GOLD? BRASS? WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Alexander Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008) warned, “The strength or weakness of a society depends more on the level of its spiritual life than on its level of industrialization. Neither a market economy nor even general abundance constitutes the crowning achievement of human life. If a nation's spiritual energies have been exhausted, it will not be saved from collapse by the most perfect government structure or by any industrial development. A tree with a rotten core cannot stand.” A great many good things appear to be on the horizon for America in terms of the return of manufacturing, a strong economy, restoration of law and order, secured borders and national security. But all of this will come to nothing if  how nation continues to be hollowed out by spiritual rot from within.

An increasingly, deepening, spiritual rot has set in and is spreading in America primarily because “Christianity” has been subtly redefined and morphed into something unidentifiable with the Christianity that is defined in the Bible, and that once dominated the thought and life of Christians and churches in America.  Much if not most of what is called “Christianity” here, has now“married” itself to the world,

One of the saddest stories in the Bible is that of how 300 solid gold shields, representative of Israel’s power and glory, were stolen away by an enemy, and replaced by 300 cheap brass substitutes during that nation’s final days (Read 2 Chron. 12). Think of this relative to a much touted and quite possible  “Golden Age” for America—a “Golden Age” that depends entirely on whether or not Christians will hold themselves, their churches and pastoral leadership to the “Gold Standard” of Biblical Truth.

When Israel’s gold shields were replaced with brass ones, their carnal leadership no doubt did their best to convince the people, and many of the people convinced themselves, that it didn’t make any difference—that maybe, the brass was even an improvement on the gold. But many were still around who recognized the difference between what had been and what was. These were those who knew, that despite the shininess of the new brass could never substitute for the power and glory they’d lost. These were those who cared.

Much “gold” in terms of Spirit-filled worship and preaching has been replaced today by carnal, contemporary “brass.”  “Brass,” in terms of many of the modern versions has been substituted for the tried and proven “gold” of the King James Bible. The “gold” of sound doctrine (2 Tim. 1-4; Tit. 1:9). has been replaced by the cheap “brass” of carnal ideology and sophistry. The “brass” of the three-ringed circus atmosphere and entertaining programs has been substituted for the “gold” of simple God-centered worship where the power and glory of God are experienced.

Many in Israel never forgot Solomon’s golden shields and the glory and power that they’d represented. They were never able to accept the cheap “knock offs” that Rehoboam put on display. They knew the difference in value, the difference between the genuine and the counterfeit, the difference between the real and the synthetic. These could never be satisfied with a cheap imitation.

Christians need to measure their Christianity, their churches and their ministries according to the gold standard of God’s Word, and refuse to accept the devil’s substitutes. This happens where there is desire and discernment.