The Demise of the American Church and God's Judgment on This Nation

Hardly anyone disputes that America and her system of governance were founded on the moral principles of Scripture. And while imperfectly so, historically, this is what is meant by the oft-repeated phrase that "America is a Christian nation." However, we must define what that means.

By “Christian nation,” I do not mean in any way that America is somehow a nation chosen by God, similar to the nation of Israel during Old Testament times, for the purpose of carrying out God’s plan of redemption in the world. It is not and never has been.

I also do not mean that at one time, America was made up of mostly born-again true believers in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. I find that far-fetched and, likely, preposterous.

What I do mean by “Christian nation” is the idea that America was originally founded on biblical principles of morality, ingrained in the Constitution, and that these values were well-respected and believed by the vast majority of Americans.

Those days, however, are over; and those days will likely never return. The fact that those who profess Christ and claim to hold to conservative biblical principles are largely silent on the social evils taking over this nation when it comes to sexual immorality–yet these same people will protest election fraud and rally against socialism and wealth redistribution–speaks volumes of their motivations. Don’t get me wrong, these are good things to stand for. But the fact that they only stand for these kinds of things, but not when children are being taken into the homes of known sexual perverts with the blessing of the state, says to me that their activism is selfishly motivated. They only protest things that personally affect them and their own way of life without regard to what God actually thinks about it.

But who is at fault here?

The American Church is largely apostate. When we speak of the landscape of apostate churches in America, it's easy to point to the mainline denominations that have abandoned the gospel altogether in favor of social justice, homosexuality, transgenderism, and abortion. For many of these denominations, these issues have become their gospel—there is no inkling of true gospel left. No mention of sin, repentance, or a savior who bled and died on the cross for our sins. They are merely social justice activist clubs that exist to advance leftist politics.

Those churches are dead.

Yet, it isn't just these rank apostate churches that are to blame for the demise of the American church and the nation. Many of the mainstream Evangelical churches which have served as the backbone of faith in America—and the world through missions—also have largely abandoned not only the gospel but also her duty to speak biblical truth to the collective conscience of the people in this nation. Do I mean become a political activist group? No. But I do mean speak biblical truth into the political sphere.

Historically throughout Scripture, when nations turned away from God, God sent prophets to warn the nations to turn to Him or destruction will surely come. These prophets were not just sent to God's people, they were sent to the Pagan nations as well. Hebrews 1 tells us that long ago God spoke to us by the prophets, but in these last days, He has spoken to us by His son, Jesus Christ. Today, the Church bears the word of God revealed to us through Jesus Christ. It is now the duty of the Church to speak prophetically to the conscience of the nations.

But the Church has failed to do so. Even many of the churches that have the gospel, which are now few and far between, have ignored their duty to carry the Word of God outside the walls of the church.

Why is sexual immorality rampant in our nation? First, because of sin and rebellion against God. But it is exacerbated by the fact that the Church has failed to speak with a collective unified voice warning the nation against this form of rebellion. We have churches embracing "gay Christian" movements that are watering down God's anger toward this sin. Instead of preaching repentance and faith, men like Christopher Yuan are teaching that God doesn't care if we're heterosexual while blaming "gay marriage" on the church not because the Church has failed to preach on it, but because the church has made an "idol" out of marriage.

The "gay Christianity" movement has varying levels of false teaching ranging from full inclusion of practicing homosexuals to those who believe in unbiblical doctrines like celibacy and perpetual singleness. An example of the former, churches that believe in full inclusion of practicing homosexuals are churches like the Southern Baptist megachurch in Florida, First Baptist Orlando. I've written about this church a number of times and this church regularly baptizes not celibate, but openly practicing homosexuals—even those who are "married" to someone of the same sex.

