HOW SHOULD WE THEN LIVE?

What should be the Christian response to the recent US Supreme jurists' legislating from the bench and legalizing same-sex marriage and, thus, condoning homosexuality? Should we circulate and sign petitions? Should we boycott same-sex-marriage-supportive businesses? Should we join political movements? What should we Christians do? What should we Christians say? For whom should we Christians vote? Honestly, I do not think that the question should first be any of these but "How should we then live?" In 1976 Francis Shaeffer wrote the book "How Should We Then Live?" He took this question from Ezekiel 33:10. Israel had taken note of the awful, destructive consequences of her sins. Because her sins had so devastated her, she lamented inquiring how could she go on living, existing?. Showing the reason for the destruction that crumbled western society when it moved away from the morality derived from God's absolutes, Shaeffer recommended that the only way to live, to survive, is to return to those absolutes and live them in all of life. This book and its subsequent film series were of great influence in my formative years. Oddly, not the book, but its title was one of the first things that came to me after the news of the Supreme Court's legal affirmation of homosexuality: "How should we then live?" Truly, I believe this is the best response to our nation's present condition. Why? We have come to this place because somebody has not been living it (the way Christians should live). Statistics range from 70-80+% of Americans claiming to be Christians. It is not possible. If that many were truly Christians living by the Bible, we would not be where we are as a country. Any can say in answer to a survey question that he is Christian. That is no indicator he is living Christian. Other research reveals that there is little discernable difference in the percentages of Christians versus non-Christians who commit fornication, steal, cheat, etc.. Somebody hasn't been living it. Thus, the question should not be What are we going to say?, What are we going to do?, Whom are we going to boycott?, What candidate are we going to support?, but, How should we then live? Frankly, we have come to this place because too many who claimed to be Christian have not lived the Christian life. Only a faith genuine and vibrant enough to make a difference in the way one lives will ever make any impact on the society around it. A mere religious person will not live the Bible. An unregenerate person will not. Only a truly Spirit-awakened, born-again, God-seeking, Bible-believing person will. Until Christians live their faith in their own lives, little else they choose to do politically or otherwise will make any real impact. They will be neither salt nor light. What have we to say of the world's lifestyle when our own lifestyle is not holy, pure, Biblical? Disturbed by what is happening to America? Ask: "How should we then live?" Ask: "How should I then live?"

HOW SHOULD WE THEN LIVE?

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