because, you see, they believe that it is man’s environment that is to blame. Thig is plain Marxism! This is Communistic ideology — change a man’s environment and you’ll make him a better person and you’ll make society better. The Word of God and human ex perience say it is not so! This is one o f the main trage dies o f the times. Christendom, intended to be salt (Matthew 5) that slows corruption and decay, has become a part of the corrup tion itself — a part o f the prob lem, instead o f the answer. In stead of being light, Christendom, by much that it now advocates in the name of new theology and new morality, has become part o f the darkness. How great that dark ness! The Chicago-Tribune of March 20, 1968, speaks of the pro-Com- munism influence o f the churches through p rom in en t spokesmen and seminaries and concludes by saying: “ This betrayal of Christ in the name o f Christianity is one reason for the moral and spiritual malaise with which this country is afflicted. The melancholy fact is that the churches no longer in fluence the development of na tional character. People go to church mainly because o f an im pulse to participate in a service of worship, not because of any spiritual guidance they expect from the clergymen.” V . Communism Oh, what a tragedy it is to look out over the land these days. Who is tearing apart America? Com munism. Now I am not saying that all advocates o f beliefs we have been speaking about are communists, but they are certain ly fulfilling the communist plans and wishes. They couldn't help them as much if they publicly joined the Party. They may be sincere and genuine men interest ed in the welfare of mankind and social betterment. (A noted public speaker has classified such people as WM 2’s, that is, “well meaning but woolly minded.” ) I g ran t them that, and I am not going to MAY, 1969
debate that point. I still say that because o f their denial of the Truth of God about man and his nature and responsibilities, they are fitting beautifully into the Marxist program. You have to be either naive or stupid, or both, not to believe that the communist elements, however small a minority comm un ists might be (and take no comfort in their being a minority. They have been a minority in every country that is now theirs) are not working hard to bring about the total destruction of American life, the wreckage o f the whole free enterprise system, and to bring the world under the Com munist-Socialist flag. V I. God It is sick theology in the mod em church that has produced our sick society. Rejection of truth comes first, then moral and social decay. Read the last half of the first chapter o f Romans and you will find that truth about the per son, nature, and acts o f God in the past, was first of all rejected and then man became religiously and morally sick. Then, because of a sick theology, we read that God withdrew His restraining hand and gave them up to uncleanness through the lust of their own heart to d ish on o r their own bodies. Men first changed the truth of God into a lie and wor shipped the creature and served the creature more than the Crea tor. Therefore, God gave them up to vile affections and to homosex uality, and sex deviations and all tne nithy mess that is recorded there in Romans 1. In verse 28, we read that they did not like to retain God in their knowl edge, and so God withdrew even farther and gave them over to a reprobate mind to be filled with all wickedness. Read the record there in Romans 1. It starts with a sick idea about God, the nature of man, and the revelation o f God. The result o f this is that God Himself withdraws His hand of restraint and lets men go deeper into sin. Sometimes the penalty
of sin is more sin! Considering this, it would even be correct to say that God is tearing apart America. Romans 1 indicates that. God’s response to man’s wicked ness and his hell-bent drive to ruin, was to withdraw His hand of restraint further and let him go on into deeper wickedness. The filth, the obscenity, the lawless ness, the corruption, and the vio lence that marks our national life today might, if you please, also be considered at least in part as an evidence o f God’s giving us up by degrees. Wrong ideas, wrong be liefs— “wherefore God gave them up” — “wherefore God gave them up” — three times He withdrew in degrees back into the shadows, and let men go on into their sin. He is tearing us apart via that law of sowing and reaping. What Is The Answer To It All? Repentance, a turning to God, prayer, witnessing, — WORK! Only God can help us now. II Chronicles 7:14 is still true! Let us look to Him for help but also let us stand up and be counted. Let the Christian voice be heard above the clamor of these days. Let us witness for Him while still there is freedom to do so. Ameri ca now stands almost alone as the source o f finances and personnel to get the gospel out to the world in obedience to Christ. This could be why more severe judgment has not already fallen upon us. Let us be grateful for that mercy and buy up the opportunities before us. It could very well be that in God’s time table we are at the threshold of our Lord’s return for His own and on the threshold of continuing judgment for a world that has made clear its rejection of the Son. Nevertheless, let this day of revolution be also a day when we boldly declare God’s revelation in Christ. E,et us work— "the night is coming when no man cun w ork ." ■Q b ] 17
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