Surrender, Sink, or Swim - Be the Hero Christians so Desperately Need

Posted on Aug 16, 2022 Topic : Men's Christian Living, Women's Christian Living
Posted by : Dr. Erwin Lutzer

There was a time in America—not so long ago—when Christians didn’t have to take sides in the so-called culture wars swirling around us. We could live in what someone called “the mushy middle,” keeping our views to ourselves. But when we did speak our mind, it was assumed we had a right to do so. We could say what we believed about a particular matter and move on.

No longer.

In today’s climate, tolerance no longer means a willingness to put up with different points of view; rather, tolerance now means joining the revolution, and getting on board with the “right side of history.” Soon, and this is already happening, you will be expected (if not coerced ) to declare what you believe about gender and racial issues on job applications for positions in education, business, the arts, and more. And parents will face vilification if they refuse to allow their children to be indoctrinated into radical leftist orthodoxies. You will be subjected to racist-driven “diversity seminars.” And those who think they can simply remain neutral will be “doxed” (that is, called out by leftists who reveal private information about them online). As we will see later in this book, even churches are not exempt.

Today, those who claim to be tolerant actually seek to be dominant. Truth is no longer viewed as a search for objective reality, but rather, as an individual choice not subject to outside scrutiny. Right or wrong, common sense or irrationality, genuine dialogue or vilification— all of these distinctions are lost in a maze of ideologies that are not to be questioned. Ideology even trumps science and known facts of history.

Be warned: America is no longer the country some of us remember it to be. A cultural tsunami has arrived, and there is no safe ground.

THE NEED FOR HEROES

Surrender, sink, or swim to the shore. Sometimes heroes are made because of their courage; sometimes they are made by their circumstances. Sometimes a person volunteers to become a hero; sometimes a person becomes a hero because necessity demands it.

When your boat is blown out of the water, you have a choice: allow yourself to be captured by the enemy, sink, or swim. If you refuse to surrender, you can disappear silently under the waves or muster the courage to swim to shore and become a hero. Perhaps a reluctant hero, to be sure, but a hero nonetheless. And through this courage, you can remain a faithful witness for Christ.

This moment in history calls for heroes, reluctant or otherwise. You hold in your hands a book intended to help prepare us for a future already here. The moral and spiritual revolution taking place in America is proceeding rapidly and by coercion; those who oppose this revolution are already paying a heavy price. Our culture is closing in on us and there’s nowhere we can escape; we have to declare where we stand and be prepared to be vilified, canceled, or shamed.

All of this is an opportunity for us to prove Christ is more precious to us than our livelihood, our reputations, or even our families.

Surrender, sink, or swim.

Those are our options. Pressure is coming at us from a variety of sources—legal, cultural, educational, and political—and we have a choice we must make. Thankfully, God has lessons to teach us even as we find ourselves drifting in open waters we have never navigated before. Believe it or not, this actually is a book of hope.

Let’s not act as if we can watch America being destroyed without dire consequences for us and for the world. We must remember that a large percentage of missionary work worldwide is supported by American dollars. Numerous countries look to the US as the last bastion of hope for freedom and opportunity. There is much at stake in this critical cultural moment.

But—and I need to emphasize this—as we approach these matters, we must always be gospel-driven; biblical redemption must lie at the heart of our motivation. Our goal is not that our lives will be less stressful or filled with more comfort, but rather, that we have more freedom to point beyond ourselves to Christ, who redeemed us. Even our collapsing culture must always be seen through the lens of our gospel witness.

Always remember that the opposition we experience often positions us for new opportunities to witness about our faith.

In the Old Testament book of Esther, we read of how the pagan king, Ahasuerus, signed a decree to kill all the Jews in his 127 provinces. Esther’s cousin Mordecai convinced her to appeal to the king for her life and the lives of her people. Mordecai didn’t have to be convinced that politics was important; he knew the policies of a politician had serious consequences. Esther risked her life by appealing to the king, and the Jews were spared certain death.

Like Esther, we have come to the kingdom for such a time as this! We must stand against the political and moral winds blowing against us, but always remember that the opposition we experience often positions us for new opportunities to witness our faith. We must always use the opposition we receive to show that our love of Christ is greater than personal advancement and the applause of the watching world.

In the hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” Martin Luther wrote,

Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever!

In Christ, we have the strength and courage we need at this present moment. But we also need each other as the currents of our culture swirl around us. As believers, we are on this boat together.

Surrender should not be an option.