Posted by
ValiantForTruth on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 8:56:52 AM
'Can conservatives succeed in convincing Americans that government benefits, and hence power, should be limited? - David Strom
Thank you, Mr. Strom. You have given us the most significant article and asked the most probing question we have ever seen at TH.
Have you ever had the feeling of knowing something was true and significant, but were unable to convince anyone else? Have you ever read the prophet Jeremiah? Knowing that destruction was coming he was unable to convince his people of the remedy. Rather than listen they ridiculed him and sought to silence him.
We live in days not unlike the days of Jeremiah. Our country has enjoyed great blessing because our forefathers built on a foundation of revealed truth. We once had a consensus of the righteousness of God’s Law regarding morality. We instituted policies set to restrain the sinful nature of men.
Today there is no agreement on the most fundamental law of the land. The purpose of government to insure the right to life is trodden under foot. If there is no consensus here, then what hope is there for liberty? We have exchanged love of life and liberty for a vain hope of personal happiness and prosperity.
Sodomy used to be the unspoken sin. Today our culture would normalize sexual perversion of every stripe. Those who speak against it are considered the perverse. Do not be deceived; the culture will struggle for whatever is contrary to the Law of God.
There is but one force powerful enough to stand against this degeneracy. It is NOT conservatism, because conservatism is derived from first principles. We must first recover the first principles before we can begin to recover the love of liberty that was common among the Founders.
The power we refer to is the same power that birthed a nation where the rule of law and order was joined with liberty. You may have one or the other, but both at the same time? This is unheard of in the history of men. What can be done to recover that which we have taken for granted?
We are not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation. Consistent, expository preaching of the pure NT doctrines of Christ in the local churches is the one thing necessary for men to do. We are still dependent on the Spirit of God to make the work effectual.
Through the gospel comes the power to overthrow the dominion of sin resulting in personal liberty. Redemption is the first thing on which every thing else hangs, including the origins of conservatism. Redemption works out as a radical change in thinking and living because men are willing subjects to the divine authority as partakers of the kingdom of God. The Scriptures become their rule of faith and practice.
Some will falsely label us as theocratic. Their ignorance of American history is evident. The secular revisionist cannot understand these things nor does he care to. We are no more theocratic than the Founders of our Constitutional Republic. What is the origin of these things; the wisdom of men? Certainly not! They originate from the eternal wisdom of God revealed to us in the Bible.
Now to recover the thinking of our Founders we must come under the same authority.