Reviving the Church to Change the World

“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?” (Luke 14:34).

The dominoes of truth and morality are falling at an alarming speed in our culture. Nearly every day it seems there’s another attack upon Christian values and religious freedom. In my blog, in just the past few days alone, I’ve discussed several instances where the very foundation of our faith is being undermined (see here, here, and here).

We shouldn’t be surprised. Jesus warned us it would be this way (Matt. 10:22). And history tells us that when a culture slides into moral decline, its people turn against the faith upon which that culture was built. In America, that’s the Judeo-Christian tradition.

The question is, how do we face these challenges head-on to lead our nation back to the Lord? Many days it seems like our society has passed the tipping point.

Part of the solution is to understand the problem. Those of us who hold to traditional values have historically been the majority in America, and yet ideological minorities have far more cultural influence than we do. How can that be?

Some would say evangelicalism is losing its integrity and its effectiveness.

It’s losing its saltiness.

In certain respects, that’s a dilemma being forced upon us. Our culture is systematically relegating people of faith to the shadows of public life. The consequences are immense.

God seeks to be Lord over our whole lives. But as our religious freedom is eroded, the exercise of our beliefs is fragmented. We’re allowed to engage our faith privately, but we’re deemed irrelevant in the public square. More and more, Christians are barred from even participating in the discussion. And a debate isn’t a debate if only one side is allowed to be heard.

Perhaps more disquieting is that many believers aren’t attempting to have an influence at all. Too many Christians today are remaining quiet in the face of historic challenges. We can never forget that our nation was built on the broad shoulders of those who refused to allow any government to control their expression of faith.

Of course, there’s often a reason for that silence. Here at Focus, we understand the plight of many Christian families. We hear from them, and they ask us, “How do we change the culture when we’re busy with our marriage, our kids, and our jobs?”

It’s true. Families are overwhelmed trying to make ends meet. They’re not revolutionaries out to save the world. They’re just trying to pay their bills and raise their kids.

Our guest on today’s broadcast, Dr. Os Guinness, says the tragedy in American culture is not that Christians aren’t storming Washington, D.C. The tragedy is they’re not what they should be right where they are.

We need to think in terms of thinking and praying globally. But we need to act locally within the sphere of our individual calling. We’re not individually called to save the world. We’re called to be faithful wherever our circle of influence may be. Whether we’re homemakers, teachers, lawyers, cab drivers, or political leaders, each of us is called to be faithful within our spheres of influence.

To be salt right where we are.

Today we’re airing the second part of a conversation with Dr. Os Guinness. Dr. Guinness is a renowned author, social critic, and senior fellow at the Oxford Center for Christian Apologetics in Oxford. We’ll address the moral decline of our nation in a way that’s eye-opening but also inspirational.

Listen to “Reviving the Church to Change the World” on your local radio station or find the program online via our free, downloadable mobile phone app.

And once you’ve heard the broadcast, let me know what you think. Is the church losing its saltiness? And if so, what do you believe we can do about it, both individually and corporately?