So, what do you think? Do you like the way the moral climate is moving in modern society?
Just the other day, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that two Wisconsin high schools had violated the Constitution by holding their graduation ceremonies in a local church because students were exposed to too many Christian symbols in that environment.
The head of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools wants to evict a Baptist church that rents its facilities on Sundays because of the congregation’s opposition to homosexuality.
A U.N Commission is calling for the worldwide legalization of prostitution because laws against it “stand in the way of effective HIV responses.”
These are some of the top headlines from this week, but I could list literally pages of examples to illustrate the moral decline in the nation and the world. We see it happening in people’s personal lives, in local communities, in the entertainment industry, in the political arena – honestly, just about anywhere you look.
I don’t know about you but this is becoming more and more disturbing to me. As Christians, we can no longer afford to stick our heads in the sand and just let it continue – that is, if we value our freedom to believe as we wish.
In practical terms, there are two ways that Christians need to respond to this moral crisis, and both need to be addressed in tandem. Addressing either one alone will not be sufficient to create the kind of change that will alter the rampant immorality that is now evident.
1. We must become more active in dealing with the spiritual causes of this degradation. The root cause of the problem is definitely spiritual. The drivers of the immorality that is so rampant are people who do not have a biblical belief in Jesus Christ. If we are going to generate change, we must become more active in sharing Christ – massively! People promote non-biblical morality because they follow a non-biblical religious faith. We are now in a situation where the people who promote immorality are so numerous and in strong enough positions that they have been able to create the atmosphere in society that now exists.
2. We must become more active in rooting out the societal expressions of the immorality that are so prevalent. That means working to promote laws and electing people to office who will not allow the immorality to flourish. It means holding politicians to account regarding their votes and their oversight of the judiciary. It means pushing back against the rampant immorality we see in the entertainment industry. It means advocating for life and biblical marriage.
If we are serious about creating a more moral environment for ourselves and our families, we are going to have to step it up a notch. This means becoming equipped to deal in these arenas.
First and foremost, we must learn the basics of worldview and how to use its concepts to share a witness to those who oppose the Christian faith. Old methodologies for sharing our witness are not sufficient to reach these people effectively. We must learn to bridge the message of Christ across worldview barriers in a way which was not necessary in previous times.
By the same token, we have to get up to speed on the issues of immorality which are so prominently displayed in the culture. And when we do this, we must actively work to root them out. The existence of these things are not only offensive, but are literally harmful to our children, our families and the culture at large.
Getting ourselves equipped is not an easy task. It takes work, diligence, and persistence. You are going to have to put forth effort which will inconvenience you in may ways – and maybe even bring persecution on yourself. Things will continue to get worse until Christians, en mass, start acting like biblical believers in every area of life. Will you step up to the plate?
(For help or ideas about how to move forward in these arenas, feel free to contact MarketFaith Ministries at info@marketfaith.org.)