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Articles
Am I narrow-minded?
It does not take much for one to be labeled as being traditional or narrow-minded among a variety of subjects. We live in the days of acceptance, and to stand against this progress is to be working in the opposite direction. It should never be our prerogative to simply be abrasive and offensive, but rather we are commanded to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Our world is currently traveling a road that leads to paths that no Christian can walk. The acceptance of a variety of sins has caused Christians to become an easy target with their biblical morals and righteous standard of living. When the world promotes the acceptance of homosexuality, abortion, transgender, etc., it seems that anyone who stands against these “human rights” is characterized as being narrow-minded.
Our world desires to portray all things as being equal and profitable for the promotion of mankind, but the TRUTH of God’s Word says something quite the opposite. The world is traveling through this life on a broad street, but it should be our greatest goal to be found walking the straight and narrow (Matthew 7:13-14). We may be ridiculed and mocked for our beliefs, but it is much better to stand with God, than to bow to peer pressure. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego displayed a great example of faith despite tremendous political pressure in Babylon (Daniel 3). They were unwilling to bow to the golden image, because they trusted in their God’s strength to deliver them from the fiery furnace. Will we share a similar faith in our stand against the wickedness that is permeating our culture today?
The objective of TRUTH is not to be harmful but rather loving to all who are lost. The objective of TRUTH is not to be divisive but rather united under the same King and His decrees. The problem with the culture which surrounds us and our allegiance to Christ is that the two could not be further apart. The TRUTH of Jesus’ message has done exactly as He said –
34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 “For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household (Matthew 10:34-36).
The TRUTH of Jesus’ message is love, forgiveness, and salvation, but man must be willing to humbly submit to its charges. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, but the lost must be willing to be found (Luke 15:17-24).
Our goal as God’s chosen people should be to live differently from this world and to never allow those differences to keep us from standing for the TRUTH. When the world questions our “narrow-mind,” then we need to answer them with book, chapter, and verse. We must be able to give an answer for the hope that resides in us (1 Peter 3:15). Therefore, it is imperative that we understand the purpose of standing for the TRUTH, despite the losses we may experience with our friends, neighbors, and family members. There are certain boundary markers established by God and revealed in His Word which cannot be moved by the political correctness of our times.
We must correct the misunderstanding of the world in regard to sin. We do not stand against the sins of a man, because we hate the man, but rather we hate his sin. Sin is open rebellion against God. It is not wise to stand in defiance before the God who created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). The writer of Hebrews wrote – “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (10:31). This matter is not open for reinterpretation, but rather it is an eternal warning to all who live not to rebel against the authority of God. The result of a man’s choices will either be faithfulness toward God and heaven, or unrighteousness and eternal damnation. There will be no gray area of God changing the rules in the last days, but rather it will remain as divinely inspired thousands of years ago.
Our world may continue to travel this pathway of disobedience, but this cannot sway us from standing for the TRUTH. The manner of TRUTH revealed in God’s Word is non-negotiable and must be faithfully applied in our lives. We may lose friends who choose to support various sins, but their decision must not deter our faithfulness toward God. Our Lord stood in the face of certain death, because He knew what was right and was unwilling to bend to the world’s desire (1 Peter 3:18). May His faithfulness to the Father be manifested in our hearts today. May God bless us with endurance to stand for the TRUTH in a world of wickedness!
