Tuesday, November 15, 2016

A Nation Divided

Let's face it; our nation is more divided than ever.  Races divided claim that each side is bigoted and exercising special privilege.  We hear sexism rants particularly from women who believe their path up the corporate ladder is thwarted by men who receive undue favor.  Men treat women and speak of women in demeaning ways.  Police are opposed in the neighborhoods and it is considered OK to resist arrest and expect no consequences.  Politics divide people all types of ways; guns, schools, right to life, same sex marriage, transgender identity, public programs and more.  The distance between us grows and grows.  But God divides our nation based on only one distinction; are you redeemed or not?

We have a lot more in common than we care to admit.  While God made each one of us unique and equipped us with a mind and special abilities to be used to benefit ourselves, our community and to glorify Him, we also have a sin nature that joins us together.  We all have within us the seeds of sin that can and do manifest themselves.  No matter how hard we try, we cannot shake this demon nature of ours and for that reason God sent the world a Savior named Jesus Christ.

When we look at our divisions, we more often than not are holding ourselves above another viewpoint claiming superior intellect and moral rightness.  Many of the divisions aren't issues for God at all.  God made all races and his son died for everyone who will accept the free gift of salvation.  God made the sexes man and woman each with their own characteristics and designed to work together functioning in marriage as one unit.  God formed the child in its mothers womb and loves that child even before it breathes its first breath.  It is only God who can claim moral rightness, our place is to fall in line with His declarations or stand against them.

We all like to believe that we are worthy of God, but in fact the Bible tells us that each of us has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  It tells us if we have sinned even just once we have made ourselves a reproach to God and unable to redeem ourselves no matter how much good we may do moving forward.  We are all deplorable sinners without any hope at all - until Jesus paid the price for our sin, we were all doomed to eternity away from God.  Now that Jesus has bridged the gap between men and God we do have a great hope for our nation.  We can all enjoy fellowship with God and have His Spirit reside in us if we will but admit our sin and agree with God that we have offended His laws, His plans and His purposes.  We can acknowledge that the only one who was perfect before God was Jesus alone and believe that His death and resurrection are sufficient to pay the price for our failures.  We can ask God to come inside us and clean house; chipping away at our character flaws and replacing our own nature with His.  Then we can receive that redemption promised.

With our nation divided it is clear more than ever that we need Jesus.  Some very passionate people hold views that are against God and may be standing on the edge of eternity without any hope.  Now more than ever the redeemed need to extend a hand of fellowship to those who are unsaved and offer them both friendship and encouragement.  There is a choice still to be made even though the president is selected - that choice is who will be King of your life?  Will we drift through life seeking our own will and pleasures or will we seek God's will and find eternal joy?  Our nation is divided, but we can be united once again; but only in Christ will we find true unity.

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him!