Needed: 20/20 Vision for 2020

Seven Trends that Will Challenge Bible-Believing Christians in 2020 and Beyond

It’s hard to be optimistic when you have a misty optic.
—Vance Havner—

Key point: To effectively oppose the evil occurring around us, we must know and understand what really is occurring. We must see with spiritual eyes, from the standpoint of a biblical worldview.

One year ago, in “The Way Ahead,” the final article I posted in 2018, I indicated that the overarching conflict raging in our world today is between reality and wishful thinking promoted as reality. These deceptions aren’t benign, but deadly. This is the world in which we as 21^st-century American Christians now live. Being a representative of Jesus Christ, I said,

is about more than evangelism. It’s also about cultural renewal. While it’s true that ultimately, the only hope for our nation is in changing one heart at a time by pointing people to Christ, we also must understand that ideas that align with reality promote a stability in society that makes liberty possible. By contrast, ideas that conflict with reality create confusion and disrupt societal cohesiveness. This hinders liberty and freedom.

The Founders of America understood this. We see this in their pointing to numerous truths as “self-evident” and upholding them as they declared independence from Great Britain and established a new nation. Because of its values (also go here), the United States of America became the freest and most prosperous nation on earth. Keep in mind that freedom and prosperity go together. Freedom isn’t the natural state of nations, however; so wherever it exists, it is fragile. All too quickly, tyrants gain and exercise power, and their actions circumvent liberty among a nation’s citizenry. Why has freedom lasted in America? It rests on the values that the Founders upheld and that Americans, through the years, have championed. But be forewarned! Without these values, liberty cannot long survive.

Sadly, 21^st-century Americans have abandoned the perspective and values of our forebears and are living in a fantasy world. “The Way Ahead” cited several examples of obvious truths that are being attacked and denied in society today. The price for this has been heavy: “Not only are these realities self-evident, but also is the devastating effect of people’s failure to see them as obvious truths.” Yet most Americans aren’t taking notice.

Today, a year later, we find that in many ways and through a large number of avenues, the culture has doubled down on its insistence that what is obviously true isn’t really the case at all (although no one ever would put it that way). Here is an excellent example of such a case. In the midst of all the deceptions and lies, Christians need to stand courageously, albeit lovingly, for the truth. Contrary to popular sentiment, lies are shackles that perpetuate bondage. On the flip side, the truth liberates. Yet, as Dr. James Dobson has observed, upholding the truth often isn’t easy.

We’re in a river—I call it the River of Culture—and it flows one way. It takes you downstream; it never takes you upstream. If you’re in that river, it is so difficult to not become part of where it leads! It takes tremendous self-control and instruction and prayer to walk upstream against the current.¹

If we as Christians are to be effective ambassadors for the truth, we must clearly understand the substance and the allure of the lies that are sweeping over the cultural landscape and capturing people’s hearts and minds. As Vance Havner observed, “It’s hard to be optimistic when you have a misty optic.” While it can be depressing to become familiar with these deceptions and the trends promoting them, we must remember such an education is a first step toward effectively combatting lies with the truth. Therein lies the optimism that can help sustain us. After all, our God is a God of truth, and Christians alone have the resources to embrace and uphold the truth without fear. Consistently, we must tap into these resources, fully relying on the Lord for strength, courage, and wisdom.

Let’s briefly examine seven disturbing trends in society and the church. These overlap but are distinct enough to consider separately. I won’t give any of these a thorough treatment here, but I will recommend a number resources that critique these trends with varying degrees of thoroughness.

One — The rabid tactics and evil policies of the left—not liberals, but the left.

In a Prager University video, talk show host, speaker, and author Dennis Prager makes a strong case that “The Left Ruins Everything.” Citing examples, he names nine items, and by no means is the list he gives an exhaustive list. Watch the video. Consider how the left has poisoned

1. 1. Higher education (and education in general)
  2. The arts
  3. Literature
  4. Late night TV
  5. Religion
  6. Freedom of speech
  7. Race relations
  8. The Boy Scouts and other private organizations
  9. Sex and gender distinctions and roles²

Here are two additional things you need to know and remember about the left, or so-called “progressivism.”

- - First, leftism has taken over the Democrat Party. Now, not everyone who considers himself or herself to be a Democrat necessarily has embraced leftism. Still, generally speaking, the Democrat Party as a whole, including its leaders and principal players, have become radical and unhinged. They are out to destroy America.
  - Second, leftism is a religion (also go here). This explains some of the extremism we see in the leftist movement.

Two — The ever-tightening grip of the social justice movement on the evangelical church.

Even though the tenets of the social justice movement and the principles undergirding biblical justice are incompatible, the social justice narrative is strengthening its grip on the evangelical church. This narrative touts the “reality” of systemic oppression of whites against blacks and other minorities. Further, it condemns whites, requiring them to offer an unlimited number of apologies and pleas for forgiveness, even as minorities essentially are led to demand these continually of their “oppressors.”

