On March 19, I had the privilege of debating an atheist.
During that closing statement when I began to talk about the real reason we deny God: “The carnal mind is hostile toward God” (Rom. 8:7a), a few members of a local Satanic group walked out. But this is very common when one focuses on the power of Christ. He is not a genie in a bottle; He is the Lord Jesus Christ: “Every knee should bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (cf. Phil. 2:10).
The words of Titus Brandsma (martyred at Dachau under Hitler) rang true that night, “Those who want to win the world for Christ must have the courage to come into conflict with it.” This gospel of love is, ironically, becoming a message of hate to those who oppose it.
Speaking the truth costs me (and it will cost you). While most feedback is very encouraging, those who are upset will often stop at nothing to get their point across. Do I enjoy this? That goes without answer. Although many applaud boldness, if the truth be told, life would be much easier if I took a secular job and avoided controversy. But I cannot. God radically changed my life by the power of His Spirit through His truth: “His word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I was weary of forbearing it, and I could not endure it.”
As stated before, one of my great concerns is for the pulpits of America: Many are exchanging truth for tolerance, boldness for balance and conviction for cowardice. Pastors who are called to defend the truth often run from it. We don’t want to offended lest we lose our audience. But truth is controversial—it convicts and challenges. We are not to seek the applause of men but the applause of God. The pulpit inevitably sets the tone of the religious climate of the nation.
The lukewarm, sex-saturated culture simply reflects the lack of conviction in the pulpit as well as the pew. Granted, there are many wonderful pastors and churches—I appreciate their ministry, but, as a whole, the church has drifted off-course. The Bible was written so that people would know the truth—the truth about God, creation, sin and redemption. In reality, truth invites scrutiny whereas error runs from it (see 1 John 5:13). We are not called to make truth tolerable but to make it clear. Even a brief review of the New Testament confirms this. Jesus perfectly balanced grace and mercy with confrontation and correction. He wanted people to know the truth even if it offended.
We live in a culture that often describes conservative Christians as “ignorant” and “narrow-minded” simply because we claim that we can know the truth. Many reject the Bible as absolute truth because absolute truth, by definition, is exclusive. But they fail to realize that relativism is also exclusive—it excludes those who hold to absolutes. People will accept numerical truth such as 2 + 2 = 4, but they don’t like “moral” truth. They want the freedom to do what they want, when they want, how they want, to whom they want, which, according to Scripture, leads to their own destruction.
God’s Word says to confront, confess and turn from our sins, whereas relativism encourages us to ignore, overlook and continue in them. Relativism says, “If it ‘feels’ good, do it.” That may be a great marketing slogan, but it’s dangerous. Truth is not relative. No other decision will impact our lives more than who, or what, we choose to follow. For this reason, lay aside feelings and opinions as you embrace absolute truth. Feelings and opinions change—truth does not. It’s a hill on which to die.
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