The Effect of the Church on the Nation

July 2008

In keeping with the Fourth of July theme, I thought I would do this month’s devotion on the impact of the church on our nation.

I was reading in Genesis 18 and came across the story of God telling Abraham that He is going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Let’s pick it up in verse 23: Abraham stepped forward and said, "Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked?24 What if there are 50 righteous people in the city? Will You really sweep it away instead of sparing the place for the sake of the 50 righteous people who are in it? 25 You could not possibly do such a thing: to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. You could not possibly do that! Won't the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" 26 The LORD said, "If at Sodom I find 50 righteous people in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake."

In fact, Abraham negotiates until God finally says that He will spare Sodom and Gomorrah if just 10 righteous people live there. Although there were not 10 righteous people in those cities, this story shows us that it is the righteous that hold back God’s judgment on a nation. While the church may be oft criticized and attacked, our entire nation lives under the blessing and protection that God grants to His followers. From our perspective, while we may never evangelize everyone in America, God still blesses our nation because it is the most Christian nation on the earth. More missionaries and humanitarian relief efforts go forth from America than anywhere else. So even as doomsday prophets speak of the coming wrath of God on us, God counts and (thank goodness) finds many more than 10 righteous people in America. As His followers, our responsibility is to intercede for our leaders, repent for our national sins, and live righteous lives… being “salt and light” in today’s dark world. Remember God’s promise to Israel in II Chronicles 7:14-15: “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.”

We must be as relentless in our pursuit of God as satan is relentless in his efforts to destroy our nation. The beautiful new etched glass in our sanctuary quotes Isaiah 62:6 (I added verse 7 here, as well) "Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen on your walls; they will never be silent, day or night. You, who remind the LORD, no rest for you! 7 Do not give Him rest until He establishes and makes her Jerusalem the praise of the earth."This is a picture of our call as the church… as Americans!

Let me close with a quote from Ronald Reagan: “If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”



Danny