Hi all,
I wrote in an earlier post:
That the world, in general, is not going to ascribe to the law of God in these things or any other such things. But the believer understands that it is not his job to 'save the world'. It is his job to keep himself from sin. To teach the love that God has for each one of us through His Son, Jesus. But to keep the world from sin isn't a part of our job description.
I just wanted to take a moment to expound, as I understand it, upon that thought.
Christians, not all of course, seem to have this idea that they're going to save the world by making the world stop sinning. I've read the Scriptures through a number of times, and I don't find that to be some important teaching of the Scriptures. The Scriptures tell us to go out and show the love of Christ and preach the gospel. Baptizing and teaching
all those who would believe. So, I find that this idea that Christians should get downright militant in making worldly governments kowtow to God's law, is a bit misguided.
As I understand it, we are to teach others to love God and to know God through the proclamation of the truth that we are all sinners and yet while we are all sinners, God sent His Son that we might have forgiveness for our sin. Now, once someone believes that, then yes, we should train them up in the truth of God and what He asks of them. But trying to throw the entire world or an entire nation under the bus by making the laws of that nation to be inline with the Scriptures...I don't think the Scriptures show that such an effort is ever going to gain much ground.
When one come to faith in Jesus, then that one is expected to be born again and that is when they should willingly want to keep the law and the truth of God in their heart. All others need not apply and we need not waste our efforts trying to get the lost to live by the law and truth of God. We need to teach the lost about Jesus and then allow the Holy Spirit to change that single individual's heart so that they will desire to keep God's commands.
This attitude of making the laws of man to fall in line with the laws of God, seems to be an evangelical position, for the most part. This has never worked. Even in Israel, this idea of an entire nation following the law of God seems to have fallen apart. By the time that Jesus arrived in Israel, he was pretty clear with them that they had put away the laws of God for the law of men. That they were all white-washed Sepulchers filled with dead men's bones. That they traveled over hill and dale to convert someone and then made that someone a dog of hell worse than they were themselves.
This is Israel!!!!!!! Do we really even hope to imagine that we're going to be successful at such a task?
So, let's make abortions illegal. Hey, if that's what the majority of the people of this country want to do, then as a democracy, I say let's do it. But, keep in mind that making abortion isn't going to save a single soul for the kingdom of God unless and until one believes the truth of God and His offer of salvation through His Son, Jesus. But, I say let's back off as 'christians', and let the world decide what it chooses to do concerning the issue. We can certainly make our individual concerns known, but we don't need to get militant and demonstrate at public forums about it.
Or, let's let abortions remain legal and continue to share the love of God through the proclamation of the Gospel of salvation through His Son and let the chips fall where they may as regards abortion. If God wants those aborted fetuses to share in His kingdom, then He's big enough and powerful enough and has the authority to make that a reality whether that fetus was aborted or not.
Now, it's a totally different manner of handling the issue among those who are enjoined with us as brothers and sisters in the faith. We should definitely instruct those who are a part of us, that killing a child is not in keeping with God's desires for us. We should also instruct those who are among us that having sexual relations in situations where such an eventuality would even come up, is also not in keeping with God's desires for us. But we're never going to be successful in doing any good in the world by making the laws and commandments of God, the rule of the land here on earth. No one is going to get saved because they didn't have an abortion.
That's my two cents regarding the issue. I think that we'll be doing a lot more for the kingdom of God by the proclamation of His Gospel, rather than trying to make the world follow God's laws and commandments.
God bless,
In Christ, ted