c In the area of ethics, specifically Christian ethics, today's society, and its
cultural norms, are being wrought with misinformation and disinformation. There
are several very negative and inaccurate premises that are being propagated by
small groups who thrive on disunity. These are groups who contend such ideas
as "all" white people are racist, or that "every" Christian who stands against
abortion is a woman hater. They make arguments such as "all Christian men
are simply misogynist" and "all Christian women are simple followers". These
types of all inclusive statements about whole sects of people are both
inaccurate and dangerous.
c c The church is the most significant group of people with regard to this
struggle within our society. The church is commanded to live, work and thrive
through unity with one another. One of the most powerful statements that
Christ made about this, in my opinion, is when He tells His disciples "by this all
will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John
13:35) Christ made it clear that all were welcome. (I Tim. 2:4) The most
popular verse in the bible, John 3:16, tells of the greatest love that can ever be
shown, "For God so loved the world..." God is not a discerner of men based on
physical traits or biases. God judges based on righteousness and holiness. This
is because God "sees the heart" (I Sam. 16:7).
c c This is an area where Christian leaders, more than ever, need to be
grounded and willing to stand firm in biblical truth. This is why Christians,
leaders and laypeople alike, need to be students of the Word. To make their
theological beliefs their foundation for behavior. It is unfortunate that some
leaders feel that they can "blend" in with the world surrounding this very
important topic. It is always easier to fit in than to stand alone. The key is that
as Christians we are not alone. If no one else will stand for truth, Christ will
stand with us. The "world" has seldom ever had a solution that would stand the
moral test of God, unless it was derived from the truth found in God's word.
c c The idea that absolute truth is merely a biblical metaphor is a failure from
those who do not want to be ridiculed by the world. I believe there are several
reasons for this, however, the most prominent ones are wealth and position.
Over the last several months we have seen how standing against the cultural
norms, specifically in the area of ethics, can and has cost some their livelihood.
This is such a shame, but it is only possible because we as fellow believers
shy away from standing with those who proclaim scriptural truth. Christ was
counter-culture and so are His followers today. Vanhoozer and Stachan say it
best, when they write about how our culture today has made the position of
pastor / minister a person to be mocked. Someone who is of "low
intelligence".1 They are accused because they refuse to fall for lies of so-called
science and other academia subject areas. As Leaders (pastors, deacons,
elders, ministers, etc) we need to stand firm, whole heartedly acknowledging
and practicing the truth of scripture. As believers we need to come along
beside our leaders and shore them up against the onslaught of the worlds
negative perception. c
1. Kevin Vanhoozer & O. Strachan. The Pastor as Public Theologian: Reclaiming
a Lost Vision. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Pub.) 2015
