'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ' 1 John 1:9 https://my.bible.com/bible/59/1JN.1.9
'if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. ' 2 Chronicles 7:14 https://my.bible.com/bible/59/2CH.7.14
I got these two Bible verses this morning in two separate daily devotionals I receive each day. Reading them this morning and meditating on them this morning I started to think how fall we have fallen as a nation. Sure, I agree that we are still far better off than many other nations. But just because we have more resources, loads of technologies, and still one of the freest people in the world, we are falling.
The problem is that because we have advanced so much as a sociality, many have done what the Isrealities done in the time of Moses. We have taken those objects that are not good or bad, and made them into idols. Most of us can’t leave our phones at home or go off the grid for a day. More people today probably knows who the American Idol is than can tell me what the Vice Presidents name is today or whose the previvious Vice Presidents name was. We have even turned sex into an idol. Just name me a movies or TV show that doesn’t have some type sexual theme to it. Now with the free for all channels like Netflix and Amazon Prime, almost anything goes.
Am I a perfect person in this, no. I once did the same exact thing as I am writing about. I would justify certain sins with the phrase, “God made me that way, so it couldn’t be that wrong.” The truth is that it was that bad. But I also learned that I can’t point my finger at the adulterer, the homosexual, or even the liar without having to first look at my own sins and asking how I was any better. I have to fall back on two separate Bible verses and examine myself first and how Jesus would view me.
'Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ' Galatians 5:19-21 https://my.bible.com/bible/59/GAL.5.19-21
'This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” ]] Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst ' John 8:3-11 https://my.bible.com/bible/59/JHN.8.3-11
In the first verse I see myself in the reasons that I should not go to heaven. All I have to do is commit one of those sins and I shouldn’t inherit God’s kingdom. Yet in the second verse it shows exactly how we should not condemn others for their sins as we are no better. Then Jesus tells us exactly what we need to do once we learn our sins, repent and stop committing them.
So now this brings me to the Bible verses I posted at the top of the post.
First, we as a nation must admit our sins. Admit that we have accepted many evils, abortion, sexual immoralities (homosexual, adultery, transvestism), hate of each other over race, color, and political view, and the list goes on and on. We then need to ask the Lord for forgiveness and rebirth of us as His people.
Lastly, we need to humble ourselves and know that He is the Lord. Ask Him for the healing of our nation and to remove the wickedness that we have long accepted as normal. Then and only then will we see a change in the heart of the people. We will see a nation that is blessed.
