Dear friends, I’m glad to be back with all of you and hope that all of you have been doing well in the Lord. Today’s world is in turmoil because we have chosen to develop institutions and unions based on our predilections and not God’s Word. Marriages fail, governments collapse, political unions are on the brink of disaster because we have developed systems for mutual advantage and edification rather than God’s glory. It’s tragic that entire nations and civilizations would trade their sovereignty and self-respect for a few measly trade deals and economic security. People no longer marry each other because they love each other and have Christ in their hearts but because they’re lonely and it makes economic sense. Lust and infatuation are mistaken for love while economic and political expediency override freedom and liberty. Unfortunately, as is always the case with all false unity and man-made institutions, such endeavors, arrangements, deals and alliances are doomed to fail (the Greek, Roman and British empires are classic examples)
Please turn with me to two passages in scripture, first to Genesis 11:1-9, and then to Acts 2:1-12. Genesis 11:1-9 describes how men (and women) wanted to stay united and not be scattered because they believed in the often misinterpreted quote, i.e., “united we stand, divided we fall”. If such unity often based on avarice and convenience were indeed true then the Lord Jesus Christ who was often alone (John 16:32, Mark 14:50) must have been miserable, while scripture confirms the opposite. The Tower of Babel was more than mere symbolism, it was the display of the arrogance of human beings who thought that they didn’t need God and could run their affairs without Him. It was a desire for stability and safety without taking God into confidence. And most of all it was an effort to dethrone God Himself.
All modern political, social and even religious institutions (unfortunately some churches are guilty of this too) we see today have their origins in this concept of universal brotherhood that excludes God. There are some political unions today that may yet survive momentarily but are headed for ultimate disaster because they are based on happiness and not harmony. Liberal democracies (even those western democracies built on God’s Word) have shut the Lord Jesus Christ out of their system and instead preach false doctrines that all religions are the same when the Lord Jesus explicitly condemned such heresy (John 10:8). Elitist preachers who are busy condemning others for destroying families forget that they’re guilty of the same sin (Romans 2:22-24). So called conservatives and economic pundits who are scared to death of economic disasters should their cherished unions fall apart forget that they led themselves into that situation in the first place (putting the Lord to a foolish test (Luke 4:12) when they subscribed to monetary unions without fiscal discipline. Now instead of asking God to rectify a messy situation they want to rely on fear and their stubbornness to continue to wallow in their mess.
Affirmative action activists who decry the lack of diversity and misinterpret Philippians 2:4 (where the Apostle Paul admonished us to help our less fortunate brethren) as a license for recruiting incompetent and in-experienced people would happily sacrifice the majority to pander for the vote of minorities. Such people should understand that Philippians 2:4 and similar scriptures haven’t put any premium on sloth and mediocrity. Condemning racism by resorting to reverse racism is deplorable and totally useless (as an upper-caste Brahmin I’ve witnessed this first-hand in India and maybe some of you experienced the same in your respective countries as well). All forms of economic and social doctrines ranging from capitalism to communism, fascism to pacifism have failed miserably leading to a remarkable rise in a new form of protectionism (the ongoing Brexit crisis and trade protectionism in the US are a testament to this). One wonders if the financial planners and thinkers ever took the time to read Bible in its entirety. Unfortunately, all such unions, cliques, enterprises, marriages, and agreements will ultimately fail because God Almighty will not be mocked (Genesis 11:6-9).
Now let’s look at the Unity of Holiness we have as children of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Holy Spirit descended upon the believers in Jerusalem in Acts 2:1-12 men and women began to speak in strange and alien languages. But what could have been alien to them was perfectly comprehensible to the witnesses as they heard them speak their native dialect (Acts 2:7-12). Here we see a perfect example of unity brought forth by the Hand of God. This is an unshakeable unity that is based on the foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11) and seamlessly woven into a perfect union (Colossians 3:11) and has and will stand the test of time (Matthew 7:25). Notice that God only alters our personality and not our individuality. All these men and women baptized in the Holy Spirit retained their national identities and didn’t have to sacrifice their cultures and cherished traditions. Dear saints, don’t let politicians mislead you with their globalism, universalism, isolationism, protectionism, etc. as all such “isms” will eventually fail. Instead as God’s children let’s stay focused on the Lord Jesus Christ and not be led astray. Amen.
Dear friends, I’m quite certain that all of you are sanctified, Holy Ghost baptized saints. Should there be any among you that don’t know the Lord yet, I pray that the Lord of the Universe will set you free from sin and disobedience into His glorious light and freedom. Amen.
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