It seems like the world has lost its mind, rage has replaced reason, capitulation has replaced conviction, summary denunciation has replaced sober distinctions and discretion. We might hope at such a time that the visible Church would lead the way in calm, clear, courageous thought and action, but that would be too much to expect. We are not only witnessing a rapid transformation of western civilization and social norms, we are watching the voluntary surrender of much of the visible Church to social theories and movements that are antithetical to Christian faith, a biblical worldview, and scriptural ethics. Some of this surrender is probably well-intentioned. Many believers want to demonstrate to their unbelieving friends that they are among the “good guys,” sympathetic, properly outraged, and ready to stand with and support those who are crying out against injustice. But insofar as this support is communicated in uncritical and misguided endorsement of anti-Christian ideas, it is not only unhelpful, but harmful.
Brothers and sisters, there will be a pendulum reaction on both sides that careful believers must avoid and resist. We can and must hate, oppose, and stand against bigotry, racism, and unjust violence, whether it comes in the guise of white supremacy or virulent anti-racism. We should weep with those who weep when tragic deaths occur as a result of criminal behavior, whether as a result of a cop using excessive force on a person in handcuffs or as a result of violence by angry protestors against law-abiding citizens and law enforcement officers. We should not be drawn into assenting to the simplistic binary many would demand of us at this moment. Some people are racists and bigots, and they come in all colors. Some cops are abusive bullies, and good policing is a necessary and important part of keeping communities safe and preventing the kind of lawlessness we are now seeing in the name “justice.” Chanting slogans does not make a person virtuous, and refusing to recite a slogan does not prove someone is a bigot. These are the kind of lessons in basic morality and civic virtue we might have expected to be well understood in middle school. Evidently, our society needs a refresher course.
What might we expect to see in the visible Church if the current capitulation and concession to shifting cultural values continues? I am not a prophet, and I offer these only as observations, not as authoritative declarations. They seem reasonable probabilities based on the current situation, but given the rapidly changing environment, none of us can confidently predict the immediate future. With those qualifications in mind, I suggest three probable outcomes and a fourth I can only hope to see.
First, we will see a winnowing in the “conservative, evangelical” Church; indeed, we are already seeing it. God will use the broader conflict in our society to bring judgment upon the visible Church. Some will be revealed, some will be removed, and some will be refined. Churches will come under attack of various kinds, and there will be some from within who renounce their association with the Church in a convenient display of solidarity with their accusers. Churches will lose numerical and financial strength and standing within the community. It will be painful and costly, but in the long run it will be for the greater purity and strength of the visible Body of Christ.
Second, we will see a greater distinction between true and false churches and between those that are faithful and those that are compromised. Controversy does not change character; it reveals and confirms it. “For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you” (1Cor. 11:19). Current events are demonstrating who has biblical discernment, and who does not, whose values and vision align with Scripture, and whose do not. Since the “young, restless, and reformed” movement gained momentum in the 1990s, it has not always been easy to see who was robustly committed to the biblical faith and who was attracted by trendy theological momentum but whose core commitments did not rest on biblical foundations. That distinction will become increasingly apparent as current movements continue to redefine our culture and religious landscape.
Third, faithful churches will become smaller, less professional, and more otherworldly. It has been possible for congregations to be both bold in preaching Scripture and culturally acceptable in many areas of the country. That is changing, rapidly so. The result will likely be fewer cool churches--resulting in economic disaster for the pastoral skinny jean market--and more congregations that are smaller, quieter, with a reduced platform for social engagement, but more focused on prayer, corporate worship, pastoral ministry to members, and living in the Name of Christ in their local community. We might hope this will mean fewer celebrity pastors, less fame for faithful men, and a greater engagement in obeying Paul’s exhortation: “we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more [in brotherly love]; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing” (1Thess. 4:10b-12).
Fourth, I hope this will result in a greater sense of the spiritual unity and brotherhood enjoyed among the faithful people of God and fewer foolish divisions over tertiary issues. I will refrain today from giving examples of such foolish controversies lest I inadvertently gore someone’s sacred cow. It may be that persecution, external pressure, and the pain of internal upheaval will lead to less patience and more division, but I hope not. It would be much better if these experiences helped us reset our priorities and realize that as important as some of our differences are, the one who truly trusts in Jesus Christ and seeks to live under the authority of His word is begotten of God, my brother in Christ, and worthy of my love, respect, and service. Could persecution make us more patient, more humble, and more appreciative of our brothers and sisters who endure the same sufferings with us? If we must go through the fire, may God use it to not only refine our faith but also improve our hearts! --JME
