a perfect storm - Part 1

Many of us who became Christians at some point in our lives had done so only after coming out of deception. I am one of those people.

It’s quite easy to be deceived. In fact, when you’re deceived, you have absolutely no idea that you are deceived. You end up believing that you must always be correct, that of course you are morally righteous, that your views are solidly good and everybody else who thinks differently must be the deceived ones or must just be evil. But yet if you were to be called upon to defend why you believe what you believe, it becomes apparent that either you cannot, or that your reasoning is incoherent. This should be clue number one to your deception.

 I write this mostly as a warning to my fellow Christians. It has become increasingly easier and easier to fall into deception. And the deception today, believe me, is vast. We’re in the very midst of what I like to refer to as a ‘Perfect Storm’.

Secular movements can come along and sweep you away, deceiving you into making you more than easily willing to toss your biblical worldview right out the window.

 Our secular age is not filled with people who necessarily identify as secular. They may actually consider themselves “spiritual” and may even cite a religious affiliation to a particular church/denomination.

But the key issue is that the society they have embraced is distanced from Christian theism as the fundamental explanation of the world, and as the moral structure of human society.

Christian truth claims have lost all authority in our culture, and it’s the loss of that binding authority that is the most important point.

Most secular people claim no aggressively secular identity, but biblical Christianity no longer holds together their consciences nor does it ground their fundamental values.

 As our entire culture shifts more toward secular thinking, and as many mainline Christian denominations and churches follow suit, those who hold on to an orthodox view of the Bible and of Christian thinking will find themselves more and more on the outskirts of society.

Christianity - orthodox Christianity, that is. Not the watered-down “spirituality” that is often preached in disguise – is increasingly seen as a problem by our culture at large, and by the people who regard themselves to be “on the right side of history” whom have granted themselves the role of moral arbiters. The things that we as Christians believe are what they believe has to be overcome to “liberate” humanity.

So I believe that Christians will pay a higher and higher price for their beliefs, including increased hostility from organizations, government, and secular movements.

 This increasingly secular character of our age presents Christians with a new and very daunting set of challenges.

 Do Christians believe enough biblical truth to withstand the moral liberalism of the age? It is no longer beneficial to your social standing to be part of a church, and so nominal Christianity is fast disappearing. In fact, identifying with a Christian church will likely now destroy your social standing, if anything. Are you prepared to be considered enemies of this new regime?

 Through everything though, Christians need to respond to all of this with confidence in God and confidence in the Gospel.

More than anything else, we preach the Gospel. We also defend and teach Christian truth. And we bear witness in our culture and in our society to what is right, and to what will lead to human flourishing, which will also show the glory of God.

I will delve further into this in the second part.

 ~ Brendan ~