God needs you!
It’s so tempting to talk about the evil things that are going on in our country but in the Bible it is surprising that problems in a country can often be traced back to God’s people. This is found over & over in the Bible. As it says in 2 Chron 7:14:
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
We must encourage each other to shun evil (if only on TV) and shine our light, or the world will naturally go to evil & chaos. It’s uncomfortable to share our faith, but if done with lots of prayer and tact, especially with people who respect you, some will respond. At least seeds will be planted. It’s certainly worth taking the risk. Jesus said go make disciples in Matt 28:19. Titus 2:11-14 says we are God’s ambassadors. God is making His appeal thru us to the world! It depends on us! Even with supernatural events of salvation, like Paul and Cornelius in Acts 9 and 10, God still sent a person to lead them to salvation. It seems to be required. With Jesus’ death on the cross, God has paid a very high price to save people from sin but has left it up to us to tell people. It will be of no account if we don’t share this Good News! You can start small and ask God to lead and help. Leave a tract at a restaurant. Humbly talk to your friends and neighbors. They will probably respect you for trying to reach them. Search for “gift of a Bible” on YouTube and look for the big long-haired atheist (Penn Gillette) who explains that he doesn’t respect Christians who believe in a hell and don’t warn people. He makes a great point. I’ve experienced this first hand too; people appreciate you caring.
The best part is that God wants to help you in this with great power. This is critical. We can’t do anything on our own. Ask for God’s help constantly. Seek Him in a father/child relationship by frequent prayer and Bible study. This is your part. Then He will lead you and fill you with the Holy Spirit, which gives you power & joy to do these things. Read Romans 7 & 8 to discover Paul’s victory in this. I have a whole article and my personal video testimony on this at www.libertyoftruth.com/spirit.html
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed … continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:13)
For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. (Rom. 8:13)
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24)
The biggest lie that shut the church down is a distortion of “faith alone” to downplay obedience to God. People think they’re saved because they have a mental “accent” (belief) in God. So the church got lukewarm and the world went to pot (literally). But that’s not true faith. Even Martin Luther, the originator of “faith alone” said: “To think, ‘If faith justifies without works, let us work nothing,’ is to despise the grace of God. Idle faith is not justifying [saving] faith.” (He’s saying that won’t save you from hell.)
John Calvin also agreed in obedience after salvation: “… as often as we mention Faith alone in this question, we are not thinking of a dead faith, which worketh not by love … It is therefore faith alone which justifies, and yet the faith which justifies is not alone:
We are saved by faith & grace alone but after we are saved, we obey God with His power as He lives in us. It’s a great joyful life but sin messes it up. Be careful not to listen to popular opinion but read the Bible faithfully.
The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (1 John 2:3-5)
“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For I tell you many will seek to enter and will not be able. Luke 13:24 (read the whole chapter)
small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matt. 7:14 (read the whole chapter)
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder … 24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. … 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (James 2:14-25, read the whole passage)