Fixing Our Fractured Foundations

Why Beliefs Matter in Any Society

Societies don’t arise by chance. They grow from convictions about life, law, and morality, all pointing back to an underlying faith. The very structure of any culture reflects its religious roots, whether openly acknowledged or quietly implied.

Wherever we look… ancient Greece, modern totalitarian regimes, or our own Western heritage… religion (what folks believe is ultimate) has always guided how laws are formed, how the state is viewed, and how society solves its greatest problem: the presence of evil. When the belief system at the heart of a society shifts, the entire social order transforms, for better or worse.

Culture Is Religion Externalized And Then Put Into Action

Culture is the outward display of a people’s faith. At its core, religion is made visible in everyday life. This is why an attack on a society’s structure is never just political or economic; it is also a challenge to the faith that inspired it… the faith that that holds it up.

In the modern world, we sometimes hear that religion should be kept out of the public sphere. Yet that stance hides a more profound truth: a so-called “neutral” position usually signals a transition from one religious allegiance to another. A society cannot function without anchoring itself to some ultimate authority, whether it is God, the state, or another force.

Western civilization historically rested on biblical Christianity, which affirms God as the ultimate Creator and lawgiver. Over time, however, humanistic philosophies have grown stronger, placing faith in human sovereignty rather than divine sovereignty.

If this humanistic creed continues to dominate our culture, shaping our laws, forming our institutions, and our response to evil… will continue to adjust and reflect the new religious commitment. The reverence once reserved for God increasingly attaches itself to human institutions. Under such a shift, the natural result is a social order that treats politics or the state as its central religious focal point.

Law: The Moral Code of a Society

The first foundation of any social order is its concept of law. Law is enacted morality… a reflection of what a people considers right and wrong. When a society’s moral code originates in faith in God, its laws align with the conviction that there is a higher, divine order to which all individuals and institutions must answer. Such a society acknowledges that no human authority can override God’s commandments and that both leaders and citizens remain accountable to a transcendent standard.

In contrast, when law is rooted in a humanistic or political faith, it becomes shaped by the evolving priorities of those who hold power. Because humanism sees people, or the collective human will, as the ultimate authority, law morphs as current ideals or leaders demand. This leads to ever-changing standards since the human will is famously inconsistent and always changing. Whereas God’s law provides a stable guide for society, law based on human will or human reason can be modified to fit the ambitions of the moment.

The State: A Profoundly “Religious” Institution

The second foundation of social order is the state itself. Contrary to popular modern assumptions, the state can never be a neutral, secular body. By its very nature, the state enforces moral codes and organizes social life around shared values.

When we study Western culture and societies, two core institutions stand out as religious in character: the church and the state. The church is the ministry of grace, proclaiming redemption through God, while the state is the ministry of justice, wielding the power to enforce law.

In Christian societies, the state’s function is deliberately limited to upholding justice under God’s authority. This constraint keeps political leaders from seeking total control since they are not sovereign over every aspect of life.

However, in many non-Christian societies… past and present… the state becomes the primary or sole religious institution, demanding ultimate loyalty from its citizens. We see this in ancient Rome’s deification of the Caesars, in modern regimes that establish cults around their leaders, like China, and even in more “free” cultures that place an almost sacred trust in government power to solve every problem.

Whenever a state claims absolute sovereignty, it steps into a messianic role, promising forms or types of salvation, redemption, or utopia through political action alone. This shift is at odds with a Christian understanding of government.

A Christian view insists that the state’s job is to uphold justice according to God’s law, not to save souls or create perfection on earth. Yet in an age shaped more by humanistic assumptions, people increasingly look to the state to rescue them from every form of hardship… moral, social, or economic. A good example would be Lyndon Johnson’s attempt to build a “Great Society.”

Whose Sovereign: God or the State?

The third foundation of social order is sovereignty, and it’s perhaps the most pivotal. Sovereignty answers the question: Who reigns over all aspects of life and creation? If sovereignty rests with God, then God’s word governs every sphere… family life, business, the arts, education, politics, and more. No one area of human existence is exempt from divine authority. Even the state itself is bound by the higher laws of God and cannot override them.

