When a Nation No Longer Fears the Lord...

No matter how “tolerant” we become as a culture, there will still always be some things that are right and some things that are wrong. No matter how we spin the truth or redefine our values, there will still be good and bad, black and white, righteousness and wickedness, morality and immorality, noble and evil.

You can’t just walk into a movie theater or a classroom or an army base and start shooting people. That’s wrong. That’s wicked. That’s evil.

Our contemporary, progressive culture likes to think that what’s right for you may not be right for me, and what’s wrong for you may not be wrong for me. We enjoy making up our own rules and determining our own standards of morality. We like doing whatever is right in our own eyes. Whatever we want. We’re living out the psalmist’s word concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: “There is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin” (Psalm 36:1-2).

But it’s not working out well at all. 

Acts of violence like we witnessed in Colorado are happening way too often. Why? Because our culture no longer fears the Lord, nor are we teaching the next generation to fear God. And when we no longer look in reverence toward His majesty, when we no longer dread His displeasure, when we no longer have an obedient regard for His sovereign authority, then what’s stopping us from creating our own standards of right and wrong and doing whatever in the world we want? Even if it means killing others. 

Our culture glorifies violence. Look at video games sales. Forbes.com lists the top 10 selling games in June 2012 with titles such as Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Diablo III, Max Payne 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3. In case you’re wondering, all these are rated M for combat, horror/suspense, shooting and the like. It’s not Pac-Man or Frogger or Mario. 

These are role-playing games where you shoot people dead. The more people you kill, the farther you advance. And when reports show that gamers spend an average of about eight hours a week playing, well, you do the math. Is it any wonder that some of these combat/killing fantasies get played out in real life?

I could go on talking about the frequency and intensity of aggressive behavior and violence in the movies, television and the internet. But it’s not just that the media and entertainment industry produces these things. The problem is that we’re buying it up.

And it’s not just violence. Our culture glorifies and craves sexual immorality, sensuality, greed and every kind of impurity. So it’s not surprising when all sorts of problems arise, such as pre-marital sex, adultery, divorce, homosexuality, sexual abuse and many others. It’s not surprising when out-of-control greed, gambling and obsession with money and stuff lead to financial ruin and all kinds of evil. It’s not surprising when alcohol and drugs and other addictions destroy families and individuals.

Why? Because we no longer fear the Lord. We have no regard for obedience to God and His holy Word. Instead, we’re writing our own rules as we go along, doing all our stubborn, foolish hearts desire. And we’re reaping the ruinous rewards for it.

Unless this nation begins to steer the ship back to the biblical standards from which we came, from which God shed His grace upon us, we will continue to drift with the current of popular opinion and it won’t be long before we crash upon the rocks.

May God grant comfort and peace to the people in Colorado. And may we the church get down on our knees and pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways. The Lord will hear from heaven, forgive our sins and heal our land. Amen.