Born in the

An exerpt from "Fearless Faith" that moves me and reminds me that the "good news" changes hearts, not politics. "Almost 200 years ago, John Adams, one of America's Founding Fathers and the second president of the United States, stated: "Our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." In other words, our Constitution does not guarantee morality and religion. Such things must come from the people themselves, and if morality and religion are no longer present in the people, there is nothing the government can do to represent this morality and religion. In a democracy, the government can never be any better than its people. The moral vacuum in our country is not the fault of America nor is America our hope for improvement. Democracy is merely doing its job, as it always will. There is no "Christian nation" to recapture; there are only the hearts of people that have to change. Politics may change a few laws, but using politics to try and change a heart is like trying to perform heart surgery with a baseball bat.

The true church is the only body in society that deals effectively and eternally with the hearts of people. This is why it is so tragic when Christians resort to political power and economic pressure to force a change on society, a change that can truly come only from a heart that is changed. By so resorting, we abandon our calling and our privilege as living representations of the one true God who provided a way back to himself through the death and resurrection of his one and only son. We become just like any other special interest group in society, such as the National Rifle Association or the National Education Association - one more voice among the many. And in doing so, we alienate ourselves from the very people whose hearts the gospel could change if those people could only hear the gospel above the noise of our shouting. Who is going to want to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ from a group that is forcing its own special interests on them? We are not here, for instance, to stop homosexuals from practicing so that society can be rid of their influence. We are here to bring the gospel to everyone, including homosexuals. If we think we are ready to throw the first stone at an immoral society, then we had better make sure we are right with ourselves on all accounts. And if we are not free from sin, then we had best let these stones roll out of our hands and get back to preaching a gospel that we as Christians need just as much as the next guy." My mind and heart have been heavy as of late, as I have heard too many people using our Saviour as a politician. I thought he came to seek and save a lost world, not be a politcal candidate that we vote for. I'm off for a coffee run and some much needed quiet time and reading.

USA
Wallace D.