Most generations look back on history to see the changes in a society and culture. The church is in an amazing position to know the One who knows the future. Unfortunately, we, as fallen, finite, and fallible creatures, rarely take advantage of this.
Today, we can see the relatively early stages of a major change in the history of our Western culture. I think we can all agree that the once favored place that Christianity held in the west has been slowly but steadily eroded. This knowledge should not make us fearful. It certainly isn’t the first time Christianity has fallen out of favor. It should however be a wakeup call for the Church.
No longer is it sufficient to simply proclaim to the lost that “Jesus loves you”, true as that is. The enemy now has entered the realm of the intellectual. Setting aside all rules of knowledge and logic, he mixes and matches any thought that may hold sufficient emotional attraction to distract the lost from seeking what they instinctively know to be the truth (Romans 1:18).
This being the case, the church must meet this “new” strategy head on. I Peter 3:15, “…but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” This means the study of theology (the knowledge of God) and apologetics (The branch of theology that is concerned with defending or proving the truth of Christian doctrines.), though always important, is even more essential if we are to communicate the Gospel of Christ to our culture. Ultimately and always, this is to be done with the ever-present understanding that it is the Holy Spirit that convicts and convinces, not the completeness or the cleverness of our argument.
However, when I ask the question; Are We Prepared? I am less concerned with our ability to defend the faith, as important as that is. I am more concerned for our emotional preparation.
Scripture gives us no guarantee that carrying out the great commission (Matthew 28:16-20), will produce results, observable results. As society and the culture become more hostile to the Gospel, we are to remember this. Knowing this (that there is no guarantee of observable results) we must thoughtfully consider what our response will be to those with whom we share this Gospel and discuss what we know of the ways of God.
As I was considering this, the prophet Jeremiah came to mind. Jeremiah was called of God to speak His words to Israel in the midst of their continued rebellion. I found what was said to Jeremiah in chapter 7 verse 27 very interesting. “So, you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you; and you shall call to them, but they will not answer you.” The point I want to make referencing this verse is not to say, categorically, that the people you speak to will not listen to you. Rather, to point out this as an example of what our call to obey God will often entail. We are to obey because we are called to obey, not because obeying will bring a specific result in doing so. We are to obey the commands of God for the sake of obedience, whether or not God chooses to give an increase as a result of our obedience.
So, what IS our response to be? 1 Peter 3:15 is one passage that tells us what our manner should be as we are confronted with hostility, whatever the degree. We are to “make a defense” with “gentleness and reverence”. Hebrews 12:14 says to; “Pursue peace with all people, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” Romans 12:18 tells us; “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people.” I am more convince than ever that, in the present political climate we find ourselves that we must set aside even our political affections for the sake of the Gospel. The Apostle Paul spoke to this in I Corinthians 9:22-23 when he said; “To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak; I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.”
In recent years I have made a concerted effort to curtail the amount of time I speak of politics for this very reason. While I definitely have a leaning politically, it is my desire to be more identified with Christ than with a political party. I have asked myself; When people see me coming, or when they think of me, would their first thought be of my political ideologies or that I’m a follower of Jesus. My desire is to be seen and thought of as the latter.
2 Timothy 3:13-15 tells us; “But evil people and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
“Continue in the things you have learned.” My fear is that we have not paid attention to the very tenets of our faith, primarily those that speak to how we are to treat our “enemies”. Now technically, it is my opinion, and I think this is consistent with Scripture, that our only real enemy is the evil one who is the enemy of God. But it is clear that when the Bible speaks of our “enemies” it is speaking of other humans who live contrary to the faith and are often hostile in their treatment of those who follow the Way.
There are no exceptions to these tenets. It doesn’t tell us to just love our enemies who are mildly hostile to the faith or just don’t agree with us. It was in the context of the early Church that these things were written. In those days, the Church was threatened with death by the enemies of their day, yet still, they were to love them and remain faithful.
Remember, when Jesus hung on the cross, He prayed for His enemies. “Father forgive them”. Likewise, when Stephen was stoned to death (Acts 7:60), in the midst of his suffering, said regarding those who threw the stones, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!”
Contrast this with the way that many Christians on social media and in confrontations on the street respond to those who hurl insults or simply disagree. We have not yet experienced REAL persecution.
Are we prepared?
Is the American Church prepared to exist in a post Christian America?
