The Way of Comprimise

“We twentieth-century Christians have chosen the way of compromise. We withdraw our Christian consciousness from the fields of public, commercial, and social life. We have not Christian vocabulary to match the complexities of contemporary political, social, and industrial life. How should we have? A language is nurtured on usage, not on silence, however high-principled. And we have long since ceased to bring Christian judgement to bear upon the secular public world.” – Harry Blamires

This was even clarified and solidified further in my belief the past few days. I have been speaking at fundraising events and introducing the man I will be working with and sitting under in Bangalore, India, and through various conversations with leaders in the Christian circles there seems to be a consensus of Mr. Blamires’ quote.

Many of the leaders I spoke with and many conversations I listened to regarding our Christian culture today have much the same sentiment in that there is a lack in our Christian circles, and in particular in the area of academia and being able to hold conversations beyond the simple platitudes. Unfortunately we have given up in many ways on the 1 Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;” and Jude 3, “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

We are lacking in apologetics, and many get turned off by this term, thinking that it is only for those who want to debate, write articles or work in academia, but that is not true. Apologetics is for everyone, and we are told in 1 Peter 3:15 to defend, apologia in Greek, the faith. Not only those with credentials, but all of us. We need to understand and be able to explain what we believe. If someone asked you why you believe what you believed, what would you say? Would you say you believe in Christ because the Bible says that Jesus is the Savior?

But, why do you believe the Bible and not the Koran or the Book of Mormon? They claim to be the final authority as well. How can you believe in the virgin birth, resurrection or that Jesus is coming back again some day? Are those kind of miracles really possible? Why believe in miracles at all? You get into the circle argument if you say the Bible again.

Today more then ever we need to know understand in a deeper fashion why we believe what we believe. We need to stop drinking milk and start living off of solid food.

Hebrews 5:12-14, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”