“Let true Christians then, with becoming earnest
ness, strive in all things to recommend their profes
sion, and to put to silence the vain scoffs of ignorant
objectors. Let them boldly assert the cause of Christ
in an age when so many who bear the name of
Christians are ashamed of him: and let them con
sider as devolved on them the important duty of sus
pending for a while the fall of their country…”
These words form one of the closing thoughts of William Wilberforce’s magnum opus A Practical View of Christianity. Wilberforce, known for his successful campaign to abolish slavery in the UK, was also an authentic Christian and it was to authentic Christianity he called his readers. He dedicated his life to many causes but the greatest was the cause of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I, like Wilberforce, am immersed in many causes. I am involved in politics. I give my time and money to do as much good for society as I possible can. Still, I can’t help but believe, just as Wilberforce did, that the best thing that I can do for society is to love God and the only way to truly love God is to accept his son Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
If you and I desire to hold back evil and promote good, we must begin our cause at the foot of Christ’s cross. This and only this will inject into our society the badly needed righteousness that can promote just means and prosperous ends. All the best programs, public policy, and spending combined cannot produce what this profound message can. It is the basis for authentic Christianity.
Where do we go from here? I hope that we agree that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only sure foundation upon which a just society must rest. If not, then I hope that you will come here often so that this post will be just the beginning of many conversations between us.
