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"For since in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe."
1 Corinthians 1:21
In the 2008 United States Presidential Race, the buzz word is the world CHANGE. Everybody is talking about change. Sometimes what a candidate wants to change is not made clear, but because the word CHANGE has caught the attention of the voters, more and more candidates in one way or another are talking about change.
The Word of God also talks about change. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the Word of God says, "if anyhone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new." The greatest change is when an individual becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus. When that happens, that individual receives a new heart and the Holy Spirit causes that individual to walk in God's ways. (Ezekiel 36:26,27)
What would happen in a nation if the majority of its citizens received new hearts and the Holy Ghost caused them to walk in God's ways? I believe such change would bring about a massive reduction of immoral behavior in that nation. Such massive behavorial change would occur whether or not there were laws on the books that supported righteousness and holiness.
In the history of the United States of America, there is evidence that a change of heart resulting in a change of behavior from immoral to moral was brought about by the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the 1840s, there was a move of the Holy Ghost on the hearts of men and women concerning the institution of slavery. Holiness preachers, lead by a woman lay preacher named Phoebe Palmer preached holiness of heart and that the institution of slavery is a sin that would bring judgment on the United States of America. This message was a message of change that when preached gave birth to the Abolition of Slavery movement and ultimately brought down the institution of slavery.
Unfortunately, this message that the Holy Ghost sent was resisted by the South. Instead of taking heed to the Word of God that was preached (believing), they hid behind existing laws that allowed and supported the institution of slavery. Hebrews 4:7 says, "...today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." The result of their unbelief was judgment in the form of the Civil War. "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" 1 Peter 4:17,18. During the Civil War the South was destroyed. Churches in the South were burned. Southern preachers were killed. If they had taken heed to the Word of God (believed), such destruction could have been avoided.
Even though the South did not believe the Word of God that was preached concerning slavery, in the end a CHANGE was made through the Emancipation Proclamation. God Almighty had His way. Slavery was abolished in the United States of America.
Slavery in the United States was abolished because the Word of God was preached under the anointing of the Holy Ghost. That means the Church was not relying on the arm of politics to bring about CHANGE. The Church was responding to what the Holy Ghost was saying. Their obedience to the Holy Ghost gave birth to a political movement. Those who were disobedient to what the Holy Ghost was saying were destroyed.
In any nation, CHANGE can occur by preaching and taking heed to what the Holy Ghiost is saying to the Church. Those who take heed (believe) will experience blessing (be saved). Those who are disobedient will be destroyed. Nevertheless, as a result of preaching what thus says the Lord, a CHANGE will be made.
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