Faith Affects Action
Have you considered how what we believe affects how we act?
It is a simple concept. If we believe the Ten Commandments we will teach our children to love God, honor their parents, and not to lie, kill, or commit adultery (among other things). If we think the Ten Commandments are restrictive teachings of an ancient society that have no bearing on our day, we will do as we please regarding these things.
It gets more complicated when we think about some of the other teaching of the scripture that are not as straightforward as, “Thou shall not……”
For example, if you were taught, as many are, that things are getting worse and worse in the world and this is proof that Christ will return very soon, it can affect the way you live as well as how you teach your children about evangelism and Christian living. Many believe that Christ will return any day now so our only concern, as Christians, is with the salvation of individuals. We need not worry about affecting our culture with Christian principles, regardless of the fact that the lives of everyone improve when we live according to God’s Word.
If we aren’t going to be here for long, why waste our energy on such efforts as improving schools and insisting on integrity in politics?
On the other hand, if we see that Christianity is growing worldwide and that more of our young adults are turning to Christ in our own nation, it will give us a more optimistic, longer term view. This is easier to see when we pay attention to Christianity than when we are taken in by the daily news.
Christ started out with 12 disciples and a few hundred followers in one small part of the world. There are now 2 billion Christians worldwide and the numbers are growing outside of Western culture.
With this understanding we are more likely to be willing to press for God’s law to be the law of every land. I follow some people on Facebook (Imago Dei) who go to an abortion “clinic” in Bristol, TN to plead with women and their “rides” not to kill their babies. At this one Planned Parenthood in this relatively small city (27,000 in 2020) , they report that 2,874 infant image bearers were killed in 2024. That is a lot of innocent blood shed in one year. God’s Word is clear that He will not let that go without judgment. (Deuteronomy 21:9; Numbers 35:33; Proverbs 6:17)
If there is anywhere that Christians need to work to change the culture (and there are many places from the educational system to the increased rate of suicide, to the language we accept, and the wickedness that goes unpunished), it is the “legalized” killing of babies in the womb.
Certainly, change is slow but if we fail to insist on it, it will never happen. Have we given up hope of godly living in a world in which the scripture says that there will be no end to the increase of Christ’s government, here, on earth?
Are we salt and light? It’s a challenge for us Christians to accept that God’s kingdom, His rule on earth, is going to increase because we are salt and light to the world around us.
Here in the West, Christian living has been abandoned for personal piety and church activity. We tend to think that because we do not live in a predominantly Christian culture then we cannot expect Christian law and principles to rule the day. The truth is that God already expects that the world will obey His laws and principles and it is a true sign of not loving our neighbor when we fail to speak the truth to those whom God will judge (which is everyone!).
It is 2025, a New Year. Will we move forward knowing that God’s Kingdom is here and Christ reigns now? Psalm 47:7-8 says, “For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.”
Sadly, we live in a time when we must call out the sin of innocent lives being taken. “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life” has been the evangelistic message for so long that many of our neighbors do not know that God abhors the shedding of innocent blood.
How will our faith affect our actions in 2025? How will we act and what will we proclaim that communicates to others that Christ is King of heaven and earth, now? (Matthew 28:18, Acts 17:24)