Culture Wars

The devil is very real

He is determined to do anything and everything he can to make discipleship just as difficult as possible. He has always operated that way. First century Christians were misunderstood, maligned, and frequently mistreated, yet they held their ground, refused to compromise, and ultimately were triumphant. Will twenty-first century Christians fare as well?

Christian principles are at odds with modern culture

A war is raging against the institution of marriage. An effort is presently underway to redefine marriage. Some states have already legalized same sex marriages. Divorce has reached epidemic proportions. A hundred years ago divorce was almost unheard of, but because of the scope of the problem now, many are abandoning the teaching of Jesus on this subject (Matthew 19:1-12). Jesus is at odds with modern cultural practices, so what He said about marriage, divorce, and remarriage is undergoing change to meet cultural demands. This is the inevitable outcome of allowing culture to overrule Scripture.

Christian principles are at odds with modern sexual mores

Free love, casual or recreational sex, and “friends with benefits” all describe the loose attitude toward human sexuality which pervades modern society. In an effort to defend homosexuality culture now frames the discussion in terms of the civil rights movement and away from the moral precepts of the Bible where adultery, fornication and homosexuality are all declared to be sin (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Many of the problems we presently face as a society can be directly tied to our failure to respect the sanctity of marriage and God’s laws governing sexuality. Christian principles are at odds with the modern perception of the sanctity of life. It has been said that the most dangerous place in the world for a baby is in its mother’s womb. Over three thousand abortions are performed each day in America. At the other end of the spectrum, the aged have just as much to fear. At what age is it no longer cost-effective to provide medical care? A society which has no regard for the unborn will easily transition to the same calloused approach to the elderly. To do so, however, one must again sacrifice Christian principles for cultural dictates (Ephesians 6:1-4).

Be Loyal to the Lord and the Truth

Loyalty to the Lord and truth still leads to Christians being misunderstood, maligned, and mistreated, but that is a small price to pay compared to the consequences of surrendering to culture. The demands of the Lord are clear (Romans 12:1, 2; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18). With faith in Him, may we stand shoulder to shoulder against all who would compromise truth to please people!