I've been thinking a lot the past couple of weeks about the horrible state of affairs we live in as it relates to the truth. It's certainly no secret that post-modern relativistic thinking has completely infected our culture, and it's becoming less a secret that post-modern relativism has infected the church, so my question is... Where is the crusade for truth.
For the past three decades that I've been a believer and have been active in the church, I have watched crusades ebb and flow and come and go. Crusades for prayer in school and public events. Crusades against the rock music. Crusades against abortion. Crusades for abstinence before marriage. Crusades for adoption. Crusades, Crusades, and more Crusades.
While most of these crusades have some merit and many are battles well-worth fighting, if TRUTH is lost, it will be impossible to win any of these battles. On the other hand, when a crusade for TRUTH is victorious, things will fall into place and Justice will prevail.
The relativisation of truth within the church has made this cry for absolute truth a difficult crusade to champion. The current crusades within the church (even though they are good crusades) are so similar to the secular crusades that it's difficult to tell the difference between the benevolent efforts of the church and the activities of Brangelina and the rest of the politically correct crowd. It's a real eerie harmony for me, because the church has also adopted the "can't we all just get along" mentality of the PC movement along with its other causes. As a result, it's not nice to label lies as what they are and attack heresy and the purveyors of heresies. Those who do this are labeled as mean-spirited, but this must be done in order for Christianity to once again champion the cause of truth.
In the scriptures, as we see God dealing with His people (us) through our ebbs and flows toward him, he always starts by cleaning house and he always uses his people to do the house cleaning. Judgment begins with the house of God. While I sometimes cringe to hear the clarion call for truth and the warnings against heresy that exists in the church, I also rejoice because it gives me great hope and it reminds me that TRUTH WILL PREVAIL. Jesus Christ is the TRUTH. He reigns supreme and he will bring all things into submission. He will use his body, the church, to accomplish this.
If the church will champion the cause for truth first of all and foremost, all these other crusades will be cake-walks. If this generation loses it, then all other efforts are for nothing. It would be neat to look back on this life when it comes to a close and see a great victory for truth. While I will always have hope because of the impending victory, it would be sad to look back on a life lived if the truth appears to be lost.
May God ignite within us all a passion for truth so that we may turn the tides.
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11 comments:
I must be one of the people your talking about cuz' I really don't understand your concern. I think truth is alive and well and being told through the talk and walk of a world of Christians. Truth is; Jesus is the only way to God, He is the son of God, He came to earth, He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on a cross for our sins and rose again so that we may have eternal life. From what I read, that is the only truth we need to make sure others know and believe, I think that is happening.
I'm not talking about any person specifically. I agree completely with what you are saying. It is the truth. It is being proclaimed. It will be triumphant.
There is, however, a trend that has existed over the past several decades (or longer) toward oversimplification of truth, neglected doctrine, and apathy toward apologetics. We live in an age and culture that wants to know the HOW and WHY behind the very concise and exact truth that you just stated, and while I believe that you could defend the doctrines that you've just quickly spouted off, I also believe that most Christians could not. In fact, many mainstream voices in Christendom would say it's not really important to believe everything you just professed and that what we do is more important than what we say we believe. It's this trend toward universalism and moralism that are alarming to me, because if it continues we will have a generation of "believers" that know all of the WHAT, but none of the WHY and HOW. That would not be good for the generations to come.
I would love to be a part of THE generation that sees it all come to completion. We very well may be in that generation. If so, then I can relax because these trends will not have any lasting effects on the generations to come because there are no generations to come. But, what if there's a couple more thousand years before the consumation of all things? If there are, I think there's a good chance, that this generation could be one that is remembered for letting things slip into another period of darkness where the truth is muddled and lost in a form of the truth that has no real power to effect any change. It has happened before and it could happen again.
One other thing Carole...
It's not surprising at all to me that we are seeing different things related to this issue, and I think it's largely due to Geography. Baton Rouge may be one of the most Christian places left in the US.
There is a sermon that I'm trying to find the link to that talks about how different the US is as it relates to truth and the Christian world-view. Some places are completely sold out to relativism and some are still quite slanted toward Christian theistic thinking. The overall trend, however, is toward relativism.
I think the Memphis area is moving rapidly toward being fully post-modern. Obama is pushing the curve in that direction in this area quite rapidly. He is a poster child for postmodern thinking in his values and his policies. Memphis is in love with him.
I just think Orthodoxy and Orthoproxy go together, Matthew 25 is very clear about that and the book of James really pushes that.
I think American Christianty has been heavy on church filling theology that has made many fat inactive believers. I don't think the Church does enough good works, especially the American church. They choke on their truth as the gorge themselves and let millions die lost and hurting.
Yes, I am an activist so I think differently then you, a teacher. I just don't think anyone is "Doing" to much if anything, they are "doing to little.
I witness more, pray more, read and study scripture more then ever before because now my life is full of prostitutes, drug dealer, drug users, orphans, homeless and the dieing, being active MAKES you seek Him more, not less, seek truth more not less, I see it in many many believers every day.
I agree that doing something is nearly always better than doing nothing.
I disagree totally that ANY inactivity in the church is because of too much teaching and too much knowledge. James teaches clearly that action is produced by genuine faith and Christ taught clearly that a person that is in Him WILL bear fruit. Inactivity is a product of poor and inadequate teaching. NEVER because of too much good teaching. Healthy food creates healthy people and healthy teaching creates healthy believers. vice versa.
Inactivity may also be a sign that the church is filled with people that have a false faith. No genuine faith = No genuine works. Genuine faith = Genuine works. On the other side of this coin, good works do not necessarily mean genuine faith (matthew 7).
Interesting that you call yourself an activist and me a teacher. I'm certainly pro-activist and happly and joyfully engage in the activity that God has gifted me to engage in. I guess that makes me an activist too.
I love activity and I love the causes that you are passionate about. They are wonderful!! It may shock you that I actually participate in them too:) If, however, the church loses this battle against new age spirituality and postmodern thought, we will no longer be able to give orphans, prostitutes, etc... the real help they need.
I'm not suggesting that we abandon any of the causes I referenced. I'm only suggesting that there is a cause of paramount importance that needs to be championed and for some reason even the mention of it brings opposition from within the church. That's what's confusing and sometimes even discouraging to me.
When I said your a teacher and I'm an activist my point was that your feathers get ruffled about teaching mine about doing, and again, I think Orthoproxy and Orthodoxy go together. I wasn't suggesting you were not active, just that that's not your hot button, theology is.
I'm gonna have to pull a Karen here and ask what Orthoproxy means before I can comment.
I could take a guess at it, but y'all make me feel like I should know it already. I hope this doesn't mean I've caught a bad case of relativism!
Clammy,
I did a little research and discovered that Orthoproxy is in fact the correct way to place a vote in someone else's place:)
According to Christianity Today, Orthoproxy is the term used in reference to people who believe WHAT you do is as important as what you believe. Like, Proxy is where you are what you are doing. Orthodoxy is what you believe as a Christian.
Sorry, I thought that was an understood term for you scholarly types but now I see that it is a new term ;-0
so which defines which? does your doing define your being OR does your being (in Christ) define your doing? You can "do" without "being, but you CANNOT "be" without doing...
Right on Steevo... It's orthotics and orthopaedics:)
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