Revival Begins at God's House, Not the White House
The late William F. Buckley, Jr., wrote in his 1951 book, God and Man at Yale, that he believed “the duel between Christianity and atheism is the most important in the world” (xvi). That was 70 years ago. What Buckley said was true then, and it is still true today. One year following the publication of Buckley’s book, in which he challenged the unbelief that was rearing its ugly head at Yale, a former KGB spy and defector from atheistic communism published an autobiography, which is the dark story of his former atheism, espionage, treason, and terror. The author was the late Whittaker Chambers, and the title of his book is Witness. Buckley would later call Chambers the most important defector from communism in the 20th century. Journalist George Will labeled Witness as “one of the dozen or so indispensable books of the [20th] century.” Those are great tributes, but not any greater than that of President Ronald Reagan’s biographer who says Whittaker Chambers was the “most influential” of all the writers who impacted Reagan.
The Foreword written by Chambers for his book is in the form of a letter to his children. It is eloquent and powerful. He wrote, “There has never been a society or a nation without God. But history is cluttered with the wreckage of nations that became indifferent to God and died” (17). He continued: “Economics is not the central problem of this century. . . . Faith is the central problem of this age . . . faith in God.”
Within two decades of the publication of the aforementioned books by Buckley and Chambers, Dr. Thomas B. Warren was addressing the moral relativism of the 1960’s and the direct relationship this had to the loss of faith in God. As a pioneer in the field of Christian apologetics he was sounding a warning that America was plunging into moral and spiritual chaos due to the loss of faith in God. He argued that the growth of skepticism not only lessens the likelihood of the church doing its work to take the gospel to the world, but it endangers the souls of those who already have obeyed the gospel, especially young people. He emphasized how the Bible provides the answers to every basic problem which pertains to the spiritual well-being of humanity. Therefore, we must be urgent about providing material that proves God exists and that the Bible is the inspired and inerrant word of God. Some listened and heeded the warnings. Many did not.
And now, like a runaway freight train, the chaotic and confused state of America, due to the loss of faith in God, has become more obvious. A few days prior to the writing of this article, results were reported from the American Worldview Inventory 2021, an annual survey of the philosophy of life held by American adults, conducted by sociologist George Barna of the Cultural Research Center in Arizona. The headlines included the following: Seismic Generational Shift in Worldview; Millennials Seek a Nation Without God, Bible, and Churches; 43% of Millennials Don’t Know, Don’t Care, Don’t Believe God Exists.
Cal Thomas hits the nail on the head in his book America’s Expiration Date when he says, “Clearly, politics can’t save us. . . . Little if anything is being accomplished to reverse the decadent trends of our times. But is that the role of government, or is moral improvement . . . the primary role of believers and of ministers preaching uncompromising biblical messages? . . . America’s central problems are not economic and political; they are moral and spiritual” (162-63).
“[I]f My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14, NASV).
Revival must begin with the church (cf. 1 Timothy 3:15).