“But you will receive power then the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
As Christians, we are all told to be witnesses for Jesus in our world according to Acts 1:8. That means that we are called to share the gospel (salvation through Jesus) and to be witnesses for his Truth and His life as well. But increasingly in America, we are told to keep our faith to ourselves and that our Christian views have no place in our government or political discourse. As a result, many Christians today are afraid or unwilling to speak up and witness for Christ in America.
I just finished reading Letter to the American Church, a book by Eric Metaxas. In this book he compares the Church’s response to Adolf Hitler in 1930’s Germany with our present-day situation in the United States. It is a warning for the Church in America to speak out against the evil that is prevalent in our nation lest we allow that evil to result in unimaginable suffering as the Germans did. And while we recognize that the German Christians did not know what was ultimately to come, not speaking out against the wrongs taking place at the time when they had the chance to do so is a warning for us today.
In 1930, the Lutheran Church was the dominant and largest Church in Germany and an important part of the German culture at that time. The Nazis desired to integrate all of the Protestant Christian Churches into the Nazi Party. So, in 1933, they formed the German Evangelical Church that answered to the Nazi Party. This new Church supported the racist and nationalist ideology of the Nazi party, banned the Old Testament, and replaced the cross with a swastika. Many Lutheran and other Protestant pastors and leaders joined this new Church.
But there was one German Lutheran Pastor who did not. His name was Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He saw the evil of the Nazi ideology and tried to warn the Church by speaking up. He stood up to the Nazis and was arrested, imprisoned, and finally executed just weeks before the collapse of the 3rd Reich and Germany’s surrender. The others chose not to speak up for a variety of reasons, including fear of being arrested, being sent to a concentration camp, or losing their church positions. They did not have Dietrich’s courage nor his discernment. Instead, they remained silent and protected their church status. They gave in to the Nazis.
I agree with Eric Metaxas and believe the American Church today is at a similar crossroads. Will the pastors, leaders, and Christians in the American Church today speak up about the evil that’s taking place in our nation, or will we simply give in and go along to try to protect what we have?
I admit that this is a difficult question that each Christian must answer for themselves. Scripture tells us in 2 Timothy 3:12 that “In fact, everyone who wants to lead a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Jesus also said in John 15:18 that “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” Jesus goes on to say in John 15:20-21 that “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you that way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.” In other words, when we speak up for Christ we should expect resistance, intimidation, and persecution in some form. But that does not give us an excuse to stay silent and ignore our calling as followers of Christ to be witnesses for Him and His Truth.
We have been experiencing the decline of Christianity in America for many years. Today, about half of Americans say they have no religion. It is obvious that the Church no longer has the influence it once had in America. The reality is that America has already become a pagan nation that is against God and His Word. This is evidenced by the strong support for abortion, gender self-identification, government restrictions on parental rights for their children, the pervasive public use of profanity, and the growth of evil and violent themes in television programs and movies. America has abandoned its Christian values and principles and now prefers to rely on pagan beliefs like science, man’s intelligence, and relative truth rather than God’s Word.
I think it’s important to state up front that the upcoming election won’t change this. Our nation is drifting more towards paganism every day. Our culture is eroding and no election or change in government will reverse that. The only thing that will reverse this trend is the Word of God spoken and witnessed to by Christians who are followers of Jesus Christ! If we want to save America, we must first save each American by speaking God’s Word and the gospel into their lives. We must remember that governments and elections will come and go, but God’s Word is forever! (1 Peter 1:25)
One of the challenges we face in America today that did not exist in 1930’s Germany is a divided Church. The Church in America is not unified today because perhaps half of all churches don’t believe in God’s Word nor take it seriously when it speaks to the issues of our day. These churches have adopted cultural values instead of relying on Biblical teaching. They have given in to the pagan culture. But that doesn’t mean we should just “throw in the towel” and give in. Instead, we who truly follow Christ must summon the courage to speak God’s Word boldly and without hesitation regardless of the consequences. To do otherwise would be to deny our faith.
So, what will we American Christians do? Will we speak up or give in? Will we have the courage to stand up against the evil in our nation today and speak up despite the persecution and risk? Or will we give in and stay silent, protect what we have, and allow the evil to continue?
I have chosen to speak up as this blog indicates. But I also intend to do this with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:14-17) and accept the consequences. As Martin Luther once famously said, “Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God Help me.”