Ray Ciervo Ministries

Americans continue to fall prey to the hungry sharks. I’m talking about the ones in Congress. Since the 700 billion dollar bail out bill was proposed and then passed, more bills have been proposed to add more billions to the “solution.” Seems like the 700 hundred billion didn’t satisfy them and they’re smelling more blood in the water. 

The question remains: Where is the church? This crisis is of global proportions and will reach future generations. Historians will record this financial mess and look back and ask that question, at least some will.

Several people have asked for some practical steps to help guide the church. Before I offer some reply I need to make some other statements. The fact that the church leaders are silent about this says a lot. In fact, the silence is deafening. It indicts the church as complicit with the actions of the government. It suggests how the church is policiticized - neutralized, because of its political loyalties.

Some steps the church can take, aside from the repentance mentioned in previous articles, is to take a stand against all those who voted for this bill. Vote against them. Let them know why you’re voting against them. This bill could have been reduced to as much as a tenth of what it was. There was a lot of “pork” in this bill which tells you that these congressman were not acting on our behalf, but their own. My suggestion for steps are radical - drastic and admittedly, I’m not good at “how-to’s.” If you want pat answers you may have to go somewhere else. I believe what we, the church need most is some basic changes in our philosophy of life.

I believe that when you understand what is laying beneath, the process and methods come naturally. That is, when you understand the “what” and “why” of a situation you will get the “how-to.” Most people want to know what to do. “Tell me what to do! I’m not interested in the what and why’s.” This belies a basic worldview, a pragmatic one. The philosophy of life is called pragmatism. Pragmatism is the only philosophy born on American soil and it is rooted in the way America has developed. Truth is verified by what works. Accomplishment and completion determines what is valuable. If something works, then it is good. Worse, if something works . . . then it is true.

Pragmatism is not a test for truth or righteousness. Especially, in the short term. However, this is one of the planks in America’s cultural worldview. Our quest for technology is linked to our pragmatic bent. We like what works and we won’t waste time on something that doesn’t produce results immediately. We’re skeptical of wasting time to see something produce and we lose our patience quickly with things that don’t work. This becomes problematic for the Christian who may be asked to sacrifice his/her life for something that won’t bring results in his/her lifetime. Maybe never. Our thought is that if we’re going to give our life for something we want to see the results of it.

What the church must do is move away from a pragmatic worldview to a biblical worldview. That means we don’t do things because they’ll produce but because they’re right. I know this calls on a moral compass or a bibilcal revelation. This was once very different here when a man’s character dictated his actions.

Somewhere in the late 19th Century there was a shift in the fundamental philosophy in America. America is a “can-do” kind of country. We’re activists influenced by the “Protestant Work Ethic.” Americans are not afraid to work when they see it produces for them and work is good when it brings the rewards I want. When the fundamental question is changed from “What is right?” to “What is good?” the actions follow accordingly. The “good life” has come to mean my happiness produced by an abundance of material things, perfect health, strength, and appearance. As none of these things are problems in themselves, they are shipwrecks when the underlying philosophy has no sense of moral right and wrong. Remember the question is not what is right?, but what is good?

As Americans we’re taken captive by pragmatism - it’s one of those worldviews that is so much a part of our culture we know longer see it. It is that definition of worldliness offered by David Wells that tells us the ungodly has become the norm. No one can see it any more. We are so accustomed to it. For us to discover pragmatism would be like the fish who discovers he’s wet.

Admittedly, I’m drawn back to what underlies actions - beliefs and worldviews. Also, I believe that understanding what lays beneath is more important than learning “how to’s.” If you grasp the underlying principles it is easier for God to guide you. In fact, you must grasp what lays beneath in order to have real life change. You must move beyond “what’s good for me?” to “What is the right thing to do?” In order to do that you must know what is right. In order to do that you must cling to biblical revelation to righteousness and moral law

This is a fundamental problem in American culture. We have stopped asking what is right, moral, or ethical? And begun to ask what is good for me? 

Consider this: we won’t speak up if we think that the situation may go against us, like getting fired or not getting that raise or promotion. Or, we won’t speak up because we’re afraid what people may think. This is a sly pragmatism. Righteousness would have us take a stand, pragmatism asks, what will this accomplish? What will you get out of this? Or, what won’t you get?

For me to list a set of “how-to’s” for the church to do would be counter productive right now. We need to get back to a biblical worldview and stop interpreting life from our pragmatic American worldview. We need repentance and faith in God’s plan  - His Kingdom. When I exhort, “Be the Church!” I mean,  be the biblical church, the church built on NT principles, not American values. We’re not the rotary club, a corporation, or any business. We’re Christ’s body, here to represent Jesus in our actions. We’re not meant to be a political force, but a spiritual force. When we participate in the political process we are to represent Jesus’ view of life as it is revealed in the Scripture. We’re not to side up with politicians we think will represent us. We’re to call politicians to stand for truth and righteousness. We should be calling them to come against the lies we continually are bombarded with.

The church is the “pillar and support for the truth.” Our mission ought to be to stand for truth, fight for truth, and speak the truth. No matter who says they’re right, we ought to be checking to see if they are representing the truth.

So, what we are to do is distance ourselves from a pragmatic worldview and develop a biblical one. Our question ought not be, what is good?, but what is right? Our nation is mired in layers of decaying corruption. The church has become corrupt with it, because it has failed to walk with her Lord. It has fallen prey to ideas that assault the knowledge of God and is imbibed the “spirit of the age.” Our road is not an easy one, but a necessary one. We must have the confidence that God will meet us, replenish our strength and faith and give us the grace to do His bidding.