Embracing The Grey Side Of Life – It’s Deadly

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.” – Romans 1:21-23

In 1933 something called the “Humanist Manifesto” was written by Raymond Bragg, a Unitarian minister, and published with 34 signers [largely Unitarians]. The manifesto promoted “a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism [belief in the God of the universe] or other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good.  In other words, there is no God only us and it is up to us to bring peace and harmony to the world.” So what does this have to do with anything? As I was pondering what I would write about this morning – asking the Lord to show me – Dr Francis Schaeffer (an American Evangelical Christian theologian, philosopher, and Presbyterian pastor) and his book “A Christian Manifesto” came to mind.  This book presents the Christian perspective of life, particularly in the areas of law, government and ethics, and contrasts it with the humanistic perspective [explicitly, the ideas promoted by the Humanist Manifesto]. A humanist world view that is the dominant one in our country and throughout the world today.  

Stay with me!

That led to me going back to the source of Truth – the Word of God.  [Be careful what you read – it must always point you back to the wisdom of God and not to the mere wisdom of men] Thus the quote from Romans.  What you see happening around you – the moral decay – the rampant sin – is because that is what the world is like when people reject God and trust in themselves as the source of all things and the determiners of what is wright and what is wrong.                        

“Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” – Romans 1:28-32

I believe that life begins at conception. So no matter what the reason that life is terminated before birth – it was still a life.  There are some very difficult issues associated with what I just wrote – and I do not intend to address them here – I am not trying to sway your view – just state my own. While we served in Haiti, I had the opportunity to preach in Haitian churches.  The Haitians call the United States – Money Land – and see our country as a “Promise Land” of sorts.  The population of Haiti was about 9 million people  at the time.  I asked the congregations if they knew that since 1973 more than 45 million babies had been aborted in the United States.  That was 5 times the population of Haiti.  When I told them – they always had a look of surprise. Why did I tell them that? Because I wanted them to know that sin knows no boundaries on this earth.  That the land they envied was trod upon by sinners just like the land that they trod.  That all have sinned – and everyone needs a Savior – even Jesus. I would ask them to pray for our country and its people.  Having money and lots of possessions is not proof of God’s blessing – it merely means that you have money and a lot of possessions.

Listen – there are good things about the United States – there are good things about every country.  While embracing the good, you may not be tempted to embrace what is starkly evil – but those things that are “not so bad”, those things in the grey – now that is a problem for all of us.  If you are living in dim light – in the grey, then your eyes will eventually adjust and it will become normal to you. If you are looking to your culture for validation of what is OK – as a Christian you are in spiritual trouble.  What is it that you have embraced in your life that, when laid up against the Word of Truth is sin? Pray about it!

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone