How Do We Revive Our Culture?

In Part 1, here, we considered whether freedom of religion is the crucial issue in the 2020 election. In Part 2, here, we considered alternative opinions. Here we will look at what Christians can do to revive our culture.

To revive our culture we must revive certain beliefs. If we want a Christian revival, then we must revive Christian beliefs. What does that look like? When we Americans speak of a Christian revival, we often use the term “awakening” instead of “revival”.

Why is it Americans need to have their faith revived in Jesus Christ? Successive generations Americans have not taught their children the Bible. So, most Americans know very little about the Bible. Hence, relatively few people, even those who call themselves Christian, have any business doing so. If we cannot even be bothered to read the Word of God and study it carefully, then how is it we can honestly say we believe in Him?

So what can we do to revive our culture?

• We can practice our faith. We can read the Bible and do what it says. Jesus said that if we love Him we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). If we do not carefully study His word, how can we keep His commandments?
• We can spread the Gospel of Christ to others.

In fact, Jesus commands us to spread the Gospel.

Is there a political angle to this? Of course.

• There is the basic action of voting. We each need to do our best to encourage fellow Christians to become informed and vote as they believe their Christian faith requires.
• We each need to participate in politics. Yes. Because we are sinful, we don’t treat each other well, and many abuse the power government gives them. Still, God calls us to participate in public life. Didn’t God call upon David to be a king. If God called David, a sinful man, a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), is it not probable that He still calls upon some of us to be political leaders? As Christians, don’t we have an obligation to support good men and women when they seek public office? Don’t we have a Christian duty — for the sake of our family, friends, neighbors, and countrymen — to support good government? Of course, we do.

Still, our primary focus must be the spread of His Gospel? How do we do that?

• If we are parents or grand parents, we must do our best to provide our children a Christian education.
• We must work through our churches to help others, especially the needy, provide their children a Christian education.
• As good citizens we must support school choice. When secularists insist upon secularizing the education of everyone’s children, we must point to the First Amendment. We must point out they are violating right of parents to pass their beliefs on to their children.
• We must each work to spread the Gospel to those who don’t know Jesus. Government is a means to end, spreading the Gospel of Christ. If our government does not allow us live out our faith, there is something wrong with it. God expects us to teach our children about Jesus, and He expects us to allow Him to live through us. He wants our Pagan neighbors to see our example and long to come to the foot of His cross.
• We must try to understand and empathize with our neighbors. Many, because they are ignorant of both Philosophy and Theology have a very simplistic view of God. For an example, see What is Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD)? (gotquestions.org).

How do we spread the Gospel? Why would we want to spread the Gospel? Well, the fact that Jesus commands us to spread the Gospel should be enough reason. However, one of America’s greatest theologians, Jonathan Edwards (britannica.com), provided a good explanation in his most famous sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (ushistory.org). Below is an excellent audio version of Edwards’ sermon.

When, because of God’s love, we have so much to look forward to, why did Edwards preach such a fearful sermon? Consider what Proverbs calls the beginning of wisdom.

When we introduce people to Jesus Christ, what is our big problem? Lots of people don’t understand how much we need Him. Before we will turn to Jesus, we need to realize how holy He is and how sinful we are. We need to be convinced we are small, sinful, and dependent creatures. We need to be convinced that God is God, and we are not.

We also need to remind ourselves, if we have been born again, just how much our neighbors need to hear and read God’s Word. Therefore, when the time comes, we must be ready.

Notice

We have published THE PRINCE WILLIAM-MANASSAS FAMILY ALLIANCE’S 2020 VOTER GUIDES. If you wish to know the positions of the candidates running for Federal office in Prince William County, please review our guides.