Nearly a decade ago, I preached a sermon with this same title following a mass shooting. Sadly, this country is still very much in need of “fixing.” And, of course, our society is full of people with ideas on how to do this. Yet so many of the “solutions” that are suggested are misguided, incomplete, and short-sighted.
Unsurprisingly, the problems that exist in our society have increased and worsened as the people of our nation have turned away from God and His word. The only real solution is to turn to the Scriptures and follow the principles and precepts found therein.
The Root Cause of Every Problem
In the beginning, God created a perfect world for Adam and Eve. When God finished His work, the inspired record says, “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). When sin entered the world, it brought death and decay (cf. Genesis 2:17-18; 3:17-19, 22-23). As a result, hardships would be an inherent part of life.
Today, every problem in this country is a consequence of sin, directly or indirectly. Legislation and government programs cannot fix the problem of sin. Of course, civil government is necessary because of sin, so the authorities have a divinely given role of punishing sin (Romans 13:3-4; Ecclesiastes 8:11), but they cannot fix the problem of sin. That solution had to come from God.
The remedy for sin is found in Christ. John the Baptist identified Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Peter said that Jesus “bore our sins in His body on the cross” (1 Peter 2:24). The Hebrew writer explained that Jesus “has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Hebrews 9:26). And Jesus offers an invitation for all: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Yet we must choose to respond to this invitation. He does not force anyone to do so.
As long as people refuse to respond to the Lord’s invitation, society will be plagued with problems. The further people move away from the Lord and the principles of His word, the worse the situation becomes.
What Can We Do?
First, we can pray for our leaders. Paul gave Timothy instructions about who Christians are to pray for: “For kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:2). We can lead such a life when the authorities leave us alone and allow us the freedom to serve God unhindered, and also when they punish evildoers who would harass, threaten, or harm others.
Second, we can be a positive influence on those around us. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught His followers to be “the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). This means they would live in such a way to help make the lives of others more pleasant and palatable. He then said that we are to be “the light of the world” by allowing others to “see [our] good works” (Matthew 5:14, 16). This also means we will “do good” to others “while we have opportunity” (Galatians 6:10).
Third, we will work to turn people to God. The wise man said, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). Righteousness is the state of being right or justified before God. It necessarily includes doing what is right. John wrote, “The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous” (1 John 3:7). Paul told the Romans that when we turn from sin, we become “slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18). Remember, sin is the root cause of every problem that exists in our society. Therefore, the more people can be turned from sin and persuaded to practice righteousness, the more the nation will be “exalted.”
What About a “Political” Solution?
Usually, when people think of fixing our nation, they are searching for or advocating for a political solution (especially during an election year). Yet as we have noted, all of the problems that exist in our society are there because of sin. Therefore, there is no political solution. In fact, we can point to many examples in which the expansion and increased power of government have only exacerbated the problems they were trying to solve.
The best we can hope for (and pray for and perhaps even vote for) is that civil authorities fulfill their God-given role. The purpose God has given them is to punish evildoers, protect the innocent, and maintain an environment in which we are free to carry out the Lord’s will unhindered (Romans 13:3-4; 1 Timothy 2:2-3). This will allow us to have the least resistance as we work toward the only real solution – spreading the gospel and turning people to Christ.
