9/9/13

Back in 2008, Barna did a nationwide survey asking people about their views on ‘righteousness.’  Now the survey organization didn’t put it exactly that way.  Rather, they ask people to share their thoughts about the morality of 8 specific activities:

1.    Watching pornography
2.    Using profanity in public
3.    Gambling
4.    Gossiping
5.    Engaging in sexual intercourse with someone to whom they were not married
6.    Seeking revenge against someone
7.    Getting drunk
8.    Lying

What they found was that Evangelicals were the group most likely to embrace morality, while Atheists and Agnostics were most likely to reject it [no surprises here].  Liberals [as compared to ‘conservatives’] were 5 times more likely to participate in unmarried sex, 3 times more likely to view pornography, twice as likely to lie, get drunk, seek revenge or gossip.  People associated with faiths other than Christianity were twice as likely as evangelicals to engage in these behaviors.  Bottom line: Those who respect the God of the Bible were much more likely to embrace righteousness than those who did not. 

This reminds me of the story I heard about a man who went to see a psychiatrist.  He complained, “I’ve been doing some bad things, Doc, and my conscience is troubling me.”  The doctor asked, “And you want something that will strengthen your will power?”  The man replied, “No, I was thinking of something that would weaken my conscience.”  It’s a fact; some people don’t want God’s righteousness.  They want something that will make them feel better about their own unrighteousness.

Pray with me… Father God, Your Word declares, “the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere”… A perfect description of the life we’ve always wanted… the way of righteousness.  In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Blessings,
Pastor Ken