COMPROMISE OR CONSISTENCY?
The Freedom of Speech
Since the beginning of time, men have both lived and died according to what they have spoken. For the wise, reward. “A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth.” (Pr. 12:14) For the simple, consequence. “A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.” (Pr. 18:7).
In a world where the applause of men is the supreme value, a culture of political correctness is determinedly hemming in a people of free speech. Wisdom will be decided by the influential minority while opposing views will be met with the stern censure of self-imposed authority.
In democratic America, the ability to speak freely is incrementally morphing in form from a right into a privilege. While assimilation into the broader cultural conscience is the offered answer, this presents a serious problem for Christians everywhere.
The Gospel Message
The gospel of the New Testament shines brightly against the backdrop of a first-century hostility to its message. The blood of the martyrs well understands the distinction between compromise and consistency. While compromise waves as the flag of post-modern American political correctness, loyalty to the truth serves as the standard to be borne by those in Christ. To love Christ is to love His word, for His word is truth -and He is truth. As Americans enter into the age of censure, what will we do with the apostolic gospel?
In an hour where evil is called good and good evil (Is. 5:20), the reward for righteous speech will surely include a dramatic increase of social and political pressure -not to mention some version of what we might call an “in-house” pressure from others within the broader reaches of church.
The hallmark of the early church was its gospel -its message. Foolishness to the learned and an offense to the religious. The apostles bore in their hearts and in their bodies the reward for loyalty to Jesus’ words. In an hour where the charismatic fervor for revival is widely imagined as a complete Christianizing of our culture and a general acceptance of the scripture’s unique definition of love I do not see its historical precedent.
Light in the Darkness
Light is seen brightest when enveloped by the canopy of blackest night. The gospel is both more appealing and less appealing when told with the force of anointed truth. Its remarkable ability to expose the human heart makes it a beacon of hope for some and a formidable adversary for others. And yet, I believe it is a revival of truth that lies on the horizon for the people of God. First, a truth to be embraced and second, a truth to be released.
The imagined mixture of secular and sacred is, in essence, a myth. The gospel of Jesus and His apostles left no quarter for compromise. Their words released the brilliant light of truth and truth, doing what it does, illuminated all.
May the people of God possess both the strength and the grace necessary in this hour to discern the truth, display the truth, and continually walk according to its bright light.
