For some time, the government has been increasingly viewed by many as the “lord” and even “savior” of the people. They make the laws and fulfill every need. Troubled times are a socialist’s dream come true. They feel empowered to assume “lordship.” We have lost our way if we are trusting in human solutions instead of trusting the sovereign God.
The powers that be will ‘help’ us with a stimulus injection that is worse than the disease. Many people have debts, so our rulers will borrow money for them, resulting in more debt for the indebted! We can’t even get our minds wrapped around the concept of a debt of trillions of dollars. Sadly, it is our debt—or at least a debt passed on to the generations to follow. It might look like grace and love, but it is far from it. We will pay for it in many ways. The socialistic idea that only the rich will have to pay for this is pure nonsense. Once the rich are tapped out, the poor will have nothing either. Usually when a boat is sinking and you have to bail water, you try to plug the hole and solve the problem.
But, how must a Christian view this? What is the solution? Calling on God will do more good than complaining about men.
The problem is not simply sub-prime loans or CEO bonuses. It is man’s insatiable lust to have what he cannot afford or has not earned. We are seeing God’s just anger being visited on a nation that has spurned His blessings and rejected His holy law. Lawmakers are wracking their brains to find a popular solution, but how many are on their knees asking for forgiveness and wisdom to rule rightly? This isn’t about politics; it’s about religion. In 2 Kings 18:16, we see Hezekiah peeling the gold off the temple doors to pay the Assyrians for help. Are we far behind?
God handled our sin-indebtedness to Him much differently! It was infinitely bigger than our national debt. He could have said, “work it out yourselves.” But, an eternity in hell never pays the debt. Everlasting punishment does not end. Or, God could have said, “I’ll pay it for you now, but you’ll have to reimburse me.” He could have just declared our debt cancelled, but a just God could not do that either. The Pharisees and lawyers of Jesus’ day thought that there was a legal way out of the problem of sin. Jesus condemned them. What would He say about what our country is doing today?
What did God do with our debt? He did something no mere man can do. He sacrificed His sinless Son to pay our debt, and declared that we can never pay Him back. Trillions of dollars pale in comparison to the giving of God’s own eternal Son to fully pay the debt. God did this at His cost, not ours. He asks nothing more than thanksgiving by serving Him. Trust Him.
God did not just pay the price and wipe out the debt, but He made us rich in Christ’s righteousness—which no man can take away. He crowned every believer with everlasting righteousness and gave us a kingdom that cannot fail. And He declares that Jesus Christ is the Lord of our life—not we ourselves or any mere man.
Our nation is in big trouble. But it is not the kind of trouble that a government bailout can solve. It is not by chance that a society crumbles when godly morals crumble. It is the wrath of God revealed. It will take repentant tears at the foot of the cross and God’s mercy, not a bailout, to turn this around.
What is a Christian to think of these hard times, which may get much worse? We must earnestly pray that our nation will heed the words of Jeremiah in Lamentations, “Why should a living man complain . . . for the punishment of his sins? Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the LORD; let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven” (Lam. 3:39–41).
— PHT, Modesto, CA
