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Does this sound familiar? “We live in difficult times. Pray for this nation. We have all the marks of a declining civilization. Pray that the God who hears and answers the prayers of His people might intervene on behalf of our country and bring a spiritual renewal that might save the nation.”
What if I told you that an esteemed and influential politician wrote this?
What if I told you that he wrote this in 1797?
The politician was England’s William Wilberforce, the man who tirelessly led the crusade to abolish the British slave trade, but the topics he addressed in Real Christianity sound as though they are topics that we are still wrestling with today.
Throughout this book, Wilberforce contrasts the many ways that cultural Christianity—or people who are Christian in name only—differ from the real Christianity that is outlined in the pages of the Bible. Wilberforce wrote, “I find it necessary to affirm that the problems we face nationally and internationally are a direct result of the decline of faith and morality in our nation. My only hope of a prosperous future for this country rests not on the size and firepower of our military, nor on the wisdom of its leaders, nor on the spirit of her people, but only on the love and obedience of the people who name themselves after Christ, that their prayers might be heard and for the sake of these, God might look upon us with favor.”
I found this book encouraging, in that I can see how human nature has remained the same and that the answers we so desperately seek are still found in the Holy Bible.
I also found this book convicting, as Wilberforce continually challenged me to review my own life to ensure I wasn’t unknowingly slipping into a cultural Christian mindset. I was also confronted by the numerous calls to prayer that Wilberforce made throughout this book.
It’s a relatively short read, but it is power-packed. I recommend Real Christianity to anyone who is frustrated by the state of affairs in our nation, and is desperate to see a true return to the biblical values of Christianity.
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Craig T. Owens 