Changing A Nation - Roshan Ryan

Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” The word righteousness in this verse is not implying to a person’s right standing with God but to a nation that heeds to God’s righteous codes as found in His moral law. It is not politicians who exalt a nation but righteousness.

The righteous ethical codes this verse implies to is based upon GOD’s moral law. The righteous ethical standards this passage is referring to is based upon God’s moral law. 1Timothy 1:8-11 reveals the intent of the law in civil government: “But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully,  knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for homosexual offenders, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.”

This passage presents that the law was given to be code for righteousness. Since the law cannot save anyone, in this passage the law is presented to be fitting as a righteous pattern for both the church and civil society. Paul even associates this intent of the law to the gospel in this passage and also utters in Galatians that the law is an instructor that guides us through conviction to CHRIST (read Galatians 3: 24).

Also, devoid of the righteous principles of the law infiltrating the society, it is tougher to get people saved since there is absence of knowledge of sin. Romans 7: 7 states that the law conveys the knowledge of sin.

The hyper grace message dominant in the church presently has no use for the law as they do not have outline of the Kingdom of GOD which begins with the cultural decree of Genesis 1: 28. This command compels believers to influence culture and not only see the law as a personal ethical code. Adversely, hyper grace people would not know what to do with 1 Tim 1: 8 -10. They also do not comprehend the civil intent of the moral law (The 10 commandments) which the framework of Exodus 20 explains. Exodus chapter 20 displays in the framework that the chief intent of the 10 commandments was to give the nation a structure of laws so they can be blessed and to prevent them from reverting into slavery.

These Ten Commandments, also known as the moral law is cross-cultural, multi- generational and always relevant pertinent because they are the picture of the character, nature and holiness of GOD. So therefore the Ten Commandments were repeated numerous times in the New Testament for the church (E.g. Romans 13: 9; Ephesians 6: 1 -3). The law cannot redeem us, but it is the model for righteousness and ethos. Counting, Deut 28: 1-15 explains the national blessings that will come to the nation that keeps the law.

Also, the prophet Amos presented rudiments of the moral law of GOD were fixed in the created order and is replication of GOD’S ethics which is why GOD even holds secular nations responsible to HIS law code. If not, how can JESUS be called the KING of kings and by what principle of ethos could JESUS judge the world? (Acts 17: 30, 31).

In Amos chapters 1,2, GOD judged the nations of the Philistines , Edom , Ammon, Moab for war crimes, cruelty, murder, kidnapping and abortion  even though they were uncircumcised, why? Because all nations are subjected to the covenant of creation even if they are not in the salvific covenant.

All nations are subjected to the natural or ordinary law which is attached in the created order and is a replication of God’s ethos which are uttered in the moral law of God. This is why God acknowledged the repentance of Nineveh in the book of Jonah regardless of that nation never received the covenant of circumcision or exercised the ceremonial law. They were still instinctively

able to comprehend facets of the moral law.

Using the Moral Law

We will only sum up it by two classifications. Commandments 1-4 are vertical and require all nations to choose Jehovah Elohim and put Him first as a nation even if they cannot exercise conversions in a diverse society. Commandments 5-10 are horizontal, having to do with our duty to our fellow humans. Based on these 6 moral laws we have to order legislation that legitimizes traditional marriage and families, esteems the piety of human life, combats oppression and racism, respects private property as well as carrying out of a legal procedure that respects justice and shuns injustice.

When any nation deserts from these moral laws they will be below the negative permissions of God as per Deuteronomy 28 as we can view by reading the biblical history of Israel and the nations. (Read,I and II Kings)

It is fascinating that the nations under judgement mentioned in the book of Amos as well as Nineveh in the book of Jonah defiled the horizontal segment of the 10 commandments. God never specified their worship of false gods nor did He mention facets of the first four commandments when He judged the gentile nations specified in the first two chapters of the book of Amos including the Ninevites in the book of Jonah.

What to do presently? There are four things:

First, the people of God have to repent from their slack living and dearth of commitment and seek God as never before as mentioned in 2 Chronicles 7:14. The church has to base their principle of ethos on the 10 commandments over again both within and externally.

Second, the church requires operating again as salt and light by proclaiming the Kingdom of God and assigning godly leaders in every aspect of society to transform systems and not just on personal salvation.

Third, the church requires to once again equip the saints for each facet of culture as well as the media and entertainment industries, and not just concentrate on politics.

Fourth, we need to have CHRISTIAN teaching staff in universities to regain the biblical world perspective in institutions of higher learning so we can inspire the multitudes of young people in community.

Largely, we require a multi-generational strategy of developing our biological and spiritual children to be the caretakers and solution providers of culture so that the church once more becomes the focus of the metropolis and the metropolis the church.