We are starting to get thoughtful disagreements to our latest edition of Credenda, particularly on the issue of “owning the curse.” There is much to clarify and discuss, and after that, to debate, but allow me to head off one misunderstanding that I see developing right now. “Owning the curse” does not mean capitulation to the homosexual agenda. We are arguing, rather, for the adoption of a response that we believe is the only possible effective response. Evangelical Christians have been “saving America from the heathen” for my entire adult life, and during the course of our civil and political ministrations, America has gotten notably and dramatically worse. At the same time (and this was our point), this same downward spiral has also occurred in the church. Judgment begins with the household of God. Our position is not that we are opposed to Christians operating in the public square. Far from it. Our problem is that the general number of Christians who currently operate in that square are refusing to do so as Christians — and that this is a function of how they worship and how they live in their families.
If you doubt my point, run this thought experiment. Over the course of the next number of months, take one thousand Christian activists at random, all of them with clipboards in hand, circulating petitions to preserve traditional marriage. And suppose you said this to all one thousand of them: “Brother, this is all most necessary. But something else is more necessary still. I will sign this if you include at the top a call for the Lordship of Jesus Christ to be acknowledged over all our public affairs.”
Out of that one thousand, at least in my thought experiment, one might agree to do this (and he would get in trouble with his precinct coordinator), five would think that was a great idea, but we have to build up to it, and nine hundred and ninety four would think you were nuts. Nine hundred and ninety four conservative Christian activists “don’t want this man to be king over us.” And all nine hundred and ninety four worship somewhere, and somebody preaches to them. We are the problem.
Christians have to stop desiring salvation for America unless they are prepared to want a Savior for America.