The role of christians as salt and light in nation building -Part 1

Bible Passage

In order to effectively deliver a good lecture, let me take my Bible reference, from Matthew 5:13-16, as detailed below: (13) Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?

Introduction

Prior to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, in human form to the world, many nations were functioning, on the paths, that antagonized the commandments of God.

The evil acts and human beings’ cruelty to fellow man, brought about the inability of nations, to attain the physical and spiritual greatness, as planned by God for them, from time immemorial.

Without having to go back, to remind us, of how man fell out with God (Genesis 3), the holiness and righteousness, embedded in the manner, at which man was created, were exchanged by him, with ungodliness and unrighteousness.

God gave them the paths to follow, which would guarantee the sustainability of His purpose for their lives, but they operated and walked, at variance to that path.

Meanwhile, since the Bible says that righteousness exalts a nation, and that sin is a reproach to any people (Proverbs 14:34), therefore, the unrighteous paths, preferred by man, distorted the expected growth of the respective nations, both physically and spiritually.

You can talk of people with doctorate degrees, in the management of the economy, and experienced in economic growth of the nations, but their world acclaimed certifications and undoubted experience, will not take their countries beyond the level of their intelligence, when God is not at the centre of their plans.

This assertion, is supported by Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 3:6-7): (6)I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

(7) So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

This statement of the Living God, tells us that, no meaningful growth and achievement, can really be attainable, without God.

He is the One, Who enriches our plans; He is the One, Who takes away the evil seeds of Satan, in the implementation of our plans, even when we are not aware of this; He is the One, Who manages our affairs, for us to be able take good inventory of our identifiable growth.

Those who do not really understand the science of God, as explicitly detailed in Systematic Theology, might not be able to decipher, how the Unseen Hands, help in tilting our paths, toward God’s designed destination.

This, the Scripture also made mention, that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble – Psalm 46:1. Therefore, whenever unrighteousness rules, there comes the absence of God, thereby curtailing the progress expected to have been attained, on individuals’ and nations’ growth.

The Case Of The Tower Of Babel

Here assembled, the best brains in construction and structural designing, in the world at that time. They were too convinced among themselves, that they would succeed, in their ‘waterproof and soundproof’ plan.

The people thought within themselves, that they had all what they wanted, of being in the same place, so as not to spread all over the world, without considering the acceptability of their intention to their Creator – Genesis 11.

Therefore, the futility in their plans, came to fore, when God disapproves of this, as stated in verses 6-8: “(6)And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

To Be Continued