As we prepare for another 4th of July celebration in the United States, I notice a change in how I feel this time every year. I used to feel a sense of pride when I was younger, placing my hand on my heart and pledging allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. With each passing year that symbolic gesture pains me more and more.

Make no mistake: I love this nation and feel blessed to be a citizen in a nation founded on the morality of God and giving its citizens tremendous freedoms. But with each passing year–as our government turns its back on God and adopts more and more humanistic values–my pride is turning into sorrow for just how far this once great nation has fallen.

The latest Supreme Court decision legalizing homosexual marriage was perhaps the final clash between two great philosophies wrestling within this nation. The founding philosophy is that man’s rights are given to Him by God and along with those rights come a responsibility to walk in the wisdom and morality of the eternal God and Creator. The opposing morality, which has grown exponentially over the past 50 years, states that man is his own “god” and purveyor of what is right or wrong. I believe the Supreme Court’s ruling on homosexual marriage has effectively placed the United States of America in direct conflict with God–a stance that started strongly in 1973 when the Supreme Court incredibly determined that we could indiscriminately kill a baby in its mother’s womb. The results: More than 50 million innocent children have been murdered for our economic and sexual convenience.

Many Christians believe this latest Supreme Court ruling seals God’s judgment on our nation–that we will pay a heavy price for our arrogance before God. They expect that a combination of economic stress, terrorism and advancing immorality will bring the wrath and judgment of God down heavily on our nation–a nation that once cried out to Him and pledged that we would do things His way.

We must always remember what the Bible teaches us: that God’s ways are superior to man’s ways. That our human “wisdom” is foolishness to God. Perhaps God’s judgment will not be sudden and swift–perhaps He will allow us to slowly slide into historical oblivion. I will leave that decision to God and His infinite wisdom and perfect timing. But for the many professing Christians who are celebrating the Supreme Court decision–and stating you believe God is pleased with their decision, remember this: Judgment begins in the House of the Lord. Make no mistake–if you believe the Supreme Court decision is one that pleases God–you are on the wrong side of the eternal truth of the Word of God. And if you are leading weaker, younger professing Christians into believing God approves of homosexuality, you will stand before God one day and find out you are eternally and fatally wrong.

As for me, my historic feelings of pride for our nation when I see the flag raised and the fireworks go off this weekend has been replaced with sorrow and tears. I grieve for a once great nation that has replaced God with Humanist ideals. My once heartfels pledge of allegiance to this nation has been replaced with this new pledge:

“I pledge eternal allegiance to the one true God, Creator of all. And I pledge to follow the teachings of the Bible–the eternally true and sufficient Word of the God who created me and will one day judge me. And I thank God for the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who took my sins upon Himself, so that I might escape His wrath against the sin that separated me from Him. I confess myself as a lost sinner and thank Him for His gift of repentance that opens my eyes to my sinful nature. And I thank Him for His grace that saves me and continues to teach me to walk in increasing holiness until the day I stand before Him in final judgment. I thank Him that by my faith in who Jesus Christ is and what he accomplished through His death, burial and resurrection, that I will be spared eternal damnation and given the gift of eternal life with God.”

Oh, and Lord, one more thing: Please, within your perfect will, do whatever is necessary to humble our nation’s leaders and citizens to return to you and confess of our wayward decisions.