Spiritually, economically, and morally, America is a nation on the decline. But for those of us who are Christians, we should not lose hope, for there are exciting solutions to this dilemma.
But first, let us explore the causes of this decline. Of course, those outside of Christ have been given unbridled license for their sinful desires, but note also that Matthew 5:13 states, "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its 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."
Christ is saying that Christians are the salt of the earth. Salt, of course, flavors and preserves that on which it is poured, but for salt to be effective, it must be pure. It cannot be contaminated, or it will lose its saltiness.
As Christians, we need to be influencing society around us. We need to be literally pouring on the salt so that society will be affected in the right way. By salt, of course, we are talking about Biblical truth—the truth about the God of history and the God of creation—the One who came to earth to die for a lost world so that we can spend eternity with Him.
Mark 9:50 tells us that we must have this salt in ourselves before we can be the salt of the earth. And, as we read in Matthew 5:13, the salt must not be contaminated, for, once it is, it is no longer good for anything. Some Jewish traders used to mix gypsum with their salt to make it go further in order to obtain more money for it. In doing so, they ruined the salt to such an extent that it was useless.
Unfortunately, the Church seems to have lost its saltiness. Society is not being "salted" the way it should be.
There is certainly need for national revival, like some of the great revivals of the past, but we need to recognize that God will not allow national revival until we have personal revival—until we have the right kind of salt to affect and preserve the society around us. And what do we mean by the right type of salt? Not just "Bible truth," but uncontaminated, Biblical truth!
Contamination comes in many forms, but perhaps the saddest aspect is that much of institutional Christianity has compromised the Word of God, particularly concerning the doctrine of creation. Most of our readers know that the book of Genesis is foundational to all Christian doctrine. The literal understanding of the events in the book of Genesis is necessary to an understanding of what Christian doctrine is all about. It doesn't take an architect or engineer to appreciate the necessity of providing strong and secure foundations under any structure. Default in this area and total collapse is inevitable.
We can easily see the structure of society collapsing on every side. The hapless politicians certainly don't provide any long-term solutions. Sadly, and to our shame, much of the Church at large is also bereft of comfort and encouragement. The solutions offered by many denominations and seminaries have their basis not in the foundation of Genesis but in the humanistic, anti-God philosophy of evolution—a philosophy that has so permeated most churches (and therefore our society) that it has contaminated the salt, and this contaminated salt is no longer good for anything! Not only is the contaminated salt not affecting society in the right way, it is choking many churches, and non-Christians are basking in it!
To take a firm position on the creation issue means that one must accept that there is a Creator Who owns us and Who sets the rules. If the church does not emphasize this foundational aspect (teaching God as being Creator and thus refuting the anti-God belief that we are the result of chance), then non-Christians will not be challenged, for, as long as they don't have to accept creation, they don't have to accept any form of individual responsibility for their actions.
In Revelation 3:15, 16, concerning the Laodicean church, the Lord said that he would rather that believers be either hot or cold. But Christ goes on to add the solemn warning: "So then because thou art neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth." If we are "cold," we aren't affecting anybody if we are "hot," and declaring Biblical truth, then we are doing great things for the Lord. But as soon as we compromise—as soon as we are lukewarm, as soon as we are contaminated—we begin to destroy; hence our Lord's stern rebuke.
Many Christians don't realize that they, their church, and the Christian colleges they support really are compromising and are thus tolerating contamination. In what ways is this so? Many do not accept God's Word in Genesis as truth, because they doubt or even disbelieve much of Genesis—the 24-hour days of creation, the global flood of Noah, the creation of Adam from dust, etc. A significant number of Christians, including many in leadership positions, compromise with evolutionary ideas, and, because of this contamination, America is not being salted, but is decaying.
America prides itself on being a free country, with one facet being freedom of religion, and yet Christianity has been all but barred from the public scene. A recent seminar sponsored by the American Bar Association discussed how to sue churches and Christian organizations. At a recent pro-abortion rally, which featured speakers from the National Organization of Women, a well-known entertainer stated: "When you see a car with the sign of a fish on it—they are the enemy!" America needs salting!
Furthermore, as we see the great opportunities for presenting the Gospel that are arising in communist countries, let us not be guilty of sending a contaminated Gospel to them because of our compromise here in the West.
As Christians, we are a minority, but with God on our side we can be a majority. Let us awaken to the fact that we are here to influence society—society should not be influencing us. We are here to salt this nation, and the salt is to be pure and undefiled. Let us also awaken to the fact that the foundational basis for Biblical truth lies in the fact that God is Creator.
We believe the ministry of the Institute for Creation Research and other creation organizations around the world are some of the most vital ministries in the world today. If we want to see revival in the nation of America—if we want to see this nation turn around for God—we must stand upon His Word as truth and turn away from the evolutionary compromise that has turned people's hearts away from trusting God's Word.
