Public opinion appears to be changing
about same-sex marriage, as are the nation's laws. Of course this
change is just one in a larger constellation. America's views on family,
love, sexuality generally, tolerance, God, and so much more seems to be
pushing in directions that put Bible-believing Christians on the
defensive.
It's easy to feel like we've become the new "moral outlaws," to use
Al Mohler's phrase. Standing up for historic Christian principles will
increasingly get you in trouble socially and maybe economically, perhaps
one day also criminally. It's ironic that Christians are told not to
impose their views on others, even as the threat of job loss or other
penalties loom over Christians for not toeing the new party line.
In all this,
Christians are tempted to become panicked or to speak as alarmists. But
to the extent we do, to that same extent we show we've embraced an
unbiblical and nominal Christianity.
Here, then, are seven principles for surviving the very real cultural shifts we're presently enduring.
1. Remember that churches exist to work for supernatural change.
The whole Christian faith is based on the idea that God takes people
who are spiritually dead and gives them new life. Whenever we
evangelize, we are evangelizing the cemetery.
There's never been a time or a culture when it was natural to repent
of your sins. That culture doesn't exist, it hasn't existed, it never
will exist. Christians, churches, and pastors especially must know deep
in their bones that we've always been about a work that's supernatural. Continue at Mark Dever
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