How Should Christians React?

Not long ago as a radio talk host I had no trouble damning anything and everything that served to undermine the conservative foundation of America. When I became a Christian, the struggle between out and out inflammatory and incendiary speech and a more tempered approach was an ongoing one.

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I eventually set my radio career aside in favor of preaching-- but there is still that talk host lurking inside that sometimes rants and raves when I am teaching or in the pulpit. The question I often ask myself is: Is that a bad thing? Well, let's examine for a moment the Christian worldview that is being torn apart daily by the secular humanistic, atheistic, materialistic, agnostic, post modern worldview. The true Christian worldview is based on absolute truth. The others say truth is relative. The Christian worldview places its emphasis on the triune God. The other systems place all emphasis on the individual or the state (governments). The Christian is expected to be Christ like and glorify God. The other worldviews deny His existence, importance, or simply elevate man to godlike status. Rather than expanding these couplets, l think you begin to see the stark differences between godless philosophies and human effort, and those endowments which have been given us by the Creator. So what is a Christian supposed to do when confronted with a political, social, or organizational force that serves to tear down biblically foundational laws in order to sanction evil? Pray? Just pray? Or is there a mandate that exhorts the Christian to not withdraw from the battle but rather suit up and enter the fray? Now there are some who say that when we put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6) we are supposed to take a purely defensive posture and to stand. To those who believe that I will only express my dismay at your interpretation of Scripture. It is true that we stand against the enemy. But we do so in such a way as to ensure that once deflected, we carry the battle for righteousness to the enemy. What if the leaders of the Reformation had simply stood and never fought back, never put themselves in harm's way, never been burned at the stake, never struggled against many oppressors? Freedom- both religious and political- may have never been realized. The great expansion of God centered thought from the likes of Jonathan Edwards, Charles H. Spurgeon, and many others would have never been expressed. But the real problem to my headline question has to do with how the Christian in America has been marginalized and silenced by two very dangerous developments. One is TOLERANCE. Tolerance is misunderstood. The secular world loves to attempt to silence Christians because by its very nature Christianity is intolerant of other religions. Christianity says, "There is but one way to God and it is through His son Jesus Christ." That is not tolerant according to every other worldview. It's exclusionary, it's hateful, and it's bigoted and biased. But for those who know Christ-- it is the TRUTH. For those who don't know Christ or reject Him it is still the TRUTH. The second part of the problem posed by the question 'How should Christians React?' has to do with the state of Christianity today. In America too many have taken the name of Christ in vain. We have many who are Christians in Name Only. They are Christians by birthright, by church membership, by association with some well known TV preachers, and by convenience. They will not react at all to the sins of a nation mired in the shame of abortion, promoting an unnatural lifestyle and sanctioning it through the God ordained institution of marriage, removing all evidence of its foundational creed that was centered in a Supreme Being. How should true Christians react? Let us start with righteous anger directed at those who would set aside the one true God and instead, elevate themselves to His throne. Let the real Christian be vocal about Jesus Christ not just once or twice a week in church, but everywhere! It is time for us who truly have taken the name of Christ to make sure we champion His gospel to a dying, decaying world. Do not suffer in silence-- be bold in your faith! For as the Bible says, "For if God is for us, who can be against us?"