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restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations
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The Most Important Thing in the Next Two Months
There are exactly two months before the general election of 2004. Once again, Americans have been brought to the point where we both can and must get our priorities straight.
From current Christian publications – from World Magazine to Christianity Today to World Net Daily – you might think that the most important issue for a conservative Christian today is to support the president. Of course, it is not that. It is truly tragic that, in paying attention to these mouthpieces of statism, so many in our day seem to have been distracted from what will always be the true priority for every true Christian – bowing the knee to King Jesus.
This is what Peter and John proclaimed in Acts 4 and 5. Jesus had commanded, “Be My witnesses.” The authorities had said, “You may not be His witnesses.” Hence the apostles’ response (Acts 5:29): “We ought to obey God.” There is no other option for the genuine Christian.
When any authority commands what God has forbidden or forbids what God has commanded, the Christian must obey the Author of all authority, God Himself. There is no authority apart from God. So when human authority rejects God’s authority, it loses its right to compliance.
Let us call a spade a spade. The name of the game we are playing if we go along with the compromising crowd is disobedience, pure and simple. In other words, we feel obligated to break the First Commandment just a little for some ephemeral political pottage. Serving mammon is a whole lot easier than wholehearted obedience to Christ. This, at bottom, is what is wrong with us. We are afraid to stand for truth because we are unwilling to accept the authority of Christ.
Lack of wholehearted commitment is an undeniable thing in religion. It is also an accursed thing. Perhaps there is a word for us in the famous hymn in which Daniel refuses to bow the knee to the almighty state:
Standing by a purpose true,
Heeding God’s command,
Honor them, the faithful few!
All hail to Daniel’s band!
Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone!
Dare to have a purpose firm!
Dare to make it known.
Many mighty men are lost
Daring not to stand,
Who for God had been a host
By joining Daniel’s band.
Refrain
Many giants, great and
tall,
Stalking through the land,
Headlong to the earth would fall,
If met by Daniel’s band.
Refrain
Hold the Gospel banner
high!
On to vict’ry grand!
Satan and his hosts defy,
And shout for Daniel’s band.
Refrain
Daniel “decided not to defile himself.” It is no less our duty to follow his example on November 2.
September 2, 2004
David Alan Black is the editor of www.daveblackonline.com. His latest book is Why I Stopped Listening to Rush: Confessions of a Recovering Neocon.