Change From The Inside Out

People make the mistake of trying to change people to change society when God is interested in saving people.

"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place." - 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 ESV

"For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!' " - Romans 10:13-15 ESV

A good many preachers spend far to much time preaching against the problem without giving the solution. Perhaps because they themselves believe that behavioral change is the solution. Political figures expound on social changes but it is love that changes people not policy. You can try to regulate the boundaries of behavior but how is the content touched?

God will heal a land if the people in it are humble. The Gospel creates humble people. Transformation is what is needed today. Every age has needed it and this one is no exception. Transformed people become salt and light.

As great as our societies are in history and culture I believe God cares much more for one soul than He does for a society. Culture is a vehicle to carry passengers. It is the lives of the passengers that matter. They have souls. The people are eternal, unique and irreplaceable.

In the context of care, respect and honor we make known the consequences of actions and decisions so that people can make choices.

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live," - Deuteronomy 30:19 ESV

I tire quickly of critical analysis of social issues that results in a, 'If people only did this or that' answer. People are often just trying to manage as best they can as flawed human beings who lack and want to fill that lack. It is God that blesses and what He puts His hand on is blessed by divine power. That is what will fill up the lack of the human heart.

People can have and keep their social experiments. I choose life.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." - John 3:16-18 KJV

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends." - 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a ESV

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