Yes, the pulpits are to blame for much of the moral rot in this country. God’s watchmen on the walls have been seduced by the shiny trinkets of this world and have allowed their shofars to rust shut. But who is responsible for retaining such men in positions of authority in our churches? Who has sat quietly in the pew as moral relativism has crept into our biblical interpretations and who clapped along to the catchy fiddle tune as Rome burned around them? American men, that’s who.
As Martin Luther, a man who knew a thing or two about taking a courageous stand, once wrote, “when there is no battle for the Gospel it rusts and it finds no cause and no occasion to show its vigor and power. Therefore, nothing better can befall the Gospel than that the world should fight it with force and cunning.” It is not that there is no battle for the Gospel in America today. It’s that our so-called generals have already tugged their forelock and bent the knee.
Thank the Lord, this is not unanimously true. I have stood in crowds of men and known without a doubt that a score of such humble soldiers would be enough to hold the line against the encroachment of evil in a community. I have read stories of individual courage and exemplary faith in men who refused to bow when everyone else stooped to lick the hand of moral turpitude. We need these men and more like them to mentor and teach our youth how to unashamedly man the wall against the enemy at the gates. We need men who will pace two steps instead of three, if only to spite those who built the cell around him.