Let me make clear what I mean by post-Christian American. First of all, I do not mean to suggest that America as a nation was ever Christian. No nation, as a whole, can be such. Only the individual can be a Christian. However, it is accurate to say “Christian America” in this sense. Since its founding, America has treated Christianity as a favorite son. Because, as a nation, in general, most held to the basic principles and tenets of its teachings, many would call this a Christian nation. Even those of an atheistic bent held to a “Ten Commandment-ish” morality. Christianity has enjoyed favored status for centuries and most who lived here identified as Christians. Those days are gone.
The percentage of people who identify as Christian in the USA has fallen to an all-time low of 64% according to the Pew Research Center. Fifty years ago, that figure was 90%. Some say that the figure will fall below 50% by the year 2070. I think it will be sooner than that unless God sends revival.
While those figures are alarming to many, they really should have nothing to do with the state of the Church. Unfortunately, they do. It’s information like this that seems necessary from time to time to get the attention of the Church to take an inward look at itself, though not in the way that some might think. The following suggestions (actually, they are commands) for how we should respond to the current state of our culture, should be the same way that Scripture has instructed us all along. Sadly, the Church has gotten lazy as a result of that favored status.
So, what should we be doing? Should we put our heads together and come up with a marketing program to entice the world? Should we wring our hands and panic seeing that we will soon be out numbered? I suggest that the answer to both those questions is a resounding, NO!
First of all, we are not selling a product. Secondly, we have always been outnumbered.
Should we seek to become what Dr. Mohler called “accommodationists”?
“Theologians, including those who style themselves as evangelicals, who urge an accommodationist posture with modern secularism, present a prescription for theological disaster. The God who would be rendered acceptable to the secular age is a God who would bear no resemblance to the God of the Bible. This new God would be a God who cannot save.” (Dr. Robert Mohler; Atheism Remix: A Christian Confronts the New Atheists)
As we find ourselves surrounded by more and more people who are not just “not Christian”, but are openly hostile toward Christianity, it is tempting to respond in a worldly way. Stand your ground, grit your teeth, give your best insulting comeback, show them how stupid they are, lash out at them in the same manner they lash out at you. Show them we Christians aren’t going to be pushed around. Point out their every flaw. I know the feeling.
Of course, this would be utterly contrary to all the teachings of Christianity.
So, what does Scripture tell us? What are some basic teachings of the Christian faith that speaks to this exact situation. Let me start by pointing out 2 things that have changed my thinking significantly and, as a result, has changed how I respond to the world around me.
First of all, John 3:17. Pretty much the whole world knows John 3:16. If you watch sports, you’ll see it on the occasional athlete’s face in the black under their eyes or on placards in the stands. It was probably the first verse that most of us who were raised in the Church memorized. I would certainly never diminish the importance of that verse. Unfortunately, it has overshadowed the verse following it. A verse that holds for us a very important instructions regarding our relationship to the world around us.
John 3:17 says; “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.” It is this Son (as we see Him in His earthly ministry) that we are to emulate. It is Jesus that is our model. We are not called to emulate the Father. We are not called to emulate the Holy Spirit. We are to emulate Jesus. What does that look like? How can we live without judging in a world fraught with immorality? How can we live without judging when we are faced with the Godlessness of our age? How can we live in the world without appearing to condone the sinful behavior that surrounds us?
We are given a perfect example in the story of the woman caught in adultery. Jesus’ words to this woman shows us how.
“But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. And early in the morning He came again into the temple area, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began teaching them. Now the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in the act of adultery, and after placing her in the center of the courtyard, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” Now they were saying this to test Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. When they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” And again, He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Now when they heard this, they began leaving, one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman where she was, in the center of the courtyard. And straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on do not sin any longer.” John 8:1-11
Jesus shows us that we are not the judge, rather, we are the messenger. He showed compassion to this woman who had been judged by those around her, yet He didn’t allow His compassion to dilute the message. In fact, I suggest, His compassion enhanced the message.
Secondly, a very simple truth that God has put in my brain like an alarm when I find myself confronted with a person who is hostile to the faith, regardless of the degree.
They are lost!
What would God have us do when we come upon someone who is lost, regardless whether they are lost geographically or spiritually? If lost geographically, we would have no hesitation to point them in a direction that would get them where they need to go. Why would we hesitate to do the same for the spiritually lost?
The tenets of our faith and the message we bring does not change with the changing of our society. It doesn’t change from culture to culture. It is the same message Jesus brought during His short ministry here. It is the same message we are to bring to a lost world until He returns.
To be continued…