The Moving Moral Landscape

   You may have read Al Mohler’s comments on the continuing efforts to overthrow the institution of marriage in the West, found here. The article ends with the question, “Do you not feel it too — the moral landscape moving under our feet?” Surely the rapid decline of the West is disorienting, and there does seem to have been a tremendous acceleration over the past few years, and in particular, with the election of the new administration. Those who hate God’s law have been greatly encouraged, to be sure. The next generation is thoroughly humanistic and naturalistic in its outlook, so far removed from grandparents and even recent history as to be safely insulated from any kind of moral direction or imperative.
   Now, one can talk about all the myriad of “causes” of the degradation of Western Society for a very long time. There is much to be learned from how the forces of immorality and humanism have accomplished so much. But there is a simple fact that must be kept in mind: God blesses a nation with peace, prosperity and safety. He curbs the natural evil of men. But when God’s wrath comes upon a people, He gives them over to their sin. He removes His hand of restraint, and what truly fills the hearts of men begins to be seen with clarity. He brings disaster upon the nation, some natural, some in the realm of its military (invasion, defeat), or especially its economy.
   God’s people are supposed to be clear in announcing God’s wrath against sin—and it is truly troubling to consider how weak has been the church’s announcement of God’s judgment upon sin. Rare is the Christian leader who combines clarity of thought and reason with forceful, authoritative proclamation of divine truth. Sure, you’ll find lots of hell-fire preachers who wouldn’t know a worldview from a lug nut, but they are hardly going to be able to speak to a people intent upon rebellion. And those with the intellectual furniture to see the doom on the horizon (for humanism/naturalism destroys the very essence of the creature, man, that being his recognition of who he truly is as the creation of God) for some reason in our day are often fearful to speak with the authority that once marked the men of God. Instead of being empowered by the recognition of their standing under the Lordship of Christ, many fear the face of men and buy into the “well, you have to avoid offense” mindset. Creatures in rebellion against their Creator will be offended by the proclamation of their guilt. Attempting to avoid that kind of offense results in the kind of double-mindedness and obsequiousness we see in many of the most visible “evangelical” leaders in the media today.
   Yes, I know I am saying that we need to be clear and open in proclaiming the judgment of God, yes, the wrath of God, against sin. Yes, I know, the media and Hollywood has a template all set up to use against us, the shallow-thinking religious zealot who is normally a glowing hypocrite to boot. This is nothing new. The true prophets of God in Israel often faced the wrath of the “majority” of even the “religious” of their day. Truth is rarely popular among the children of men. But we have no choice. This society is rushing headlong to destruction, and our job is to proclaim the reality of the cliff that is just around the corner. If we do not do what we are called to do, not only will we not honor our God and His commands, but the blood of those who run around the corner headlong into perdition and destruction will be required of us who sat by, afraid to be warners because we loved ourselves more than we loved God and our neighbors–the very ones we avoided “offending.”