National Transformation Through Holiness

In Holiness Pt 3, I highlighted some of the benefits to be derived by being holy. All of the scriptures I shared spoke to personal benefits, except one. 2 Chronicles 7:14 goes beyond direct personal benefit to national benefit. About 2 years ago, the Lord gave me the title of a book (still to be written) entitled “The Healing of a Nation: God’s Prescription”. It had its genesis as I meditated on this scripture in 2 Chronicles and began to write down what I believed the Holy Spirit was revealing to me. I believe with my whole heart that this scripture holds the key to the healing of the nations and the so-called ‘revival’ we keep hearing many Christian leaders pray for. However, God is after more than revival, He is after transformation. A total turnaround, change, cultural shift in our nations. God is after nations. When Jesus was giving instructions to the disciples, what we call the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19, His focus was on making disciples “of all the nations”. My own immediate family represents 5 nations either through birth or residence. I don’t  think this is by accident. Wherever He places us He desires that we be engines of national transformation in whatever sphere of influence He has placed us. Sometimes we feel so inconsequential, so insignificant in the greater scheme of things. But national transformation starts and ends with each of God’s people doing his/her part wherever you have been planted. So the earth shattering question is, “Why are Christians seeming to have so little impact on transforming the nations?” There are several reasons, one being that many Christians don’t even know they have a role to play in national transformation because many church leaders don’t bring that perspective as that was not the teaching they received in seminary. There is even the belief among some church leaders that there should be a separation of church and state. This is not the truth I see in God’s Word. You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.

The second reason I would like to focus on here, and which is in keeping with the theme of holiness for this season, is clearly evident in 2 Chronicles 7:14. Throughout the Scriptures there is a premise for every promise. What I call the “if…………then……..” conditions. God says if you would choose to do something then this will be the result. In fact, we refer to these as spiritual laws. They are laws because God spoke them and He is the same yesterday, today and forever. His Word does not change based on circumstances or whatever cultural shift is taking place in the world. It is immutable, irrevocable and immovable. What does God say in 2 Chron. 7:14 will result in Him a) hearing, b) forgiving, and c) healing the nation? He lists 4 conditions that need to be met. By who? My people! The Church! You and me! All 4 conditions – humility, prayer, seeking God, turning from wicked ways (being righteous, being holy, set apart for God) – come as a package deal. Now, it seems reasonable to me that if ‘my people’ were meeting these conditions then we would be seeing the effects promised by God in our nations. The only conclusion to be drawn then is that ‘my people’ are falling short of meeting the conditions. And God has been speaking through me and others prophetically for years “that He holds us accountable for the nations”. We are crying out to God to save our nations, to bring revival to our nations, to deliver our nations and God is saying “but I gave you all power and authority in the earth. I am waiting for you my people to be holy as I am holy and take up your rightful positions of influence in the nations. I need to work through you in the earthly realm. I have no legal right to function in the earth except you empower me to do so.” The scripture in Romans 8:19 tells us, “For the earnest expectation of the creation, eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.” Revealing means “manifesting, activating”. Who are the sons of God? “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:14).

Many Christians are saved but are still dead in trespasses and sins and are therefore powerless. They need to activate the power that is resident in them. “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, “ (Eph. 3:20). The things we ask or think, God can bring to pass even in greater measure than we have asked or thought but only when we choose to activate the power He has placed in each of us. That power is made powerless through unholiness. That power is therefore activated through holiness. But many Christians have no one to tell them that they have power in them much less how to activate it. This is the worst part! This is why Isaiah and Hosea cried out on behalf of God, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”.

The saving and healing of our nations begin with each one of us obeying God’s command to be holy as He is holy. To seek Him and find out from Him what He requires you to do in your sphere of influence. Trust me, one of those things will be “making disciples of all the nations” in the way He will show you. Sharing your testimony, setting a Godly example, teaching and equipping others with the truth, standing up for the truth, helping someone in need, using whatever abilities and gifts God has given you to make a difference. An army doesn’t just send men out to fight a war without first training and equipping them. That is what disciple making is all about. We who are now discipled must equip others to be disciples so the army of the Lord can be activated and powerful in the earth.  So that they will no longer be ‘destroyed for lack of knowledge’. No matter how small you think your actions are, if God says to do it, just do it and He will cause it to have the outcome He has ordained for it to have. Each one of ‘my people’ has a part to play. Each one not playing that part is accountable to God for the continued devastation that we see in the midst of our nations. It begins with you starting today to make the choice and the determination to become all that God has purposed for you to be. It begins with holiness.

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Shalom.