Then there are those who want to include homosexuals in their congregation but only on the condition that they remain celibate. Even in this camp, there is a range. Some, like Revoice, teach that men can live together in marriage-like arrangements and enjoy man-to-man intimacy so long as it stops short of bodily penetration. Others, like Yuan, teach that those continuing with unrepentant same-sex desires need not seek out a spouse of the opposite sex, but instead, may resign themselves to a life without personal intimacy. These people call on the church to elevate perpetual singleness to the same level as marriage. But the first thing God said wasn't good was in Genesis 2:18, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” You'll find these people teaching that homosexuals can use the Church as a replacement for spousal intimacy—but God has not designed the Church for this purpose, he designed marriage. The Church is Christ's bride, not ours.

Abortion is rampant in our nation as well. Even with the fall of Roe v. Wade, our nation's politicians are already geared up to codify a nationwide protection of abortion whereby even states cannot limit it past certain restrictions. This is exacerbated by the fact that our churches and church leaders refuse to advocate for the unborn on a biblical level. Instead, they want compromise.

Brent Leatherwood, the leader of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission has repeatedly blamed the Church for abortion by stating that the Church isn't doing enough to "care for the poor." But, in reality, the Church hasn't done enough to call people to repent of their fornication and turn to Christ nor has the Church done enough to proclaim the personhood of unborn children who are made in the Image of Christ and advocate for the legal protection of their life.

Instead, Brent Leatherwood is opposing legislation, like the legislation in Louisiana recently, that would have ended abortion in that state while preaching that He will never believe, under any circumstances, that women seeking abortions should be held accountable for their crimes against God and man.

Further, Leatherwood refuses to speak to the political climate and just recently said at a press conference that he will not give people any guidance on voting. In other words, even if he thinks we should vote a certain way, to Him, it's not a matter of biblical principle, it's a matter of conscience to vote for baby-murderers, LGBTQ activists, and people who want to strip the Church of her right to worship freely.

This is the landscape of the modern American Church. The Lord warned Israel in Amos 2 that because He raised up their sons for prophets, yet they commanded their prophets "do not prophesy," he would bring swift judgment upon them. This is what we see today in the modern Evangelical American church. Our leaders are demanding that the Church not be controversial; do not speak to controversial issues publicly. And anything we do say should be seasoned with nuance and ambiguity.

What passes as the church today in America is in actuality a prostitute just pretending to be a church but serving only to silence the people of God. God warned in Jeremiah 19:9:

And I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and everyone shall eat the flesh of his neighbor in the siege and in the distress, with which their enemies and those who seek their life afflict them.

When I read this, I'm pretty sure nothing is off the table as far as God's discipline and judgment being poured out even on those who claim His name. It's easy to point the finger at everybody else too. Of course, God is furious about people calling themselves Christians while supporting child sacrifice and the perversion of his ancient covenant of marriage and sexuality.

In Hebrews 12 we are told and no uncertain terms that God brings discipline and chastisement to his own people, the word, scourging, is used, the same word as to when Jesus was scourged. He says that he does this so that we may be partakers of His holiness—personal holiness. He says that it is painful during the time of discipline but the end thereof is the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

God is not only furious at obvious heretics and false converts, He is just as furious at orthodox professing believers who are pickled in the love of the world and the things they're involved in as he is at the abortion-promoting perversion-promoting heretics. Maybe even more so, because they have less of an excuse. It's not just supporters of abortion and homosexuality that I'm talking about. Those are the easy ones. I'm talking about the Brett McCrackens and Jeff Overstreets of the world—those who push that morally decomposing Hell-hole in Hollywood as a healthy Christian Liberty.

And the people who are more concerned about their 401K than they are about his glory. God will do what He always does. He will bring crushing persecution and pain to purge the goats from the sheep, to burn off the dross from the silver. The whole of biblical Revelation tells us that God is concerned most of all with His name and His glory. This comes from our obedience, not our happiness and contentment. Not even from what we think is right in our own eyes.

Our seminaries are teaching acceptance and tolerance. Our church leaders are baptizing homosexuals, pacifying woke leftists, and allowing false teachers to run amuck within our own ranks because saying something about it is considered "mean." But make no mistake about it, when the American Church fails to do her job, to defend the faith, to proclaim the Scriptures, and to speak to the collective conscience of our lost world, she will fall—and so will the nation.