Opus 2013-118: America, the ex-Beautiful

I was again listening to Alistair Begg.  He mentioned that the disciples kept responding in a nationalistic tone.  Jesus had come to bring redemption and forgiveness.  He was to be the sacrifice, the Perfect Lamb of God, that would make salvation possible and would be extended to the entire world.  He did not condemn the hated Romans.  He interacted with the despised Samaritans.  He ate with the rejected publicans and sinners.  He was here for the world, and all the disciples could see was they wanted to restore Israel.  It was all about them being special.

Do we as Americans have that same attitude?  I am a believer in American exceptionalism.  I think that the United States has been a tremendous force of good in the world.  I have no problem with that.  At the same time I don’t believe we are the new Chosen People.  We are not God’s anointed just because we are Americans. 

God has blessed us because the Founding Fathers built a society on Biblical principles.  Like all social structures it has had its flaws, but we have been the best yet.  We are now departing from that pathway.  The supreme court is hearing cases about homosexual marriage.  Fifty years ago these people would be laughed out of court.  Now many think they have the high ground.  It did not start here.  It has been a slope that started gradually and gets steeper daily. 

No, we are not God’s chosen, but we have been uniquely blessed.  I think we are going to see that change.  The change will not be because of different political philosophies or economic practices.  The disaster will be because there is not enough salt and light left in our culture to overcome the evil and cause God to bless us as a nation.  Remember, if Sodom had contained a few righteous people it would not have been destroyed.  Can we expect a different standard?

There are times when I am glad to be older.  I may not live to see the worst of it.

homo unius libri