The Reproach of Sin

"Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." Proverbs 14:34

 

As a country, we are falling, or have fallen already. We have been judged by the Almighty God in heaven who is the supreme judge and have been found guilty. We tried to make our defense but to no avail. We told Him we wanted to make life better for everyone but that didn't work. We said that we would try to make everyone happy on this earth but he didn't listen. We, as a nation and church within the nation, said we'd even help the poor and try to make things better for them. It didn't work. Instead, we were slapped in the face with the very words, "Depart from me, I never knew you." Matt. 7:23b

 

We again tried to make our defense. "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? Matt. 7:22 But this was only met by the statement, "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Matt. 7:23 Then he made this shattering statement. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Matt. 7:21

 

We asked, "what is the will of the Father?" The answer is to love his Son, Jesus Christ and serve him in sincerity. "That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;" Philippians 1:10 His will is that we are one with him, having him fully in our heart and that we walk in the light of his Word and walk in his Spirit which enables us to love others as ourselves, something that we cannot do in the flesh.

 

But as a church and nation, we have not. The trial continues: Our Lord begins to tell us our crimes. We have been blessed and have not only received the material blessings but a heritage that is unlike any other nation. We rode on the high places of the earth and were placed as the envy of the world, like a shining city on a hill. But now, that shining city has gone dim and is fast going out. We have sold out to humanism that champions only the temporary happiness and leaves out Christ. We have allowed this to infiltrate our body so much that we are more concerned with being like the world than Christ. The ball games have become our god as well as the movies from Hollywood. We have no time for his Word and if we take the time, it is for only a short while. God is no longer the end but the means to happiness. Now, we have been given what we want as a nation, a false god. We stand guilty as a nation before Him and we have no more defense. I can list the sins but you know them already. Darkness will continue to fall on this nation and only those who walk in the light of his word will survive the thrashing that will come upon the church.

 

God will keep his people. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1 What a promise! But there is a condition, and that is to dwell in the secret place of the most High God and his Son, Jesus Christ. To "dwell" means to stay there. You're not a Christian one day than maybe not so the next, but every day, 24/7. While we do our work, we are Christians ready to serve Him. We care more about time spent with Him than even our recreation. To the true believer, Christ is the end, not the means to an end. Dark times are coming to America, but God will keep you if you want to be kept in Him. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" John 10:27 If you are truly one of His, you will hear his voice, which is primarily that of his Word, the Bible. "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." John 10:28 You will not perish or be lost but only IF you follow the conditions set out in verse 27 which is to hear his voice and follow him. Will you follow Him and hear the voice of his Word?