Hi all,
I wanted to add some final thoughts to my study of the spirit of anti-Christ manifesting through various governments today, by looking at the larger separation of Judeo-Christian values from government.
Western governments have been founded upon Judea-Christian values, which are based on the absolutes of the 10 Commandments. We hold certain truths as absolute: Murder is wrong. Lying is wrong. Stealing is wrong. Lusting for something or someone that isn't yours is wrong. Cursing God is wrong. Western government laws, courts, and culture have largely been in agreement about these absolutes.
Because our faith agrees with these governmental values we have been able to practice our faith for centuries in peace and godliness. But today we are witnessing governments quickly leaving these absolutes, causing in the minds and emotions of Christians, great turmoil. Many are confused not realizing this is the process at work.
Suddenly the intertwining of our faith and commonly shared values of our respective governments have become unraveled. It shakes many Christians to their core. Fear sets in. Confusion. But what is happening is in fact governments quickly leaving the values and morals of the traditional Judeo-Christian foundations of their nations.
What happens when a nation leaves God's absolutes?
In his 1981 book, After Virtue, Scottish philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre observed the west has stopped being governed by faith, moral absolutes and tradition and exchanged it for rule by emotion, or as he called it, 'emotivism'. I would call it 'emotional reasoning'.
A moral and virtuous nation is comprised of citizens who share a common moral good. The nation's citizens agree on what is good and moral. Government then directs that common moral good and those values toward the betterment of the nation, trickling down to the smallest of communities. By contrast, a nation governed by emotivism or emotional reasoning, is a nation that no longer agrees on what is good, what constitutes absolute right and wrong, what constitutes absolute moral values.
The result is that which was called good is now called evil, and that which was called evil is now elevated as good. Like ancient Rome did before it fell, people view history of centuries past through the modern glasses which lack moral absolutes and values. Like ancient Rome we see the same; The tearing down of memorials and statues, the re-writing of history, and attempts at amending the founding documents of a nation.
All these things happen by leaving God's moral absolutes and values.
THEY will decide what is moral, and what is virtue, and how history should be remembered. For the individual all outside philosophies, religions, and beliefs are rejected because they are from the outside. Only what they say is virtue, is virtue. Only what they say is right, is right.
These people, even some Christians, only believe what they believe. They believe only in that which comes from within their own thoughts and their feelings, and the rest is rejected, argued about, with arrogance and stubbornness the result. To them, God's Word says whatever they think and say it says, and they filter out anyone from the outside who doesn't line up with what they already believe.
In such a nation individuals exalt thought and emotion to the extent society becomes a collection of strangers, each chasing their own interests with minimal restraints by culture and society. Government applauds, media applauds and exalts such behavior. That spirit affects some in the body of Christ, they are blind and ignorant and don't see they are blind and ignorant. Their true hearts are being revealed. Thinking themselves wise and learned, they are in fact foolish and ignorant.
They filter out of their lives anyone who doesn't agree with them. They've lost or perhaps never had, the heart that values debate of ideas without attacking the individual. Their emotions are on the surface, ready to pounce on anyone who challenges them to think differently. I'm talking about Christians who have let this spirit attach itself to them, not just unbelievers.
This shift from virtue to emotivism, or emotional reasoning, can be seen in these 4 qualities in a society:
The abandonment of absolute moral standards and values.
The refusal to accept any religion, philosophy, or other belief that comes from outside oneself.
The rejection and throwing down of traditions, heroes, memorials, memories, which are now viewed as wrong.
The separation from anything in a community or society that is traditional in nature.
This means a person can call whatever they want good or bad. It means government can call whatever it wants, good or bad. No longer are governments following the traditional and absolute Judeo-Christian moral values by which to govern. They have abandoned those in favor of assigning values of good or bad to whatever the prevailing government defines as good or bad.
Christians and the separation
Christians believe something is good because God says it is good. Goodness flows from Him, and goodness is actually a collection of character traits of God Himself: Love, joy, peace, gentleness, patience, meekness, kindness, moral excellence, consistency, godliness, brotherly love. These things are good because they are God.
Therefore, the meaning of everything flows from God. He forms our world view. If He calls something evil it is evil, and everyone who knows Him and holds to Him knows what He says is truth. Therefore Christians believe the earth and all therein has meaning and purpose.
But in much of the governments and societies today, what God calls good and moral and upright has been tossed aside, leaving many Christians wondering what his happening. In America there are Christians who thought God and Country were intertwined, and perhaps they were at the start. But no longer. It is this rejection of God and His moral absolutes for a moral relativism, emotivism, that is shaking some Christians to their core.
What will happen?
The church has to get smaller to get larger. Christians will look for those who still hold to God's absolutes, as demonstrated through a framework of relationships with others. No more relationships with building based programs, for they are unsatisfying. There is a spiritual hunger arising in many, searching for those who are still on the same core spiritual page, searching for real relationships.
As I've said so many times before: Anyone can say they are born again. Anyone can say they love God. But righteousness, if proven within a framework of relationships. That is where the fruit of one's life is found. Their statements of being a Christian are proven within a network of relationships.
The illusion of social media 'friends' is being destroyed and many are facing the truth they are alone. Many are searching for real people, and that's why (speaking for myself) we see so many coming to the conclusion relationships within a family based, home based church fills that need.
THAT is the remnant...that is where the body of Christ is headed...to trusting relationships with other on the 'same spiritual page'. Some things to think about...watch the separation of governments from their traditional values to continue, and for true Christians to come out of that culture to seek a different culture. The culture of the family of God.
