Sing to the LORD, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. – 1 Chronicles 16:23
A believer is on this planet for one reason and one reason only, to bring glory to God. This reason is simple, but when unpacked is about as complex as anything imaginable. Even more confusing is that everything that we are commanded to do in the Bible ultimately combines into the command of bringing glory to God. When we fail in anything that God has commanded us to do we are failing God. Whether we refuse to witness or whether we fail to take care of those less fortunate, we fail to bring glory to God. The sad reality is that in the American church, the two most important commands given to us, to love God and to love our neighbor, have been relegated to secondary things that only “really good Christians” do. The American church has been transformed from a church that was obsessed with missions and taking care of the poor, into a church that is obsessed with keeping people entertained and happy. The American church has ceased to focus on following Jesus and have almost completely bought into the self-help, self important nonsense that the non-believing world has bought into. In most churches the fruit of the Spirit has been replaced with the fruit of the self and this has had a direct influence in our country’s moral and Christian decline.
Only those with their heads in the sand for the last 20 years haven’t seen the decline of the United States in both morality and in influence. The concept of the USA being a Christian nation has been a foregone conclusion for almost 250 years but one that is quickly becoming evident for the falsehood it has always been. We have been a nation with Christians and formed under Christian values, but we have always been a nation with Christians rather than a Christian nation. The positive aspects of this had been that even non-believers were made to live in a way that reflected the law of the Bible. Because of this simple fact, this country has been an easy place to live as a Christian even if the vast majority of people didn’t live like one. This is quickly becoming the opposite and I truly believe that much of the fault lies with us. We have refused to look different from the world and have decided to give up the gospel of Jesus Christ in favor of the gospel that looks good to the non-believer.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:1-2
When we live like God has commanded us to be, we look strange to the world. Just consider a person who wants to give up what they possess to help the poor. Just image a person who desires to associate with sinners in order to tell them about the joys that can be found in reconciliation with God. Just imagine a person who is willing to suffer in this world because they truly believe that what they will inherit in the next life will make the suffering all worth it. Do you know anyone like that? Do you know anyone who believes so much in the fact of God’s love as to give their life over completely to Him? I personally only know a few and if I am honest with myself, even though I try to live like this, I am not even close to where I should be.
Even more pathetic, we say that we believe in what Jesus did for us on the cross, but more often than not, most of us are afraid of telling people about it. We say that we want to be more like Jesus, but we refuse to take up our cross and walk with Him. We say that we believe that God does everything for good, but we worry and we fret over every little thing that does not go our way. The reality is that we aren’t being the salt and the light for an unbelieving world because the vast majority of us look exactly like the world does. The things that concern the world concern us and the things that the world values we value. Why would a seeking unbeliever even consider Christianity when those who believe in Christ look and act exactly like the unbelievers do? Here is a hint: They wouldn’t.
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. – Matthew 5:13-16
In a nation where Christianity is illegal, it isn’t a problem finding true believers. They look different and they gain nothing worldly by proclaiming the name of Jesus. Actually, they stand to lose everything, up to and including their lives by simply saying, “Jesus Christ is Lord.” We live in a nation where the vast majority say those words, but live in a manner that says, “I am Lord.” The reality is that in both the nation where Christianity is illegal and in the USA, a Christian is shown to be true by their adherence to the word of God and His commands (the fruit of the Spirit). The sad truth is that Christians are just as rare in the United States as they are in Syria and Iraq and those of us who are true believers must come to understand that. We must stop assuming that simply going to Church in the USA is good enough and start acting and living like Christians in a fallen and broken world. This is how we will ultimately bring glory to God. Anything less only brings glory to ourselves and enmity with God.
