GET OFF THE FENCE & CHOOSE THE LORD!

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GET OFF THE FENCE & CHOOSE THE LORD!

The prophet stood on a high hill overlooking the valley of Armageddon. He was a confronter not a conformer. His name was Elijah. Now he was confronting the regime and supporters of the most powerful political family in the region - King Ahab and his wife Jezebel. At stake was the future direction of the nation and, yes, his own life. (I Kings 18)

Why couldn’t he stay in his cave, say his prayers and leave politics to go its own course? Something was compelling him to put his fears to the side. He must confront the corrupt regime that was hell-bent on removing the godly standards that had been the bedrock of the nation for nearly 500 years. He could no longer stand aside while his nation abandoned its values and identity, through the influence of King Ahab and his controlling wife.

Elijah called on his own people to make a decision to stand with the God of their fathers and choose His ways or to choose immoral paganism. ‘“How long will you limp between two opinions?” he shouted “If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.” (1 Kings 18). What a contrast between the vocal Elijah and the silent people whose silence had facilitated this awful situation to prevail

In modern society elections are decision times. Rarely are the moral issues so clear as we see in America’s election this year. Usually the choice is between two different parties that have slightly different policies on taxation, environmental issues, labor, business policies etc. Today there is “an elephant in the room” – abortion and the Judeo Christian values that have been the bedrock of this nation for nearly 250 years. Will we defend them, stand for them or simply let the atheistic amoral and immoral policies promoted by an atheistic media and entertainment industry have their way?

The fundamental theological issue of our time is humanism versus faith in God. Will we choose to build our lives around the God of the Bible or will we choose to ignore His voice and His interventions in history and make our own rules, without reference to Him and his revealed word? We cannot sit on the fence .. we must choose. If we choose God we are obligated to choose not only His forgiveness and love, but we also choose to live by His ways.

If humanism versus faith in God is the fundamental theological issue of our time the fundamental moral issue of our time is abortion. For nearly 50 years an average of more than 2,500 abortions have been performed every day in the USA - fully sanctioned and protected by the law of the land. As Rev Bob Barron, Professor of Theology at Mundelein College, points out: “The ancient Greek political philosophers taught us long ago that law not only orders society but also educates a community morally. What is allowed and what is forbidden by law forms the minds and directs the wills of those who are subject to the law. Should we then be surprised that a country which allows abortion on demand, which has sanctioned the killing of over 50,000,000 unborn children since 1973, exhibits a profound ethical dysfunction?” (The Seeker Jan. 24th 2011)

These policies are now enshrined in the law of America. They are an official part of the Democrat platform. The repeal of these policies, on the other hand, are an official part of the Republican party’s platform. Since these things are already settled in law there seems to be little we can do about them, but to choose privately to live lives contrary to the way advocated by the immoral norms of our society. However, since we live in a democracy (unlike the Christians who lived in the days of the Roman Empire) we can also do something about it. We have the right to voice our opinion and our disagreement with this silent genocide and abandonment of Biblical values. We have the right and the obligation to vote against the policies and politicians that champion, promote and endorse these positions. When we vote we do not vote for personalities or party, but we vote, insofar as possible, for God’s standards and interests.

In Ireland, just two years ago, we watched with sadness as our people voted overwhelmingly in a referendum to legalize abortion and enshrine it as a constitutional right. We were not involved in the public debate. We trusted that the Catholic Church, to which over 80% of the people in the Republic of Ireland give nominal allegiance, would speak out boldly to the nation and its own people and settle the argument. They did not speak boldly – they whispered and the voice of the atheistic, humanistic media prevailed.

As we express our opposition to abortion and to other contemporary immoral developments, we also boldly and simultaneously announce there is unlimited grace available for all who have had an abortion, facilitated an abortion or participated in other immoral activities. We always proclaim that through the blood of Jesus there is forgiveness and an instant new beginning for all who come to Him. He will erase from the record all memory of past wrong doings. This is the greatness of His grace.

Today, as in the days of Elijah, the prophetic voice of the Spirit is asking us to choose: “If the Lord is God serve Him!” Get off the fence and choose! At this time we cannot sit on the fence on the issue of abortion. Will we, condone policies that are anti-God, by our silence or by opting for seemingly ‘nice guy' politicians who pledge themselves to continue this killing while professing faith and at the same time ignoring God’s ways.

These are the defining moral issues of our day. You may say there are other important issues such as health care, race relations, infrastructure, national debt, trade policy etc. Yes there are. However, sometimes one issue is so enormous that it cannot be ignored or supplanted by lesser ones. In the days of the US Civil War there were other issues besides slavery, and in the days of Nazi Germany there were other issues besides anti-Semitism but the great moral issues of those days were so compelling that if you did not oppose them you were complicit.

All believers are compelled not to sit on the fence but to choose, not only at election time, but at all times, between following the world and following the word - there is an ‘L’ of a difference! Will we, as believers, accept Jesus as Savior then take our values from the immoral prevailing culture we live in, or will we live intentionally for Jesus and by His ways in the power of the Spirit?