I never understood just what Bob Dylan thought the answer was that was supposed to be blowing in the wind. But as Americans lament the decline of public morals, I do know that the solution will be found in law. The cry of too many Americans, whenever there is a problem, is, “There oughtta be a law!”

The question is, where should there be a law? There are really only two choices. In the “new covenant,” God promises to write His Law upon the human heart, and to change us from the inside out. A confused Christian nation, however, failing to experience the new covenant, will inevitably seek to write the Law of God on the law books, in the Congressional Record. Which will it be?

Adventism is charged with warning against the dangers of uniting church and state. This is the core of the second angel’s message. The fall of Babylon is caused by church and state uniting to enforce church doctrine, both true and false. No one wants to listen to a fault-finder, criticizing what others are trying to do to address the moral decline, unless they have a constructive alternative.

This is where a new website, WrittenInTheHeart.com, comes in. The motto is: “Putting the Law of God where it belongs.” The only really lasting solution to moral decline is for people to be changed by God from the inside out, to experience the new covenant freedom in Christ. The law of God is not primarily a list of “don’ts” or even “do’s.” It is a “bill of freedoms.” It is about what God will do for us in giving us the power to live lives of integrity, compassion and joy, if we will trust Him.

We don’t need more public displays of the Ten Commandments in courthouses throughout the land so much as we need to experience God’s Law written in the human heart.

The Ten Commandments are the subject of considerable public attention, and this attention may well increase until the Commandments become the subject of national legislation. Indeed, already several of the Commandments loom large in the public debate over policies such as abortion, marriage, divorce and homosexuality. Yet, the Ten Commandments are a subject that Adventism has unique clarity and insight about.

Visit www.WrittenInTheHeart.com. There are brochures and posters available for free distribution, as well as business cards promoting the website. Pastors are encouraged to contribute sermons, articles, and your favorite answers to frequently asked questions. The site was launched as a joint effort of two Pacific Union departments—Church Support Services and Public Affairs and Religious Liberty—but it belongs to all of us, and we can all contribute to providing national leadership on the need to experience the Ten Commandments, rather than merely display, promote or legislate them.