The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John 10:10
The despicable health care vote of March 21, 2010 is not the fault of Barack Obama or the democrats. It’s not the fault of republicans for squandering twelve years of congressional power on federal expansion. It’s not the fault of MSNBC, the SEIU, ACORN, or the G.E. Corporation. It’s not the fault of the American public for electing Obama in 2008, or their collective 70% approval rating at the onset of his term. (It’s not as if everything was fine in 2008 and then suddenly turned south in 2009). It’s not even the fault of the public education system for finally producing a generation of dumbed-down Americans that would gleefully elect a cadre of radical leftists to run the federal government. In fact, this is the exact result one would expect from a sick and dying nation.
It’s easy to curse the darkness and start targeting the above villains that have brought us to this socialist storm brewing on the horizon. It’s easy to treat each of these evils as if they are the real problem, endlessly plugging holes in the dyke only to bolster the flood waters. It’s easy to play “what if” – if only we’d elected McCain – if only the tea party were more organized – if only the media would stop being biased – if only Congress would heed the will of the people – if only the republican party would get its act together, etc. Maybe it’s time to stop trying to treat the symptoms and tackle the disease itself.
What then is the root cause? Why is America sick and dying, with that process now having been accelerated by the advent of a European-style socialized heath care system? It really is a simple answer – THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST IN AMERICA HAS FAILED. The church has failed for decades to be salt and light in the culture, and here we are scratching are heads wondering why the average American doesn’t “get it”. The fact is most Christians don’t get it either. Polling shows that at best, ten percent of Christians evangelize the lost. And a substantial percentage of that evangelism assumes that we still live in the nominally Christianized society of the 19th century. Couple that with the absolute lack of worldview training and discipleship, and the lack of doctrine and biblical literacy in the average evangelical church. Then couple that with the frightening trends among Christian youth in America, a group that almost monolithically rejects absolute truth (to say nothing of the secular youth). This combination makes one begin to realize that socialized medicine is only the beginning of sorrows in America.
Socialized medicine has been decades in the making, it was inevitable. As societal rejection of God increases every year, the state must rise in His place. In fact, the Marxists have telegraphed their plans for the last 100 years, why are we surprised? The church in America has failed to the be the storehouse and beacon of truth in our society. Now a majority of Americans decide for themselves what truth is, and are dumbfounded when the state passes draconian legislation against the consent of the governed. As William Penn stated over 300 years ago: Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants. Outside of a moral society based on Christianity, the principle of the consent of the governed no longer operates. The sinful nature of human beings cannot co-exist with true liberty, the state must fill the void.
Even still, there is much deserved backlash against the passage of so-called health reform. Now there is a “conservative ascendency” in America as people look for a GOP takeover of Congress in 2010 to lead us to the promised land. There other movements afoot as well – Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty and of course the loose coalition of Tea Party groups. However, we had a republican congress from 1994-2006. The anarchist and godless French revolution of 1789 only produced more tyranny. Secular political solutions will at best produce short term victories, delaying the inevitable result of a sick nation – DEATH. Lost people are dead spiritually. Yes the proposed repeal of this legislation and the reassertion of tenth amendment state’s rights are noble endeavors. However, unless the collective spirit of America is awakened, the nation will still riding the long, black train to the graveyard – it will just take a little longer to get there. Only the power of Christ can accomplish the miraculous, and only God’s absolute truth can sustain a free and vibrant nation.
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?What good is liberty to dead people?
Mark 8:36
Will the church rise up once again as did in the Great Awakening to shine the light of truth on America, and offer real solutions that will reverberate throughout eternity? Or will she continue to build buildings, play rock concerts, reject sound doctrine, fail to evangelize the lost and disciple the found, while retreating further from the culture? The church has a golden opportunity to disciple the nation is true liberty, and yet she is allowing secular movements to fill the void – much like education has ceded to government schools. If the church will not tell the truth in society, then who will? We are endowed by God with our rights, and yet Americans reject that God in favor of human saviors and self pleasure. Americans therefore have no right to complain as those rights are stolen right before our eyes. As Josh McDowell has pointed out, this could well the be the last Christian generation in America. If that is the case, it will also be the last generation to have any memory of a free society. Government health care will be just the beginning of the nation’s death throes. Is the church ready for CPR yet?