Why There Has to be an “Us” and a “Them”
As the United States of America displays its varied ideological fractures, our polarities grow further and further apart. One might argue, “If everyone just did the right thing, we would have unity.” The problem with this elusive altruism is that there is no recognized standard for right and wrong.
Someone else may argue, “We have laws, and that is the standard.” What good is the rule of law if the law itself is corrupt? In that case, there must be a higher law than the law of our land. The higher law would deem the lower law to be unjust. Here is where double-mindedness is sourced. The double-minded nation is unstable in all of its ways.
Many of the debatable issues in America fall into political categories. Even there, the lines can blur and smaller fractures occur. The double-minded political party will also be unstable. With these smaller fractures added to the larger fractures the house must either be repaired, or it will crumble.
Christian influence on America must be acknowledged. The boldness of the Christian in American history is rich and robust. Many see this influence diminishing in the past sixty years. The will of the Christian, in his heart’s desire to see the righteousness of God prevail upon society and culture, is now seeing defeat after defeat. American public opinion has turned anti-Christian, thus, anti-Christ.
Biblical ignorance, despite every media liberty and advantage, continues to flourish. Thus, the sins of wicked nations in the Bible are evidenced everywhere in America. Yet, the average American will be unaware of God’s displeasure with us. Financial irresponsibility, sexual deviance, greed, gluttony, depression and insanity of every kind plague us. This leads to coping and escape measures that have saturated our society with drugs, leading to mafia wars and epidemic overdoses.
The Bible categorizes humanity into only two groups, however. From Cain and Abel (then Seth), there are the righteous and the unrighteous. The righteous carry the descriptive title “remnant,” while the unrighteous carry labels such as: “multitude” and “many” and “crowd.” Man sees power in everything bigger. God is glorified in the small and obscure.
The crowd of humanity travels the wide way that leads to destruction. This is the way that seems right to mankind but which is his doom. Even when nations, religions, societies, and cultures differ in practice of tradition, man invariably gets it wrong (see Ecclesiastes).
The biblical fact is that our world is fallen in sin and corruption. It is prophetically doomed by reliable sources (Jesus and the Bible). Some Christians partner with the world to try and change the world for the “better.” The world will never change, however, and the wicked will always hold number and sway against those who have defected from darkness to become ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor 5:20), who is the light of the world (Jn 8:12).
As ambassadors of a better country (heavenly Zion), Christians are to represent their righteous King and His kingdom of heaven to those on the earth (Acts 1:8). His kingdom came in the advent of the Son of God (Jn 1:14; 3:16). The ingathering of His elect saints is a work of the Holy Spirit sent to call and collect God’s chosen people from every nation, tribe, and tongue (Rev 5:9; 7:9). Today, the kingdom of God is in the Spirit, evidenced by righteousness, peace, and joy (Rom 14:17).
It is the indwelling Spirit in each adopted child of God who convicts the world of sin (Jn 14:17; Rom 8:9, 11, 15, 23; Gal 4:6; Eph 1:4–5; 2 Tim 1:14). The Spirit is the catalyst in the making of a holy nation, the church, the Israel of God (Gal 6:16; 1 Pet 2:9).
The sound doctrines telling of the holiness, righteousness, and justice of God are preached and taught by His slaves…men of God (Eph 6:6; 2 Tim 2:15). The standard of truth is the Word of God (Jn 17:17), proclaimed to all people as the Word of truth. In the Spirit of truth, preachers of righteousness tell the world that abortion, violence, sexual deviance, corruption, murder, slander, lies, etc. are offenses to the infinite majesty of Almighty God.
The world rejects the preacher, his message, and his Savior (Jn 7:7; 15:18–25). There is nothing new about this dichotomy. One hears the Gospel of peace with God and submits to the sovereign King’s command to repent and believe. Another hears and occupies himself with the ballyhoo of further sins to enhance his eternal punishment in fiery hell (Mt 25:41, 46; Jude 7; Rev 20:14–15). He sees and does evil, and he calls it good. His punishment is just.
Friend, there must be divisions among humanity because of these matters of righteousness and unrighteousness. Just as light and dark cannot dwell together, so righteousness and evil must occupy different places in eternity. This is why there will always be “us” and “them.”
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
March 31, 2022
