Mat 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.Mat 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
The Presidential election results say a great deal about the current moral and ideological climate of America. I have seen many changes in my lifetime concerning politics in this nation. When I was a young man it would have been political suicide for a presidential candidate to believe that defense of gay rights, abortion and bigger government would be a boost to their chances of winning. It has become apparent over the past several decades the moral and ideological norms have changed for more than half of our population. We could write volumes about the reasons these changes have taken place. A nationalized educational system that has for many years revised the historical significance of Christian influence and demonized those who could suggest that a divine creator could have had anything to do with our origins. Christianity has been mocked and ridiculed by the entertainment industry. The concept of freedom has been replaced with license to promote destructive and irresponsible behavior. Lamenting the many reasons we have arrived at this place does not do much to change things. I want to discuss a different perspective on the matter.
I can remember when a movement called the Moral Majority helped bring a trend back to conservative values. It appears that there is no longer a Moral Majority in America. Many who consider themselves decent and good people are perfectly fine with abortion and other moral compromises. They vote single issues or the condition of their pocketbook. They claim to have personal convictions about morality but do not feel strong enough about their beliefs to try to influence others. They have been intimidated into believing that sharing their light would be to impose their beliefs on someone else. When you add to their number the liberal progressives the result is a statistical majority of America’s population.
There are many different groups in America today. There are African Americans, Hispanic Americans, White Americans, Union members, Public sector workers, Private sector workers, Asian Americans, Muslims, Catholics, Evangelicals, the rich, the middle class, the impoverished and the list goes on and on. There is one group that needs to be added to the list: Christian Americans. This may seem odd to suggest since it was people of the Christian faith that founded America and it was Christian principles that became the basis of our law. Christians have always had the greater influence in establishing the culture of America.
I think its time for us to consider who Jesus was talking about when He said that we were the salt and light of the world. He was talking about those who would believe the gospel. They would believe mankind to be lost in sin and separated from God. They would believe that Jesus was the Messiah and the sacrifice for these sins and that salvation only comes through accepting Him as their personal savior. Beyond that initial faith He was talking of those who would share the wisdom of His teachings. They would not be self righteous prudes, but rather people that would have the answers from God about love, forgiveness, redemption and personal peace. We would be the “born again” who have found new life in Christ and understand the things that are important to God. America is one of the few places in history where those who meet this criteria have been the dominant group. This is no longer true and it hasn’t been true for awhile. It has been a mistake for Christian Americans to think that this country belonged to us. God did not give the nation to us, He gave us to the nation. As a matter of fact the “born again” believers have been given by God to every nation. We must take on a different identity in America. We must stop lamenting the loss of a country that was never ours and realize we were a gift form God to that country. We need to assume the role we were saved for. Christian Americans are not white, black, Indian, Asian, male, female, Hispanic, rich, poor, republican or democrat. We are from all groups, but once we joined the ranks of the “born again” we became the light and salt of the earth. We must put away all other affiliations and realize that we belong to Christ and are His ambassadors. According to Christ we are the only ones that can be salt and light to a perishing world. We have let the enemy define us as shallow, ignorant and bigoted. We are supposed to be showing the world the truths that only come through Jesus Christ.
Christian Americans must accept our role as a minority group. When the President said America was not a Christian nation he was more correct than we thought. We find ourselves in the position that genuine Christians have historically faced and that is trying to share with a hostile world the gospel of Jesus Christ. The sooner we accept this role the sooner we will see genuine results. God never used a majority to accomplish His will on earth. Concerning America He just needs “Christian Americans” to be his gift of salt and light to our society. If we lose our savour then how will it be salted? If we hide our light then how will they see the way?
