Every Part of Life

It was a time of widespread moral decay. This was England in the early 19^th century. As author Carolly Erickson has described, many “husbands ignored their wives and lived with their mistresses, wives bore their lovers’ children.” At the same time, the lower classes were overwhelmed with health problems and financial burdens.

Yet God moved on the hearts of many men and women who felt it was time for revival. One of those people was Hannah More, a prolific writer who won “an extraordinarily wide audience.” One of her most influential works was Christian Morals, a book published when she was 68.

Hannah had a particular burden to address England’s influential aristocrats. Her message was simple and direct: Although they might attend church, they “were not really Christians” if their commitment was social and superficial. She warned that people should not call themselves Christians if Jesus was not their Lord and if they ignored the Bible.

John the Baptist had a similar message. He knew some of his listeners did not have pure motives. If they were serious, they would change their ways and “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.”

When people heard Hannah More’s message, some were convicted and repented. But others felt she was meddling and interfering with their personal lives. One prominent leader, Lord Melbourne, reacted, “Things are coming to a pretty pass, when religion is allowed to invade private life.”

Many people today have this same attitude. They think they can call themselves Christians while ignoring the principles of God’s Word. They refused to be challenged or repent.

Today, let God probe your heart and mind, assessing your true spiritual condition. Seek to be clean in His sight, and bear good fruit for His Kingdom.