Wow! What an election week. The Republican Party won control of the US Senate on Tuesday giving the GOP full control of congress making it a historic defeat for Democrats. Then yesterday, Dr. Ben Carson, famous pediatric neurosurgeon and conservative political star, announced his intention to run for President in 2016. This, in my opinion, gives conservatives the best news of the week. See news story here.

 
Do you feel a sense of hope and change coming our way? Maybe so….hopefully so….but if change comes it will have nothing to do with Republicans or Democrats.

 
My husband and I attended the Arkansas Renewal Project a few weeks ago where we were privileged to hear Bob McEwen speak. He summarized conservative politics perfectly. Here is a recap:

 
Politics equals Integrity + Economy

 
Integrity is made up of morality (not doing what is wrong) and character (doing what is right). You cannot do what is right (have character) if you are doing what is wrong (lack morality). In other words, if a politician’s reputation is that where I would not trust him in the same room with my teenage daughter, then I should not trust him to run our country.

 
When it comes to economy a look at history will teach us that greater freedom always equals greater wealth and that greater government always equals greater poverty. This is without exception.

 
The above seems simple enough and certainly intelligent enough. So, you might question why is there such a split in our country. When we break it all down is boils down to only two worldviews.

 

• Either man is in charge or God is in charge
• Either man is good or man is evil
• Either rights come from groups or God is our source of rights

 
This is why I say that the state of our country has nothing to do with Democrats and Republicans, but has everything to do with a humanistic worldview vs. a biblical worldview.

 
If man is good, then murder can’t be his fault. It must be the gun so we need to regulate gun control. If man is good then his environment is responsible for his behavior. Therefore if the youth are having premarital sex and children are born out of wedlock it is because we do not educate the youth enough on birth control or pass out enough condoms in the schools. And we could go on and on, throwing out personal responsibility and replacing it with blame.

 
But, if man is evil (as the Holy Scriptures states) then murder is sin against God and man is personally responsible for it (and will held accountable) whether he uses a gun, knife, sword, rope, bomb, or abortion doctor.

 
If man is in charge then our rights come from the group (women’s rights, minority rights, black rights, elderly rights, Hispanic rights, homosexual rights, etc.). And because man is good – group rights are good.

 
But, if God is in charge, He alone is the source of our rights and we all stand as individuals before our Creator. Our Founding Fathers understood this when they wrote:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men.

Man did not institute government. Government is instituted by God. “For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God,” Romans 13:1. Man does not give the people rights, our rights come from our Creator.

Now, notice in the order of rights that life is listed first. Liberty is of little value if you are dead. This is why the abortion issue is so important. Those with a humanistic worldview ignores the fact that God is in charge, that man is evil, and that God gives us our rights. Because God is in charge He will judge mankind and His Word declares that “hands that shed innocent blood” are an abomination to Him (Proverbs 6:16-17).

This is how these two worldviews apply in politics:

Those that have a humanistic worldview will always want more government, more taxes, weak defense and diverse lifestyles.

Those that have a biblical worldview will always want less government, fewer taxes, a strong defense, and traditional family values. (Notice the theme of freedom –liberty- here.)

Why is this? Because the two view diametrically oppose each other. Those with a humanistic worldview believe that man is good and man is in charge. They have no fear of God (Romans 3:18) and do not believe they will be held accountable for their actions. Because they have no fear of God, they do not have wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). Decisions are therefore based on self or the flesh – in other words, humanistic (Romans 8:8).

Those with a biblical worldview understand that mankind is evil and wicked (Jeremiah 17:9) and that there is no one who is righteous (Romans 3:10). Our only hope is in the righteous of Jesus Christ. And understanding that God is the one in charge, we hold to His standards of right and wrong.

I agree that since the elections there seems to be a sense of hope that our country is moving in the right direction. But, let me assure you that our hope does not rest on the Republicans, or any man for that matter. The only hope for change in this country is that the hearts of men turn to God. As the old hymn states, “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness!” And as the psalmist proclaims, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man,” Psalm 118:8.

Here is where I want to say, “God bless you all and God bless America!”  But, instead let me end with not asking for blessings but that we will be a blessing.  May each and every one of us who claim the name of Christ become a blessing to God, our Father and may America shine with the light of the gospel  and be a blessing to Him and His Holy name.