By now, most conservatives should be confused as to why voters in Chicago chose a progressive former teacher over a tough-on-crime former public schools executive to lead the nation’s third-largest city. Chicago is reeling in uncontrolled crime spawned by progressive social justice reform led by the previous progressive mayor. The same shock might come from the election of a pro-abortion judge who has won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, giving liberals their first majority on the state’s highest court in 15 years. It was all about the right to take the life of unborn children. And let us not forget the State of New York. Their incumbent governor won a full term in office despite a record of totalitarian rules for COVID-19 lockdowns and out-of-control crime in New York’s largest city. Religion, believing in a Creator, is declining and one might point out that the wellspring of leadership seems to be drying up in our nation as well. Is there an answer to this?
One might conclude that people are growing in their love of sin! People sin because sin is fun. Sin feels good. We can be a bit esoteric and say further that sin increases as temptations increase, human desires are given preference over Godly desires, and addictions are fanned by society’s desires. While self-control seems to grow weaker with each generation, there is a national affront underway to re-defining sins as personal rights. I have checked our Constitution and so far, have not found any sins fitting that description. Unfortunately, your rights to not sin are also under attack. Here we sit silent, drawing even the most conservative and Godly into sin! So, why does this happen?
“Sin will take you farther than you ever intended to go, it will keep you longer than you ever intended to stay, and it will cost you more than you ever intended to pay.” ~ Kay Lee Arthur
There is, of course, always Satan to blame.
(Isaiah 14:12-15)1NIV New International Version Translations – “How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. “
Isaiah sheds light on Satan’s sin of pride that caused him to be cast out of heaven along with his angels who followed him. We pick leaders who, by their very actions, believe they are greater than God Himself. This flaw of the soul loves to sin. And if everyone around them sins, they are loved even more by those around them.
We are, by nature, imperfect and sinful creations.
The original sin of Adam and Eve is often given as the reason why we are all born with a sinful nature. While true, we sin because of “Free Will.” However, our imperfections were fixed by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. We should recognize that to live freely is a right worth keeping. Ironically, the very gift of free will from our Creator is what we give up when we choose poor leaders. Humanity is imprisoned by their very evil ways. What is a poor leader? A leader who leads his nation into sin and away from God!
People don’t know enough or know the wrong things.
Sometimes, people may not have access to accurate or complete information to make good decisions. This is especially true for those generations that rely heavily on social media and the Internet. This can make it difficult to assess whether the leaders are truly effective. Even news media has failed to uphold truth to God’s standards. To start with, God does not say always tell the truth. It is more complex than that. His ninth commandment in Exodus 20:16 states “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” What exactly does that mean:
(Exodus 23:1-3) – “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness. Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and do not show favoritism to a poor person in a lawsuit.”
Proverbs sum it up, “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy” (Proverbs 12:22).
People are self-centered and selfish.
Focus on oneself is another major root cause of sin and why people do all sorts of terrible things toward each other with no regard for the welfare of their fellow humans. Sin is the reason why selfishness and greed exist in this world. It exists among politicians, businesses, churches, communities, and families. No one is spared this sin.
(James 3:16) – “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”
Lust.
The lust for the flesh is another major reason why people sin. What could account for the extent of human trafficking across our borders? The cartels are just shipping products to the broken people of our nation. For every trafficked child, there is a buyer! The battle for our young children is for their bodies and minds. The entertainment industry has prostituted itself in the marketing of lust.
(Galatians 5:18) – “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
The sin of ignorance.
One last reason we sin is just pure ignorance. The Gospel’s message of forgiveness, repentance, and salvation is disappearing from our world. If you want to stop sin, just open the Book of Instructions, God’s Word. Want to understand our world, and learn about our God and our Savior, Jesus Christ? Open the BOOK!
(Acts 17:11) – “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. “
The Problem Defined.
We like to sin. Our leaders are not leading us toward God but toward sin. They do so by redefining sin as a set of human rights. Why wouldn’t you elect someone who tells you that it is OK to be selfish, to steal, murder, and rape your neighbor? What is yours is theirs. Take what you want and enjoy this world for what you can get out of it. That would be the political banter of places like Chicago and New York. If you think this is not happening, then look at how God tells us to choose those who will lead us:
(Exodus 18:21) – “But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.”
Are the leaders of our nation Godly people? Have they raised their families to be servants to the flock or to be served by the flock? Do they hold the guilty accountable? The question that needs an answer is why all our leaders become rich at the expense of the poor.
(1 Peter 5:2-4) – “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”
The love of sin and being disobedient to God’s word that condemns all sin is one of the major reasons why people sin in the first place. You will only sin or enjoy your sinful lifestyle if you love sin in your heart. So many people are in love with their evil ways and don’t want to turn away from them, it is as if sin gives them eternal life. Trust me, it doesn’t work that way!
(1 Peter 5:1-5) – “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
The above passages show the importance of leadership. Peter sets down in a series of contrasts, the perils, and the privileges of the eldership; and everything he says is applicable, not only to the eldership but also to all Christian services inside and outside the Church. We should use these guidelines for choosing our nation’s leaders too. Peter does not say that a person should be conceitedly or irresponsibly eager for office. Note that the leader is to accept office, not to make a shameful profit out of it. The Greek word used for making a shameful profit is aischrokerdes. The noun from this is aischrokerdeia, and it was a characteristic of leaders that the Greeks loathed. The point that Peter is making is that no person should ever accept office or render service for what they can get out of it. Finally, Peter reminds us that good leaders demonstrate humility just as Jesus did when He washed the disciple’s feet. Look to see whether our potential leaders are washing the feet of those they promise to serve!
Contemplations
- If you hired a contractor to remodel your home and they were over budget, late on their commitments, not following your plans, and stealing your materials, what would you do?
- Ideas to Explore: Hire them again for all of your other projects. Do nothing, just tolerate their poor workmanship. Fire them and be more careful when you hire a replacement.
- Why do people tolerate poor leadership?
- Ideas to Explore: Fear, bias, ignorance, like what they see?
- A minority of people are stealing the lives of our children. Why do we let them?
- Ideas to Explore: Parents don’t care anymore? Does no one see a problem? Are people all too busy and self-centered to notice?
- If children are raised without any knowledge of their God, what hope do they have?
- Ideas to Explore: People have given up? Do people no longer believe in a Creator? People are too sinful?
- If crime is increasing, the national debt spiraling out of control, children are being taken advantage of, the economy crumbling, and war is inevitable, what do you think the answer is?
- Ideas to Explore: Can our nation be fixed with the present leaders? Can citizens change course?
- 1NIV New International Version Translations