Remember
“When you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Deuteronomy 6:11-12).
We have a tendency to forget.
It’s our nature. Our fallen, sinful nature. To forget.
To be sure, we are very good at remembering positive things. People, places and things that make us look or feel good. A common psychological tactic to ward off the blues is to mentally “Find your happy place!” We want desperately to rid ourselves of unpleasant memories. To find a way to ignore past trauma. To focus on the future and forget or erase the past. And the more prosperous we are in the present, the more prone we are to neglect or forget the past.
Vice-President Kamala Harris is playing on this human tendency with her repeated refrains. “Unburdened by what has been.” And “The way forward.” While I despise her immoral stances on key issues, and think her economic and foreign policy plans are disastrous, I applaud her ability to tap into our natural inclinations to just want to forget the past and dream of a bright future. But there is danger in such strategy. As in the words of philosopher George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.”
Today is 9/11. We must never forget.
That there is evil in human hearts. On September 11, 2001, our entire Nation and world witnessed pure evil. And that evil is not just tucked away in the heart of radical Muslims. Indeed, as I write this, a massive manhunt is underway in the Kentucky mountains for a homegrown terrorist who randomly fired rifle rounds into numerous vehicles traveling down I-75. Pure madness. Evil. And it’s a resident evil. In all of us. We might not all go on murderous rampages, but we’re all full of murderous intent.
“The Lord saw the wickedness of mankind was great in the earth . . . The earth was filled with violence” (Gen. 6:5, 11).
“Whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment” (Jesus in Matthew 5:22).
“For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery” (Jesus in Mark 7:21).
“Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Eccl 7:20).
Today is 9/11. We must never forget.
That there is grace. Common grace from God was on display on that fateful day. As first responders and thousands of Americans in the weeks thereafter came to the aid of others. Risked and gave their lives for others. Nothing quite manifests both the pure evil of human hearts alongside the common grace of God in human hearts like a national trauma. We must be thankful that God has not completely removed His restraining grace upon our land and people. When and if He ever does, more hell will be unleashed upon us than we can ever possibly fathom. But 9/11 reminded us that God’s grace is still alive and well, active, and able to overcome any and all evil.
Today is 9/11. We must never forget.
That God is absolutely sovereign. He establishes nations and authorities (Rom 13:1ff). God rules over the kingdoms of the earth (Daniel 4). All nations answer ultimately to the Judge of all the Earth (Revelation 19-22). The United States is not exempt. God’s judgment upon us has been severe at times, but mostly steady over the last five decades. As evil multiplies among us, we must not forget God’s judgment is being evidenced as He gives people up to their debased hearts and minds (Rom 1:18-32). And when God’s gavel finally falls, a 9/11, or worse, erupts. No President or Pastor or Pope can save us. We must cry out to God through faith in His Son, the Savior, Jesus Christ.
Today is 9/11. We must never forget.
That life is fragile. Our lives are vapors. Here today. Gone tomorrow (James 4:13-17). So, we must proclaim the good news of Jesus to neighbors near and far while there’s still time. And if you’re reading this and have never turned from your sin and trusted in the righteous life, the atoning death, and the powerful resurrection of Jesus for forgiveness of sins and a right relationship with Holy God, please repent and believe right now! You’re not guaranteed your next breath. “It is appointed unto a man to die once, and after this, judgment (Heb 9:27). Death is no respecter of persons. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23).
Today is 9/11. We must never forget.
That freedom is not free. It requires vigilance. It’s worth defending and fighting for. Politically, yes! But even more so, spiritually. “He whom the Son sets free is free indeed” (John 8:36). No freedom compares to being freed from the dominion of sin in our hearts and lives. And I believe a military with millions of Christ-followers is what we should pray for and desire in our Nation. Those who are free from sin by grace through faith in Christ make the very best soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines. If our military and her leaders continue down the path of taxpayer funded abortions and gender reassignment surgeries, we are doomed as a people. Remember how proud you were of our military in the months after 9/11? Do you still have that same sense of pride today? God help us. We’re not learning from the past. We’re forgetting the lessons. We’re plunging into more judgment. And freedom, of every kind, is at stake.
O God, help us remember. Comfort those grieving today as they remember lives lost. Help those still suffering from all kinds of wounds from 9/11. Some physical. Or emotional. Or worse, spiritual. Redeem in Christ as only You can, more and more of our neighbors and fellow-citizens. We cry out with Habakkuk, “O Lord, in wrath, remember mercy” (Hab 3:2). For the glory of Jesus and the world-wide propagation of the gospel. Amen.
by Keith McWhorter