For more than 20 years, I have been convinced that a moral and cultural revolution would rise up in America that would push back against the fruit of the counterculture revolution of the 1960s. That revolution is now here, at least in its early stages. But if it is to be really effective and lasting, it must be gospel based.
Before I break this down in more detail, consider just how deeply our culture has moved in a wrong direction in the aftermath of the counterculture revolution.
As expressed by psychologist David G. Meyers in the year 2000,
Had you fallen asleep in 1960 and awakened today (even after the recent uptick in several indicators of societal health) would you feel pleased at the cultural shift? You would be awakening to a:
— Doubled divorce rate.
— Tripled teen suicide rate.
— Quadrupled rate of reported violent crime.
— Quintupled prison population.
— Sextupled (no pun intended) percent of babies born to unmarried parents.
— Sevenfold increase in cohabitation (a predictor of future divorce).
— Soaring rate of depression—to ten times the pre-World War II level by one estimate.
Looking back today, 2000 almost seems like the good old days.
This was before the Supreme Court found a Constitutional “right” to sodomy (2003) and before that same court redefined marriage (2015).
This was before a biological male could be named Woman of the Year (2015) and you could be banned on social media platforms for saying that biology actually matters (2022 and earlier).
This was before the American Library Association gave its approval to drag queens reading to toddlers in our libraries (2019) and before Disney aggressively promoted queer characters in our children’s movies (that controversy rages right now).
These are just a handful of examples related to LGBTQ-plus activism, which, in turn, represents some of the lasting fruit of the sexual revolution.
I could have also mentioned the spike in children born out of wedlock. Or the increasing militancy of pro-abortionists. Or the disturbing rise in drug overdoses. Or the large number of Gen Z atheists. The list goes on and on.
But in the midst of all this, a revolution is rising.
We are on the verge of seeing Roe overturned after a nearly 50-year battle, along with numerous states poised to enact pro-life legislation.
We are seeing a pushback against radical trans activism, both on the grass roots level and in the courts.
We are seeing parents rising up against destructive curricula in their children’s schools.
We are seeing Americans across the country saying, “Enough is enough.”
But unless this revolution is gospel-based, it will ultimately fail, and whatever gains are realized will be quickly lost.
That’s because the only way to see lasting change is to change a person’s heart. And that change of heart must be deep, the kind of change that takes place when someone is born again and has a true conversion experience.
It’s the kind of change that takes place when people begin to live in holy awe of the Lord, where His standards and values become theirs.
It’s the kind of change that takes place when people begin to read the Bible for themselves and experience an awakening of conscience.
It’s the kind of change that is based on scriptural principles rather than on the shifting (and fickle) sands of culture. (Never forget that some of the same people who wanted to crown Jesus one week wanted to crucify Him the next.)
Human anger only goes so far. Emotional pushback only lasts so long.
What we need is the Spirit of God invading our churches afresh, and from there, impacting the world outside our church doors.
What we need is true revival in our own midst—I’m talking to fellow believers here—where we repent of our own sins and experience lasting spiritual renewal.
What we need is a beautiful expression of what a culture of life looks like, with thriving marriages and blessed kids and a sense of purpose and joy in our lives.
What we need is something that the watching world will want, leading non-believers to inquire about our faith.
What we need is the bold, uncompromised, compassionate preaching of the gospel from coast to coast, making multitudes of people understand how lost they are and how great a Savior Jesus is.
What we need is a reformation movement that has its roots in God rather than being grounded in a cultural response to a fleshly revolution gone too far.
The former can transform a generation. The latter will be here one day and gone the next.
The former is not simply a reaction against extremes but a proclamation that God has a better way. The latter recognizes the wrong but doesn’t have a full understanding of what is right.
That being said, I will work together with people of all backgrounds to combat a destructive, radically leftist agenda that is destroying America. (See here for an example.)
But unless this revolution is Jesus-centered, Bible-based and Spirit-empowered, it will not succeed in its mission.
The time for that revolution is now. {eoa}
Dr. Michael Brown (askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is The Silencing of the Lambs: The Ominous Rise of Cancel Culture and How We Can Overcome It. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.
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