Andrew Breitbart, the founder of the conservative news outlet, Breitbart News, was known for saying, “Politics is downstream from culture.” In other words, if you want to change a nation’s politics, you first need to change its culture.
As I dwell on what’s taking place in our nation, I hear many calls for a return to freedom and liberty, but very few calls for repentance. Obviously, those that oppose Christian culture will never call for repentance. They will call for reparations of past injustices, whether perceived or real, but never for repentance from sin. They will easily and quickly point out everyone else’s perceived sin, but not their own. But then again, are we not guilty of the same?
We will point out the left’s destruction of the family, the killing of the innocent, and the raping of the poor. And it’s true, the left is undermining our constitution rights all over the place, but they have always done that. They are like the water behind a dam or a raging forest fire. They will constantly press against conservative values until we move, to then only do it again, and again, and…again. They will never stop consuming and destroying personal freedoms. The fire never says, “it is enough.” (Prov 30:16), and the left will never say, “we don’t want to control that.”
I want freedom and liberty. I want to live in a land where my children and grandchildren have a future. I want them to grow up, and have families, and enjoy the many blessings that I have had in this nation. But what is it going to take to make that happen? Do we point out the sins of our enemies? Will that do it? Do we become freedom activists to ensure that these wonderful liberties are not lost? Do we take up civil disobedience and petition our government for a redress of grievances? Or do we go to the root? Do we travel upstream from liberty and freedom to find the real answer, the real solution?
Again, I want freedom and liberty. But liberty is downstream from repentance. When the prophets of old declared the solution for the ills of the nation, it always began in repentance. When the Lord became flesh and dwelt among us, his message began with repentance. When the apostles and the saints preached throughout the world it always began in repentance.
Therefore, if we want liberty, we must have repentance.
If we try to lay hold of liberty without repentance, we will have neither.
Family Bible Church 