THE WHOLE WORLD HAS PROBLEMS=+
What should believers do about problems=+
we see in our society?=+
by=+
Wendell E. Miller=++

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). =++

Copyright 1988 by Wendell E. Miller=+
Downloaded from http://www.biblical-counsel.org=++

May be reprinted and distributed in quantities if distributed
free or at cost, and if=+
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