The Decline Of Humanity And Of Nations.

In Billy Graham’s book on aging, Nearing Home, he wrote that the biggest surprise for him about growing older was the loss of strength. For me, I would have to say there haven’t been many surprises at all.

Just uncomfortable realities.

Somewhere along this path of life, we begin to face the truth that things just simply are not going to get better for us. When one is young, almost everything is fixable. You get sick, you recover. You break something, you heal up. (I should add that this is not always the case for young folks.) And in my life, various health issues have been put right. Minor heart attack. Stents were inserted. Epilepsy struck in India. God healed me. Astigmatism. Lasik surgery. Dangerously compressed spinal cord. Cervical surgery patched that up. Hernia. Meshed. Crumbling tooth. Implant. Bursitis. Still painfully hanging around.

I don’t know if that’s a lot of medical events or not for an average lifetime, but I know that another ailment of one kind or other is inevitably around the corner. There is no upward slope. It is all heading downward, as it does for everyone. Our organs, bones, and brain begin to wear out and fail, and one’s immune system weakens. There is no fixing these realities, regardless of how much one exercises, is careful about how much or what one eats, or takes supplements to help along the way. Certainly, many diseases and sicknesses have been cured and even wiped out by modern medicine, but there is no stopping body deterioration and the weakening of immunity. No miracle drug. Nothing.

The failing of one’s body is similar to the failing of the body politic of a nation. All countries will eventually deteriorate and fail. However, unlike our growing-old bodies, there is a cure. In Peter’s message at Pentecost, he quoted the prophet Joel, saying, “‘And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved’” (Acts 2:21). ¹ That statement is true, is a fact, as strong and durable as the eternal God Himself. However, if we do not believe and call upon Him, we will be judged for our sins. The Lord God Almighty holds nations accountable for breaking His laws and not repenting. He spoke to Israel, saying, “But you shall keep my statutes and my rules and do none of these abominations, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you (for the people of the land, who were before you, did all of these abominations, so that the land became unclean), lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you” (Leviticus 18:26–28).

I don’t know about you, but it’s clear to me that being vomited out of one’s land is a negative outcome.

To not be given over to sin, darkness, and failure, our governments and citizens must acknowledge the necessity of salvation and the possession of a Christian worldview. The nature of the political status of that country doesn’t matter. Capitalist. Socialist. Conservative. Liberal. They will all fail without Christianity, no matter how much they boast otherwise. No nation currently is pursuing that noble and salvific goal. Thus, all will be given over to sin and darkness. I present as evidence the formerly Christian Europe and the United States

To avoid the death and judgment of our nations, we must acknowledge that God is our Savior, sovereign Lord, and Creator. We must turn to Him and ask Him to forgive us for our abominations, not only as individuals but as citizens of our nation.

Please pray for your nation. We are all in danger.

¹All Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Gif courtesy Bing images.