However, if sovereignty is claimed by the state, then there is no corner of life outside its jurisdiction. All institutions… churches, families, businesses… become subservient to the plans and decrees of political authorities. The logic is pretty clear: if human institutions hold ultimate power, they will demand unfettered control. There are no exceptions to this.

This leads to an inevitable clash between God and the state. Two sovereigns cannot coexist without conflict. One must give way to the other. History is filled with examples of Christian believers being persecuted precisely because they refused to grant to the state ultimate allegiance.

The Problem Is Sin And The Solution Is The Biblical Doctrine Of Grace

A final foundation for every social order is its doctrine of grace. Whether societies admit it or not, all cultures must address the reality of evil. Maybe best stated like this: is the problem within the human heart, or is the environment the culprit? Under a humanistic framework, individuals are believed to be essentially good but corrupted by external conditions such as inequities, educational deficiencies, or social injustices.

The state’s role, then, becomes that of a redeemer, reshaping and reeducating citizens to eliminate evil. Those deemed irredeemably evil under the new moral code… capitalists, the middle class, property owners, certain religious groups are marginalized and ultimately persecuted.

Biblical Christianity, on the other hand, insists that the problem of evil lies in human sin. Each person’s desire to act as their own God brings disorder and brokenness into the world.

Only God’s grace, offered through Jesus Christ, provides the ultimate solution. No amount of social engineering or political force can cure the spiritual ailment of sin. While the Christian faith certainly cares about justice in society, it recognizes that transformation must begin within the heart… through acceptance of God’s grace… before it can flower in any outward reforms.

The Path to a Christian Culture Isn’t Top-Down Christian Nationalism

Society rests on a sure foundation when “the Lord builds the house,” to borrow the psalmist’s words. This means a Christian Nation must be a by-product of a commonly held belief system as it arises… from the bottom up. John the Baptist gave excellent advice, “Before kingdoms change, men must change.” What could be plainer?

The alternative is to rely on flawed human power to hold everything together. Once largely shaped by biblical creeds, Western civilization has been and is now witnessing a profound shift in its foundational faith. Statist humanism has grown to become the new creed or foundational belief system for many. This changes how law is viewed, how government is conceived, and how society intends to “fix” its moral failings.

If Christians hope to rebuild a more faithful social order, they must return to these core creedal foundations. Any merely political or economic fixes overlook the deeper faith commitments at work below the surface.

Even the best laws or most inspiring political movements will prove hollow without a steadfast trust in the sovereignty and grace of God. History also shows that only a renewed vision of God’s authority can create a just and lasting framework in which human freedom and dignity thrive.

By re-centering on divine sovereignty and grace, believers become, in effect, architects of a social future that transcends the limitations of political ideologies. They recognize that while the state has an essential role in upholding justice, it can never serve as a substitute for God’s saving work.

Finding Our Way Back

Genuine social transformation has to proceed from a proper understanding of law. But more than that: from a state that humbly acknowledges it is under God’s rule, from a foundational recognition that sovereignty belongs to the Creator alone, and from a deep reliance on God’s grace to heal human sin and evil wherever we find it.

It is not enough to protest or to document every misstep of an opposing worldview. For the most part, that’s what the Fox News Network does: chronicle every inconsistency and hypocrisy of the Left. Ever hear a mention of sin on Fox? Ever hear of a real biblical way out of the mess we are in? Never. Now, don’t get all huffy at this point because I watch Fox once in a while too. It’s often the best bad choice. My only point is that there is never a well-articulated solution to the problems we have. No way back. No direction home. Just “same as it ever was” to borrow from David Byrne.

Anyway, a Christian social order requires a very bold reassertion of biblical foundations. It calls for believers to live out these convictions in every sphere, from politics and education to business and family life.

Anything less merely tinkers with the outer edges of a broken system. True renewal begins with a confession: “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” Only on that cornerstone can we shape a society where justice is upheld, freedom flourishes, and grace abounds.

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