New subject next week...until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com
I wanted to add some final thoughts to my study of the spirit of anti-Christ manifesting through various governments today, by looking at the larger separation of Judeo-Christian values from government.
Western governments have been founded upon Judea-Christian values, which are based on the absolutes of the 10 Commandments. We hold certain truths as absolute: Murder is wrong. Lying is wrong. Stealing is wrong. Lusting for something or someone that isn't yours is wrong. Cursing God is wrong. Western government laws, courts, and culture have largely been in agreement about these absolutes.
Because our faith agrees with these governmental values we have been able to practice our faith for centuries in peace and godliness. But today we are witnessing governments quickly leaving these absolutes, causing in the minds and emotions of Christians, great turmoil. Many are confused not realizing this is the process at work.
Suddenly the intertwining of our faith and commonly shared values of our respective governments have become unraveled. It shakes many Christians to their core. Fear sets in. Confusion. But what is happening is in fact governments quickly leaving the values and morals of the traditional Judeo-Christian foundations of their nations.
What happens when a nation leaves God's absolutes?
In his 1981 book, After Virtue, Scottish philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre observed the west has stopped being governed by faith, moral absolutes and tradition and exchanged it for rule by emotion, or as he called it, 'emotivism'. I would call it 'emotional reasoning'.
A moral and virtuous nation is comprised of citizens who share a common moral good. The nation's citizens agree on what is good and moral. Government then directs that common moral good and those values toward the betterment of the nation, trickling down to the smallest of communities. By contrast, a nation governed by emotivism or emotional reasoning, is a nation that no longer agrees on what is good, what constitutes absolute right and wrong, what constitutes absolute moral values.
The result is that which was called good is now called evil, and that which was called evil is now elevated as good. Like ancient Rome did before it fell, people view history of centuries past through the modern glasses which lack moral absolutes and values. Like ancient Rome we see the same; The tearing down of memorials and statues, the re-writing of history, and attempts at amending the founding documents of a nation.
All these things happen by leaving God's moral absolutes and values.
THEY will decide what is moral, and what is virtue, and how history should be remembered. For the individual all outside philosophies, religions, and beliefs are rejected because they are from the outside. Only what they say is virtue, is virtue. Only what they say is right, is right.
These people, even some Christians, only believe what they believe. They believe only in that which comes from within their own thoughts and their feelings, and the rest is rejected, argued about, with arrogance and stubbornness the result. To them, God's Word says whatever they think and say it says, and they filter out anyone from the outside who doesn't line up with what they already believe.
In such a nation individuals exalt thought and emotion to the extent society becomes a collection of strangers, each chasing their own interests with minimal restraints by culture and society. Government applauds, media applauds and exalts such behavior. That spirit affects some in the body of Christ, they are blind and ignorant and don't see they are blind and ignorant. Their true hearts are being revealed. Thinking themselves wise and learned, they are in fact foolish and ignorant.
They filter out of their lives anyone who doesn't agree with them. They've lost or perhaps never had, the heart that values debate of ideas without attacking the individual. Their emotions are on the surface, ready to pounce on anyone who challenges them to think differently. I'm talking about Christians who have let this spirit attach itself to them, not just unbelievers.
This shift from virtue to emotivism, or emotional reasoning, can be seen in these 4 qualities in a society:
The abandonment of absolute moral standards and values.
The refusal to accept any religion, philosophy, or other belief that comes from outside oneself.
The rejection and throwing down of traditions, heroes, memorials, memories, which are now viewed as wrong.
The separation from anything in a community or society that is traditional in nature.
This means a person can call whatever they want good or bad. It means government can call whatever it wants, good or bad. No longer are governments following the traditional and absolute Judeo-Christian moral values by which to govern. They have abandoned those in favor of assigning values of good or bad to whatever the prevailing government defines as good or bad.
Christians and the separation
Christians believe something is good because God says it is good. Goodness flows from Him, and goodness is actually a collection of character traits of God Himself: Love, joy, peace, gentleness, patience, meekness, kindness, moral excellence, consistency, godliness, brotherly love. These things are good because they are God.
Therefore, the meaning of everything flows from God. He forms our world view. If He calls something evil it is evil, and everyone who knows Him and holds to Him knows what He says is truth. Therefore Christians believe the earth and all therein has meaning and purpose.
But in much of the governments and societies today, what God calls good and moral and upright has been tossed aside, leaving many Christians wondering what his happening. In America there are Christians who thought God and Country were intertwined, and perhaps they were at the start. But no longer. It is this rejection of God and His moral absolutes for a moral relativism, emotivism, that is shaking some Christians to their core.
What will happen?
The church has to get smaller to get larger. Christians will look for those who still hold to God's absolutes, as demonstrated through a framework of relationships with others. No more relationships with building based programs, for they are unsatisfying. There is a spiritual hunger arising in many, searching for those who are still on the same core spiritual page, searching for real relationships.
As I've said so many times before: Anyone can say they are born again. Anyone can say they love God. But righteousness, if proven within a framework of relationships. That is where the fruit of one's life is found. Their statements of being a Christian are proven within a network of relationships.
The illusion of social media 'friends' is being destroyed and many are facing the truth they are alone. Many are searching for real people, and that's why (speaking for myself) we see so many coming to the conclusion relationships within a family based, home based church fills that need.
THAT is the remnant...that is where the body of Christ is headed...to trusting relationships with other on the 'same spiritual page'. Some things to think about...watch the separation of governments from their traditional values to continue, and for true Christians to come out of that culture to seek a different culture. The culture of the family of God.
New subject next week...until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com
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