Council Grove Christian Church

9/16/26
Servants of God,
“…the real struggle is between traditional society, with its religious and moral and political inheritance and collectivism (under whatever name) with its passion for reducing humanity to a mere tapioca-pudding of identical producers and consumers.”
-Russel Kirk (in Concise Guide to Conservatism)
“What do you have that you did not receive?”
1 Corinthians 4:7
It is a joy to live long enough to see your children’s children. I have watched three football games in five days. Grandsons were playing. This is part of the joy of grandparents. If they sing or play and instrument or play some game that involves a ball, grandparents rightly show interest.  It is human nature to be most concerned about the people that you are most closely related to. I am certain your grandchild is like mine…above average. Our grandchildren are not all stars on the field. I could tell you they play like Patrick Mahommes, but you would know I am living in a dream world. Reality matters.
Watching youth sports is instructive. Even on poorly coached teams, superior athletes shine. Some kids are more physically mature and intellectually gifted than others. Even at the highest level of sports the better players stand out. It is not good to deny that fact.
It is also true that among cultures and nations, some stand out. Free and properly structured nations allow for more human flourishing than those that enslave or hinder or neglect the actions and efforts of their citizens. Have you ever noticed the difference between Haiti and the Dominican Republic? The island they share (Hispaniola) has been described as one island but two worlds. Haiti is a basket case nation. The Dominican Republic is bustling with tourism and commerce. Haiti is always chasing utopia and always in turmoil; The Dominican Republic is a stable democratic republic. Culture matters. Like athletic talent, the best rises to the top.
Have you wondered why so many Americans (particularly young Americans) are enamored with socialism?  There is all this energy around what they call “democratic socialism.” New York City is finding out that its democratic socialist mayor is bringing the city the failed socialist policies of the past while gaslighting the citizens. He assures them that they are better off while  the social services degenerate and the prices of everything keep rising. Like Hitler (Nazis were “National Socialists, not right-wing conservatives) Lenin, Stalin and every other pied piper of socialism, he denies human nature and promises utopia.
Worldview matters. If you believe the Bible, you know that God gives resources to humans to manage and steward. It is all his. He grants us stewardship. What do we have that we did not receive? Answer: nothing (1 Corinthians 4:7). God calls humans to deal with one another in respectful, helpful and productive ways. A man might get rich selling shirts, but only if he sells shirts that others want and are willing to purchase. The shirtmaker takes the risks and pours out the ingenuity and effort it takes to make shirts. If he does so with integrity he is likely to gain notice and wealth. It illustrates the biblical truth that the man who is skillful in his work will catch the king’s notice (Proverbs 22:29).
Socialism is a utopian notion that has never proven to work but is continually repackaged and republished as the answer to all economic ills. It is based on envy and sloth. In a universe that God controls, it will not and in fact, cannot work to the benefit of the ordinary person. Dictators and tyrants love it because the masses are duped into economic privations while the guys on top live in the lap of luxury.
Why should we study the Bible? Well, first so we can properly understand and worship our Creator but Bible study opens the door to the proper understanding of life. In a fallen world, a lot of things sound good. They seem right to the unregenerate person. In fact, however, these high-sounding promises get exposed as lies when our minds are renewed by the Holy Spirit applying God’s truth to our minds.
Economics, like generational family life, is subject to God’s moral law. Human relationships are only correctly understood when governed by gospel truth. Human beings need not be left to themselves to think up new ways of buying, selling, producing and consuming. Biblical principles govern all human interactions.
Grandparents need to realize that their progeny (like all the other kids playing) have limited talents. Voters need to remember that grandiose promises of something for nothing are empty and wicked. Socialism always ends up being harmful to those foolish enough to fall for it. If an economic system won’t work at the level of your family, what could possibly make you believe that it will work for all the families in the nation?
Christian truth has tethered our nation to principles that work. Justice, economic freedom and respect for authority did not invent themselves. These ideas and ideals are rooted in God’s truth. As we live move and have our being, we must do so to the glory of God. Our fallen world requires boundaries and benevolence. In youth sports and in national economics, integrity and discipline can temper and enhance talent and production.
If you are tempted to believe the promises of the democratic socialists, better read your Bible and ponder what it teaches about the stewardship of all the resources that God gives us.
Blessings,
Pastor John
Coram Deo