By Love Compelled

I am persuaded Noah could not have stood the stench in the arc if it were not for the storm outside the arc. If you think there are troubles in the church take a look around outside of it.

The Old Ship of Zion, the church, has always had to sail in troubled waters. There is a biblical axiom that has enabled it to sail on. Believers on the vessel are charged to “contend for the faith once delivered.” It is not that they should be contentious, always looking for a fight. However, if it is to be the guardian of the faith once delivered it can expect stormy seas.

It is obvious and well documented that young adults are abandoning ship, many never got on board. The number one reason why might surprise you as it did me. It is because the church is so weak. It does not define itself by the Bible and refuses to compromise. There is no voice like that of Martin Luther who under the threat of death proclaimed. “Here I stand; I can do no other.” His conscience was as he said, “bound to the Word of God.”

The Christian perspective must always be to contend in love. It is to love opponents, but not approve their unbiblical perspective.

For ages the banner has read, “I love you, but I disagree with what you are doing.” Today that is called negative tolerance. Positive tolerance, “I love you and embrace your position.” That is supported by the modern progressive concept that one idea is as good as another. If that is true we need to dig up Hitler and apologize to him. Vladamir Putin deserves a pardon. All murder convictions should be commuted. The 9/11 mass hijacking murders are to be forgiven. Adam Lanza, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter, must be absolved.  Open all prison cells. The idea of one idea being as good as another would mandate those actions.

In addressing the church Jesus said, “Go you into all the world.” Many have distorted that to mean bringing all the world into the church via compromise. That sellout is the weakness of which youth are referring. They know the church is to be salt and light, but feel a better analogy is pablum and sugar.

Instead of infighting the church should take the high road and stand in rank defending sound doctrine knowing that doing so is to call down fire on itself by outside forces. No churchman wants that, but the battle lines have been drawn by an unfriendly hand. The Christian community must be advocates of peace while serving as proponents of biblical truth.

In every era, Christians have been called “to contend earnestly for the faith once and for all delivered to the saints.” Some struggles recur in every generation. Battles such as the veracity of Scripture or the person and work of Jesus are perennial ones. The church, again and again, has to articulate and defend these doctrines. The church doesn’t determine the truth; the truth determines the church.

This post is an appeal for Christians to be activists not only in the church, but in society in general. By love compelled  “contend earnestly for the faith.”

Let us commit ourselves, “So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Ephesians 4:14).

Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you” (John 15: 18).