The Heat Is On
My heart grew hot within me; as I mused, a fire burned. Psalm 39:3a
It’s summertime in Texas. No one who knows anything about Texas has any doubts that these days come every Summer around this time. It gets hot, and then after a few weeks, even hotter.
I feel a little like the Psalmist in Psalm 39:3. He was dealing with a different issue, but I find my heart growing hot within me when I read and/or hear of those who have a wide (read National) voice in our crumbling society, and yet refuse to take a public stand, or use their voice for clearly proclaiming the exclusivity of the Gospel.
We are living in a time when people’s minds are not far from an interest in spiritual matters. A plethora of Eastern religions and every conceivable cult has a following, and confusion regarding what various Christian denominations believe and practice is epidemic. In the midst of that chaos, unambiguous voices must be heard. With unequivocal clarity, with unyielding determination, and obdurate tenacity, those who are faithful to the Truth of God’s Word must reveal the compulsory demand of regeneration via grace alone, by faith alone, in Christ alone.
If we expect that message to be unpopular, we will not be disappointed. If we know that the World will take offense, make accusations of intolerance, and develop a radical hatred for the messenger, we will take comfort in Jesus’ revelation that because they hated Him, they will hate us as well.
I’ve never been very good at remaining silent when error is invading the Body. Like a destructive virus, or a cancer, proliferating in a human body, unless someone takes excising action, irresolvable trouble is on the horizon. The Church cannot withstand an invasion of Unitarian-Universalist thinking, or a plague of works-based neo-orthodoxy, because multitudes of our people are too Spiritually weak to sustain the battle until victory is won. Those who are strong, those who lead, those who are called of God, those who have the message from God to Jeremiah, the prophet of old, ringing in their ears, “Look, I have filled your mouth with My words” (Jeremiah 1:9) must speak forth the Truth.
There are really good guys out there who’ve got it wrong. Its time to get it right!