conduct (1821, p. 28, emp. added). (AP)

America was once considered a "Christian Nation."  The nation's ills will only be healed if it truly becomes a Christian nation.  And, it is not enough to be called a Christian nation.  It must, be a Christian nation.  It must, as Adams rightly asserted, be "bound by the laws of God, which they all, and by the laws of the Gospel."

Monday, May 9, 2011

Thoughts On The Death Of Osama Bin Ladin

Since Osama Bin Ladin's death a week ago, I have read many things about his killing.  Most Americans, and many around the world, including many Muslims, are glad he is gone.  Responses to his death have ranged from relief to rejoicing in the streets.  But some have reminded us that the Bible says we are to love our enemies, including Osama Bin Ladin.  Certainly Jesus says, "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."  (Matthew 5:44).  But, does that mean we must love someone like Osama Bin Ladin?

Jesus died for everyone, because God loves everyone (John 3:16).  Since He died for everyone, He wants us to love everyone.  We must pray for everyone, that everyone will come to a faith in, and an obedience to, Jesus Christ.  It should not be our desire that any one should go to Hell.  We should be active in teaching God's Word to the lost, to try to keep them from going to Hell.

But, what about Osama Bin Ladin?  Jesus says, "Love your enemies."   I prayed for Osama many times, as every Christian should have. But, we must remember that he was an evil man who had directed the murder of thousands of innocent people, including many Muslims.  He was still doing that right up until his death, as far as we know. No doubt many that he killed were God's people.  Though no one was entirely safe from his terrorist threats, I never really thought of him as my enemy.  Osama Bin Ladin was everyone's enemy.  When hearing that the Navy Seals had killed him, I did not think of it as my enemy being killed.  I thought of it as the murderer of thousands on 911 being killed.  I thought of the relief from the threat of many more deaths at Osama's direction.

While we must love everyone, including Osama Bin Ladin, and not wish that any should go to Hell, we can be relieved, and rejoice, that a threat to all of us is gone.  Osama's heart was hardened in his desire to kill innocent people, not just what he called the "infodels."  He was never going to allow love to come into his heart.  The world is better off without someone like him.

L. John Bost


Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Is It Enough To Accept Christ As Your Personal Savior?

Is it enough to accept Christ as your personal savior?  Obviously we must accept Christ.  But whether that is enough depends on your concept of of the word.  The term, "accept Christ as your personal savior," is frequently heard in the religious world.  Speakers often call upon hearers to do it. But what does the Bible say about that?


Did you know that the New Testament never calls upon one to "accept Christ as your personal savior?"  Neither the phrase, "accept Christ," nor the term, "personal savior," are found in the New Testament.    The phrase, "accept Christ as your personal savior," though routinely repeated, originated with men.   What, then, does the New Testament require one to do to be saved?


Jesus says, in Matthew 7:21, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."  Jesus calls upon us to do the will of His Father!  In fact, obedience, not mere, acceptance, is required throughout God's word.  Jesus says there is something to do to be saved.  In Mark 16:15-16, He says we must believe and be baptized. In Luke 13:2-6, He says we must repent. In Matthew 10:32-34, He says we must confess Him before men. 


In Acts 2:37-38, Peter told the crowd who had believed on Jesus by Peter's preaching, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."  (Emphasis mine, LJB).  He didn't tell them to "Accept Christ as your personal savior!"  In fact, they had already accepted Christ.  Now Peter says, "you must obey Him!"  


No, accepting Christ as your personal Savior is not enough. Your Saviour calls upon you to Believe in Him, repent of your sins, confess Him, and be baptized into him (Please see also, Romans 6:3-4 and Galatians 3:27, and then to continue to live a life of obedience to Him.


L. John Bost