Introduction to Philosophy was the most popular
course on campus. Dr. Barnard was an outstanding teacher and made learning fun.
But he was also known for his hostility toward what he called "the
coward's approach to a meaningless existence,” otherwise known as Christianity.
He publicly ridiculed any student who tried to defend his or her faith and
boasted that many Christians enrolled in his class but only agnostics completed
it. What he had learned was that with enough pressure the strong dropped out
and the weak compromised. The same thing is happening all over the world today.
Opposition
to the time-tested truth of God’s word is the new “cool,” and everybody wants
in on it. Even some who profess to follow Christ are openly challenging the
validity of scripture, the deity of Christ, and every absolute from sexual
boundaries to the reality of hell. 2 Timothy 3:12 promises that those who
desire to live godly lives will suffer
persecution. Even now, we are being confronted with some rather unpleasant
options: enduring greater persecution,
dropping out of society, or compromise. By the thousands, rocky-soil
“believers” are choosing the latter. Sinking roots through the rocks of
challenge, doubt, and persecution proved too difficult, so they invented a
compromised version of “Christianity” which is more acceptable to the world.
They even define “God” any way they choose and declare that reality can be
whatever they say it is. The Bible already told us this would happen (Rom. 1:18-32).
Nothing reveals the validity
of someone’s faith like persecution or challenge. As pressure increases in our
world, it is critical that we who truly know Christ sink our roots deeply into
the truth of His word and stand firm.
Which
option have you chosen as you face escalating opposition to the truth of God’s
word?
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