Happy
4th of July! Hope you’re celebrating our nation’s freedom with joy
and gratitude.
And while I appreciate President Trump’s
desire to make America great again, let me offer the biblical prescription for
making America or any nation great: “Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is
a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34 NLT).
Godliness makes a nation great. Not its cultural diversity,
not its GNP, not its arts and entertainment districts, not its technology, not
its healthcare, not its athletic successes, not its military might, not its
political structure, but its godliness.
Godliness exalts a nation because godly
behavior leads to such things as the working out of justice among its citizens,
mercy and compassion for the weak, respect for God-ordained authority, love for
one’s neighbor, honesty and integrity in the workplace and the marketplace, attitudes
of humility and acts of kindness toward each other, and reverence for the
commands of God which always lead to the well-being of any community or nation.
Godliness makes a nation great, because godly
people seek to build others up and never tear them down. Godly people stay
faithful to their marriage vows and avoid the snares of sexual immorality.
Godly people raise their children in the discipline and instruction of Lord.
Godly people manage their finances well and don’t gamble their homes away.
Godly people control their appetites and aren’t addicted to harmful desires
such as drugs and alcohol.
Godliness makes a nation great, because godly people
(who are able) work diligently and refuse to take advantage of the system. Godly
people learn contentment and keep themselves from the love of money. Godly
people make wise decisions in the home, in business, in community affairs, in
the courts, in the schools, and in every facet of life, while rejecting the foolishness
of corrupt courses of action.
Living in a nation full of such people sounds great, doesn't it?
Sin, on the other hand, is a disgrace to
any people. It is a disgrace to accept and applaud the things that God abhors. The
Bible is not unclear as to what is godly and what is ungodly. Where women shout
their abortions, where the LGBT crowd march proudly through city streets, where
pornography and alcohol flow freely, and where lying lips, injustice, arrogance,
and greed often appear virtuous, national disgrace follows like the stench of a
sewer plant.
Where violence seems to be an answer, where
strife and discord are sown in plenty, where tempers flare quickly, where truth
is traded for lies, where words fly unfiltered, and where fools flaunt their
folly, the people bear disgrace and destruction for their sin.
This is why we need the gospel, because
apart from the saving and transforming work of Jesus Christ in our lives, none
of us can live a godly life. We’ve all sinned, fallen short of the glory of
God, and deserve His wrath. But in the power of His Holy Spirit dwelling in the
hearts of believers, we can faithfully walk the path of godliness.
In Jesus and according to the light of His
Word, we can become a great nation. Let’s celebrate this 4th of July
with gratitude for God’s grace, pleas for His mercy, and a commitment in Christ
that we will be godly people for His glory and for the national good.
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