Revealing Statistics: America in Decline
Subtitle: Present Costs of the War against God
This page is only one of 18 sections of an extensive collection of statistics testifying to the above. See and read the main page here with the Table of Contents, by God's grace.
Sec. 19 |
APPLICATION |
The story has often been told that the way to boil a frog is not to place the poor creature in a pot of boiling water, but in a pot of mild temperature and then incrementally raise the temperature, till before he realizes it he is cooked! May these statistics help us to see how slowly yet surely this country, which has and is greatly blessed of God, has fallen from grace into destructive degradation. Not suddenly, for had most any one of these statistics been realized some years ago they would have shocked God – fearing souls into action, but incrementally the foundations have been are being destroyed, awaiting the day when sufficient stress causes the whole structure to fall. Having increasingly "put off" the Lord Jesus Christ to make "provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof" (Romans 13:14), we are presently reaping the corruption thereof, which this study helps to quantify .
Whose fault is this? While the lost are guilty of rejecting the truth of the gospel and it's morality which they do know (obedience to which brings more light), the more accountable are those who know the Lord but who have not preached of sin, righteousness and judgment (Jn. 16:8), but rather have made their home in this world rather than being grieved at it's – and our own – sins.
The true Christian response to iniquity is not ambivalence, nor a reaction out of of self righteousness, rather it is one of both grief because it offends God, and a passion to turn many to righteousness for His sake, and for theirs.
Psa 119:53 Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.
Psa 119:158 I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word.
Ezek. 9:4 And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
Dan 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
Acts 26:20 that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
Jude 20-23 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
We ought to have the zeal of a Nehemiah for holiness in the congregation, except instead of smiting certain of them with our fists (see 13:21-25), we are to do so work conversion and holiness "By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left" (2 Cor 6:7 ).
The work of a Christian is not to bring back some some sort of a Mayberry RFD society, as many (of the few activists) seem the more motivated to do, but to see Christ reign in every heart, to see God's will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. "For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet" ( Cor 15:25).
This must start in one's own heart through the Gospel, which is "the power of God unto salvation" (Rm. 1:16). God is glorified when men repent (cf. Rev. 16:9), therefore the commission of Christ to His followers in this lost world is to "turn to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me" (Acts 26:18). "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mk. 16:16). "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Mt. 28:19, 20). Praise the Lord!
We who have believed are (and will) to do this as yielded vessels to God, through the power of the Holy Ghost. By Him let us work to convict souls of their utter inability to either merit God and His Heaven nor escape their just and eternal punishment in Hell, and point them directly to the only Begotten Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is He Whom the Father sent from Heaven "to be the propitiation [perfect and final sacrifice] for our sins," and "the Savior of the world" (1Jn. 4:10, 14). This is a decision every human soul who can make such a decision must make if they will be saved: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved “ (Acts 4:12).
This work of salvation and sanctification is neither the work nor the ability of the institutionalized church: we have seen (whether Catholic or Protestant) what little power dead religion has to truly effect such, "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away" (2 Tim 3:5). Rather, the commission of Christ is only to those who have been truly "born of the Spirit" and so follow Him, through effectual faith in and surrender to "the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13).
Let us therefore, as many as be truly graciously born of God's Holy Spirit (Jn. 3:3-7), obey His word to “put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Eph. 6:11). Let us resist the devil thereby, and exalt the Lord Jesus Christ in our hearts and lives!
"Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen!
Also, see the the commentary relating to the Bible, Education and the present Conditions HERE.
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Email: saved2serve@gmail.com |
“O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good; for His mercy for ever” (Ps. 107:1)! |