What Time Is It?  (Part 2)

You may have noticed that lately God is popular.  Politicians and entertainment personalities are suddenly requesting God’s blessings upon the United States of America. Those who oppose such references to God are mostly silent.  But does the silence mean that God can now truly bless the nation?  Can we expect God’s blessings the nation is in the midst of moral decline?  What moral decline?  Consider the following areas where the decline of morality is in evidence.

The decline is seen in attitudes toward marriage.   Marriage is the God designed center for the family.  (Genesis 2:24).  God designed the union of one man and one women to last one lifetime, (Romans 7:1-3; Matthew 19:3-12).  God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). But America has a different attitude today.  This is demonstrated in the 50% divorce rate in the nation today.  Evidence for the disregard for God’s design is the existence of the “pre-nuptial agreement.”  This is a contract between the couple before marriage which contains the conditions for future divorce.  Another evidence is the existence of “no fault” divorce making it easier for one or both to end the marriage for any and every reason.

A second area indicating decline is the attitude toward sexual gratification.  We, as a nation have come, or  gone, a long way.  Many still remember television shows of the past such as “I Love Lucy,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” and a host of others where the subject of sex was never even hinted at.  Theses programs were well written, acted, and liked.  Today’s television seems centered around sexual content, and mostly by unmarried couples.  The message is clear, sex is ok and normal outside of marriage.  The message is well received today which leads to further problems for our nation.

Unwanted pregnancy is a serious problem today.  It is most often “unwanted” because the “parents” are not married.  This is one result of sexual attitudes and the desire for action without consequence.  The solutions are all problematic. Many opt for abortion. This solution ends an innocent life.  If the child is born does the
mother put the baby up for adoption or rear the child herself?  If she chooses to keep the baby she joins the ranks of unwed mothers, and another child will likely grow up without a father figure contrary to God’s design. So what time is it?  It is time for the church (that is you and me) to stand up and defend God’s moral standards.  If we do not, how can God bless our nation or the church?

—Denton Landon