Common-Sense vs. Non-Sense
by Jonathan Carl
On December 19, 1807, in what is now LaRue County, a brave and courageous man named Thomas Whitman stood up for God’s common-sense against the worldly non-sense of slavery in our community. He knew that it was morally wrong for people to treat other humans as property. He spoke up. He took action.
Proverbs 16:17 “The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life.” (ESV)
Today, we need more men and women to stand up for God’s common-sense. God has revealed Himself generally through His creation (Romans 1:19–20) and by writing His law upon our consciences for our own good (Romans 2:15). We know what is right but often ignore it, avoid it, excuse it, or mock it. When a person or a nation follows the non-sense of the world, great destruction occurs. When a person or a nation follows the common-sense of God’s law, it goes much better for us.
Isaiah 5:20 “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”
Here are some areas you might recognize how our culture is following worldly non-sense instead of God-given common-sense:
• Finances/Economics - Spending more than you earn leads to indebtedness. Indebtedness is not indefinitely sustainable and leads to enslavement, poverty, and ruin.
• Abortion - A human life in a womb is a God-created child. These children need protection. They have their own heartbeats, brains, unique bodies, DNA, and souls. Shedding innocent blood is wicked no mater how one might try to excuse it.
• Sexual Immorality - Abandoning God’s plan for sex to remain within marriage, between one man and one woman for life, leads to emotional, relational, mental, and spiritual harm.
• Homosexuality - Ignoring our anatomical, biological, and reproductive design is twisted, unnatural, unhealthy, and dishonorable to God. We must resist the temptations of our feelings and pursue what is right according to God’s law.
• Transgenderism - We are genetically, anatomically, and biologically male or female. Our sex and gender do not change and are not subjective to our feelings or self-identification. Hormone therapy, makeup, clothes, pronouns, name-changes, and surgeries do not alter the reality of our gender.
• Gluttony & Laziness - Heavier is not healthier. Eating more than we exercise is dangerous and deadly. Poor diet and physical laziness lead to a shorter lifespan and a lower quality of life.
• Substance Abuse - Poisoning our brains and bodies with drugs, medicines, chemicals, alcohol, and tobacco does permanent harm to ourselves and others.
• Government - Corruption, wastefulness, and selfishness lead to a nation defeating itself.
• Gambling - The house always wins. Gambling is foolish, addictive, and leads the vast majority of its participants to significant financial loss over time.
Jeremiah 29:7 “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”
The consequences of following worldly non-sense are self-destructive to our nation and to individuals. Moral goodness does not and cannot save us from sin… but if our nation follow’s God’s law of common-sense instead of the world’s non-sense, it will go a lot better for us all. May we have more courageous and bold men and women who speak up and take action on behalf of God’s common-sense for the sake of our future generations.
Jeremiah 18:7–10 “If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it.”