by Alistair Chalmers, en
There was a time when much of British public life at least assumed a broadly Christian moral framework. That did not mean Britain was ever truly a “Christian nation” in the Biblical sense, nor that previous generations were necessarily more godly. But Christian convictions about marriage, family, human dignity, sexuality, the value of life and the place of religion in public life were often understood, even by those who did not personally believe the gospel.
That landscape has changed.
Increasingly, Christians find themselves living in a culture that not only rejects many Biblical convictions but sometimes struggles even to understand them. Beliefs that were once considered ordinary can now sound strange, offensive or even dangerous.
The temptation, therefore, is to respond in one of two ways: retreat or rage.
Some Christians are tempted to withdraw, keeping their heads down, avoiding difficult conversations and hoping simply to be left alone. Others are tempted to become permanently angry, treating the surrounding culture as an enemy to be defeated rather than a mission field to be reached.
Neither response is sufficient. The Bible calls us to something better: courageous, clear, joyful faithfulness.
We should not be surprised
The New Testament was not written to believers enjoying cultural dominance. It was written largely to Christians living as minorities within societies that did not share their convictions.
Peter writes to believers as “elect exiles” (1 Peter 1v1). Paul tells the Philippians that their “citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3v20). Jesus tells His disciples plainly: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (John 15v18).
Therefore, Christians should resist the instinct to panic whenever Biblical Christianity becomes socially unpopular. The church has often been most faithful when it has been most obviously different. Our task is not to make Christianity respectable to every generation. Our task is to remain faithful to Christ.