Societies do not naturally evolve into goodness. They devolve into greater depths of depravity apart from the renewing presence of God’s Spirit. No established social order can prevent a devolving into greater expressions of darkness apart from a regenerating work of God’s Spirit.
The following verse was a repeated theme in the book of Judges, “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25). That verse was repeated to make sure the reader understood what happens when we are the ones determining what is right apart from the leading of the Lord and His word.
While we can promote many things in our world to advance a culture, only a revival, renewal, and reformation led by the Spirit will change a culture for the better. If our energies support what people think is right in their own eyes, we will have increasing levels of division and disorder as we seek our own desires, not the will of God. What we need at this time in history is a word from the Lord, not another human opinion. What supports and promotes a culture’s devolvement into deeper expressions of evil is our pride thinking we know better than God how to run the world. In that condition, “there is disorder and every evil thing” (James 3:16).
No matter how deep into social devolvement we move as a nation and sadly, at times even within the Church, a single word from the Lord, obeyed by His people, has the power to challenge that descent and begin a process of cultural transformation that will bring order and reveal the good things God has planned.
“… as we seek our own desires, not the will of God.”
Well said Cap.
I have to wonder how often I pursue my own desires and have convinced myself it is the will of God?