By now you have likely heard about the remarks made by Representative Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, regarding the events that preceded her arrival at the prayer breakfast hosted by Republican Senator Tim Scott.

In her opening statement, she mentioned that while she was preparing to get ready for the prayer breakfast, her fiancé tried to pull her back to bed, to which she replied: “No baby, we don’t got time for that this morning, I’ve gotta get to the prayer breakfast.” As she smiled and the crowd chuckled, she continued: “He can wait, I’ll see him later tonight.”

Not only were her remarks made at an event that is supposed to be centered on communing with the Thrice Holy God, but they were made in the presence of her pastor, Greg Surratt of Seacoast Church.

Mace, who added later that she has been a professing Christian for the past four years, even said that Surratt took the joke “in stride.”

As a Christian in South Carolina who spends much time encouraging our lawmakers to pass righteous statutes, I can confirm that this type of attitude toward sin is very much the reason why South Carolina politics are in the shape they are in. This is a state where the vast majority of those in the legislature profess to be followers of Christ, count on votes from the churches in their districts for reelection, and are often celebrated and even invited to speak from behind the very pulpits that should be condemning such behavior.

It is the reason why even in the smallest of towns in South Carolina, you can now find pro-LGBT pornographic books in the children’s section, drag queen story hour, and Christian bumper stickers on the very cars that are pulling into the abortion clinics here to murder, on average, fifty children each day, even after the overturn of Roe.

As a Christian in South Carolina, I can confirm that this type of attitude toward sin is very much the reason why South Carolina politics are in the shape they are in.

Nancy Mace is part of the problem: she was one of several Republicans to vote last year for the Respect for Marriage Act, a law which codifies Obergefell into federal law, and is one of the most liberal voices in the Republican caucus on abortion.

As long as the church in South Carolina continues to elect and support representatives who joke and boast in the very things that God hates, there is no reason to hope that the situation will turn for the better in this state. As long as the church continues to tolerate and even celebrate sin, we will continue to spiral into judgment and insanity.

Two things need to happen to fix this issue.

The first is the church in South Carolina acknowledging that the Great Commission does in fact apply to the South Carolina state house and the United States Congress. When Jesus said that “all authority on heaven and on earth” is his, he didn’t excuse the civil sphere (Matthew 28:18-20). Part of the church’s job is to teach our representatives to both obey and execute God’s decrees, God’s laws, and God’s penalties.

The second is the church reminding their representatives that they are not autonomous. As the apostle Paul articulated, the roles and duties of the magistrate are to establish justice, reward good, and punish evil (Romans 13:1-7). These are the parameters that the Lord has established for civil government, and the church’s roles and duties are to be prophetic and ensure that those appointed to represent them are adhering to those parameters.

Instead of laughing and going along with Mace’s remarks, the Christians in that room, if there were any, should have rebuked her and called her to repent and then have her resign her office to a biblically qualified candidate.

As long as the church continues to tolerate and even celebrate sin, we will continue to spiral into judgment and insanity.

Judgment starts in the household of God (1 Peter 4:17). It is on the church of Jesus Christ to be the watchmen on the wall in our homes, in our churches, in our communities, and in our legislatures.

For far too long, the church has abandoned her post, and so here we are: laughing the morning away at a “prayer breakfast” while one of the keynote speakers boasts about her sin.

Nancy Mace needs to repent of her fornication. Her pastor needs to repent of not shepherding his church. And the church as a whole in South Carolina needs to repent of allowing these legislators to stay in office while they parade their sin like Sodom.

Wake up, church of South Carolina!