Shammu
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« on: August 08, 2004, 01:48:15 AM » |
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With the continuing moral and spiritual deterioration of our culture, as evidenced by the increasing raunchiness of movies and television programs, we, as Christians, are increasingly having to ask ourselves, "What can we do?" How can we best combat the evils in our society?
BY LEGISLATION? It has been said that you can’t legislate morality. This is both true and false. It is true that no law has ever been made that cannot be broken—and sooner or later is. But, at the same time, we HAVE to legislate morality. Otherwise, we should not have laws concerning murder, rape, robbery, etc.—which ARE moral issues at the heart. And society has a responsibility to protect the innocent—the vulnerable, such as children—and MUST have laws to that end. Yet, we are all too painfully aware that such laws do NOT always accomplish their intended purpose.
BY ORGANIZED BOYCOTTS? The problem here is that such can be manipulated and sometimes create other problems as bad as the one they are intended to help. Also, sometimes such activities hurt the very ones they are meant to help.
BY PICKETING? This may have the effect of making people more aware of whatever evil they are designed to fight, which is good. But, their effect is limited—and can get out of hand and create other evils.
BY ADVERTISEMENTS? While such may make the general public aware of the Christian concern over the particular evil targeted by the ad, unfortunately it also serves to arouse the interest of some others who will be drawn to the evil you want to fight. Sinful human nature is like that
BY ELABORATE CAMPAIGNS OR RALLIES? Again, good has undeniably been accomplished by such tactics as "Moral Majority" and "Washington for Jesus." But, we know that these kinds of activities have caused the forces of evil to organize and rally, too, in such movements as "People for the American Way" and the "American Atheist Society." Unfortunately, these efforts are often better organized and financed than our Christian-oriented movements are. So, this approach may actually stir up evil forces and galvanize them into action.
I believe the most effective weapon with which to combat evil in our society as Christians is CHOICE—the opportunity and responsibility we have as Christians to choose good over evil. This is what we are called upon repeatedly in God’s Word to do, as is made clear in, Joshua 24:14-24 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods; For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed: And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God. And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD. And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. Now therefore put away, said he , the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel. And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.
The context is the renewal of the covenant between the 12 tribes of Israel and Yahweh at the conclusion of the period of conquest of Canaan and just prior to the death of Joshua. Joshua was deeply concerned that the pressures of pagan influence which would constantly surround them in this land would overwhelm them and they would forget their promises to God.
Joshua knew the Israelites would not be sheltered from all evil influences and temptations, any more than God’s people are today. He also understood that they were weak mortals, with a natural propensity toward sin—just as we are today. He knew that the only way they would make it was deliberately, willfully to choose good over evil in the land, and he knew that each of them, individually, had a CHOICE. Their human wills were not bound or forced to do evil.
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