Q. I am disturbed about abortion, euthanasia and other troubling things happening in our country. What actions, if any, should Christians take to reverse the downward trends in society?

A. Just hours before His crucifixion, Jesus prophesied that His disciples would be scattered and would leave Him. Yet He went on to say that He would not be alone because the Father would be with Him (John 16:32). He has also promised, "I will never, never leave you, and I will never, never forsake you (paraphrased emphasis of the Greek text of Heb. 13:5 shown by doubling the use of "never").

So, no matter how dark the clouds or how dark the night, a true believer will never never be forsaken by his God.

In the passage of John 16, Jesus reminded the disciples that He had told them of the dark things of the future so that they might have peace. The peace was to come, not from the situation, but in spite of the situation, knowing that the sovereign will of God cannot fail. Jesus wanted them to know that even the apparent failure of His ministry--His crucifixion--was a part of the sovereign plan of God.

Jesus, speaking prophetically of His crucifixion, said, "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). This was a command to take courageous action and not be fearful or discouraged to the point of inactivity. It was not a command to feel cheerful, as it appears to be from reading some translations, but a command to courageous action based upon His victory over the world (John 16:33).

Therefore, we have three truths: 1) trust the sovereignty of God--He cannot fail; 2) be confident that, no matter how dark the clouds, He will never, never leave you and never, never forsake you; and 3) be courageous, as opposed to letting feelings of discouragement defeat you.

The decline of society has been foretold in 2 Timothy 3; and yet, there is no reason to neglect taking courageous action to correct the ills of our society. There is no reason to sit back, wring our hands and do nothing. There is no reason to forego doing anything that will bring glory to God, whether or not it succeeds in changing society.

Of course, Bible-believing Christians differ in their understandings as to what God would have them do about problems in society.

One view is that Christians should attack such problems only by spiritual means. There is good basis for this position because the Scriptures teach that "except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain" (Ps. 127:1). It is abundantly clear that there is no way to preserve our country apart from the power of God. Thus, prayer is basic in bringing about biblical change in our country.

Further, answers to an individual's prayers are dependent upon obedience to His moral laws (66:18). In like manner, there are prayers that are answered by God upon the obedience of a group of His people; for example, 2 Chronicles 7:14 reads, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Therefore, it is possible for Bible-believing Christians to change society through prayer. It is possible to reverse the Supreme Court decision on abortion, it is possible to reverse the trend toward euthanasia, and it is possible to reverse every other immoral trend in the United States. However, a truth of the Scriptures is that God often uses man's efforts or actions to achieve His sovereign will.

For instance, man's obedience to God in repentance, turning from evil and praying are the keys to God's "healing" of the land, as we have just noted. Further, on one occasion, God used the action of an unsaved soldier to fulfill His promise to Paul that no life would be lost (Acts 27:21,22,30,31). On another occasion, He put it in the heart of the king of Persia to be the human element that would fulfill His will for His people (2 Chron. 36:22,23). Clearly, God uses human efforts to accomplish His sovereign will.

Thus it seems reasonable to believe that there must be some "doing" that accompanies prayer if the moral decline in our country is to be reversed.

The "doing" surely includes repentance and turning from evil on the part of individual Christians, because these are two requirements that God has given for "healing" of the land.

The "doing" surely includes making biblical changes in marriages and child rearing because God's basic unit of society is marriage and the family.

The "doing" surely includes personal evangelism, because God's plan is that believers be witnesses of Him (Acts 1:8).

Probably most Bible-believing Christians accept this view that both prayer and action resulting in a larger number of dedicated Christians are the two primary keys to changing society and this viewpoint is in accord with the previously mentioned teaching of 2 Chronicles.

Other Bible-believing Christians believe that Christians should take an active part in representative government or in social projects as a part of responsible citizenship (Matt. 22:21).

Perhaps the best view is that Christians should give priority to doing all that they can do spiritually to reverse the immoral trends in our country that are inundating society and then not neglect doing those things that they can do as responsible citizens and responsible individuals (Luke 10:27- 37).

Granted, God may call some to be Christian politicians, and God may call some into occupations that work with society; but biblical balance requires that Christians in general spend most of their time and effort on the spiritual battle for the Lord, not on a secular battle to save America.

An important principle is that man was created to glorify God (Isa. 43:7), and all is to be done to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). Thus, Christians should direct their efforts and should funnel their money toward causes that are performed in Jesus' name, as opposed to efforts that bring glory to man and his "goodness."

Unfortunately, Bible-believing churches, in a sincere attempt to keep their efforts directed toward the things of God and not be diverted toward a social gospel, have generally neglected a practical outreach toward society. The result has been that many of their members have served secular organizations, doing those things for secular organizations that should be done in Jesus' name (Mark 9:41).

Since the spiritual battle for America will be decisive in determining the course of the nation, Christians who are elderly, shut-in, physically handicapped or infirmed can be more productive for the good of the nation than the most intelligent and most influential unsaved patriots.

This group of saints can wage effective warfare by praying for the nation and for those who are in authority (1 Tim. 2:1-3). Some Christians can minister to social needs as a practical way of showing the love of God, and as a way of reaching others for Christ. A ministry to pregnant girls can be an effective way of ministering in the name of Jesus.

Christians can take an active part in representative government by becoming better informed about the technical aspects, legal aspects and legislative trends with regard to euthanasia and so forth and then doing their part to influence future legislation.

The emotional distress of seeing such problems as abortion and euthanasia in society is best handled by doing more than fretting.

Christians can do three things to handle this emotional distress.

Each Christian can do whatever God would have him do to remedy the problems that he sees in society, including being active in the spiritual battle, and probably including such things as are a part of responsible citizenship in our country.

Even though his individual part may be small, each believer can have the satisfaction of knowing that he has done what he could: and he can have the satisfaction of knowing that Jesus will someday say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" (Matt. 25:21).

Every Christian, after doing whatever God would have him to do, can cast all of his care onto God (1 Pet. 5:7).

Too often Christians attempt to carry the world on their own shoulders rather than resting in the sovereignty of God. At times Christians need to admonish one another by saying, "Why not let God run part of the world?"

Finally, Christians can rejoice. Rejoicing does not require "feeling like" rejoicing. Christians can "rejoice evermore," no matter how they feel (1 Thess. 5:16; 1 Pet. 1:6). Rejoicing that does not require "feeling like it," consists of rejoicing in God's eternal truth, His sovereignty, His promises and His faithfulness.

In summary, these are three things that every true believer can do in the face of disturbing trends in our society: 1) do whatever God would have you to do spiritually, socially, and/or politically, giving priority to the spiritual; 2) cast your burden onto God in prayer, rather than trying to take the whole world on your shoulders; and 3) rejoice--rejoice in the eternal truths of God.

For troubled times and troubling situations, Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you. . . . Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).

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