Is America the Second Promised Land?

Russell Moore, in his book "Onward:  Engaging the Culture Without Losing the Gospel", writes "from the beginning, Christian values were always more popular in American culture than the Christian gospel.  That's why one could speak of "God and country" with great reception in almost any era of the nation's history but would create cultural distance as soon as one mentioned "Christ and him crucified." (page 6)

It has become increasingly obvious that even Christian values are no longer held as something the American culture aspires to.  There is an ongoing widening of a chasm between the culture of America and the basic social beliefs of the Church.  A line has been drawn.  Does that mean the American church is quickly becoming a church of the past and that God has given up on her?   Maybe, but is that all bad?

Moore also writes "the church has an opportunity now to reclaim our witness, as those who confess that we are "strangers and exiles on earth (Hebrews 11:13).  This strangeness starts in what is the most important thing that differentiates us from the rest of the world:  the gospel." (page 7)

Our being different from our surrounding culture should not be based on our political differences or even our moral stance.  It might be possible that we could convince America to once again return to the moral principles found in the Scriptures upon which she once stood, although I am not convinced that is what we really need.  What we really need is people to turn, not to good morals, but to the recognition of our sins and the grace of God's salvation through blood of Jesus Christ.  What should make us different is the gospel.