All the while, the recommendation of social justice crusaders is government redistribution of power and wealth—from those who supposedly have benefited from cultural privilege, to those who have been deemed to have been browbeaten and abused. In the clip below (from this video) hear Dr. Calvin Beisner, an expert on the social justice movement, explain what social justice really is. (The first voice you hear will be that of Dr. Frank Wright, president and CEO of D. James Kennedy Ministries.)

All of this comes at a time when it is difficult to find examples of overt racism in American culture, when the most vivid manifestations of racism can be found only in the nation’s not-so-recent past.

Now led by numerous social justice warriors (including JD Greear, Russell Moore, and the various seminary presidents), the Southern Baptist Convention in 2019 even sanctioned the use of two social justice philosophies called critical race theory and intersectionality—as “analytical tools.” These are ungodly, unbiblical ideologies that have grown out of cultural Marxism, and they must be understood and repudiated! Instead, Southern Baptist seminaries are promoting them!

For a more thorough presentation regarding this item, please watch the Founders documentary By What Standard?

Three — The growing acceptance of homosexuality within the church.

One major reason for this is cultural pressure.

- - One hundred years ago, homosexuality was a behavior. It is significant that this is exactly the way Scripture treats it.
  - Fifty years ago, it was a condition.
  - Today it is an identity.

Why is homosexuality so difficult to overcome? There are many reasons, but a major one is that the culture has drilled into everyone’s head that homosexuality is an identity. Of course it is much easier to change a behavior pattern than to change who you are! Perspective and rhetoric matter—big time.

The church—even the evangelical church—has acquiesced to this cultural pressure. A little here, a little there, bit by bit. While many in evangelical circles still call homosexuality a sin, they are hesitant to refute the idea that it is an identity. Many even will say or imply that a Christian identity and a gay identity can coexist. This is one of the themes of the Revoice movement, a movement with the goal of “supporting, encouraging, and empowering gay, lesbian, same-sex-attracted, and other LGBT Christians so they can flourish while observing the historic, Christian doctrine of marriage and sexuality.”

What is a Christian who experiences same-sex attraction to do with his or her desires? Don’t ask proponents of Revoice! The Bible is clear. These passages, along with numerous others, tell us. Homosexuality and same-sex attraction are to be repudiated and rejected, not affirmed or seen as potentially valuable.

Despite what Scripture teaches, even before the Revoice movement gathered steam and gained traction among evangelicals, Southern Baptist leaders began to buy into the “homosexuals are born that way” narrative.

In 2014, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Al Mohler publicly admitted he’d changed his beliefs about sexual orientation and no longer rejected the concept. He also made a statement in which he repudiated the value of secular therapy to help an individual with unwanted same-sex attraction overcome his or her inclinations. In doing this, Mohler demonstrated his ignorance regarding reparative therapy and its value, even therapy that is not overtly religious.

Dr. Russell Moore of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission also denounced reparative therapy. In doing so, he misrepresented the legitimate goals of such therapy and the potential hope that it offers clients when administered by a trained professional.

We readily affirm here that ultimate hope for transformation and change comes in and through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Still, denying the validity of therapy not only showcases one’s ignorance about legitimate counseling; it also cuts off an avenue of hope an individual with unwanted same-sex attraction (whether Christian or not) may desire to pursue. This is wrong!

Given all of these developments, as well as others, it is not difficult to see where this is headed. If you come to Christ as a homosexual, you can’t change! Homosexuality isn’t like other sins; it does not have to be repudiated! In fact, say members of the Revoice movement, same-sex attraction can be something good! Someone has rightly observed that in the evangelical church, homosexuality once was considered a curse; now it is considered a cross; and one day it will be thought of as a crown.

I’m reminded of the title of a book published in 1973 by Dr. Karl Menninger. The title asks, Whatever Became of Sin?

Four — A strong tendency among church and denominational leaders to avoid, at all costs, offending people who have been taken in by homosexuality, gender identity issues, and other confusing and misleading messages from the LGBT movement.

Southern Baptist Convention President JD Greear has stated that, in interacting with a “trans” individual, he would use the pronouns preferred by that person. Said Greear,

If a transgender person came into our church, came into my life, I think my disposition would be to refer to them by their preferred pronoun when we want to talk about gender. I will be clear with him on the truth. The question is: Is that the battlefront that you want to choose?

My questions for JD Greear is this. “Will this ever be a ‘battlefront’ on which you’re willing to engage? When will become a matter you’re willing to address? Or will it at all?”

Evangelicals appear to have forgotten that the gospel itself is offensive! It addresses sin and points people to repentance and to the necessity of following God’s design for their lives. This does not mean earning salvation; that is impossible. It means living a life that showcases evidence of genuine transformation. Do not overlook verse 10 in Ephesians 2:8-10. This includes living life as a male or female, whichever one God created that person to be. Of course, I’m not saying we need to pick fights with people or that we ever should try to offend. We must be sensitive and caring, but we have to stop surrendering the truth all over the place to prove our magnanimity.

Unfortunately, JD already had surrendered ground with regard to several other aspects of homosexuality. With that in mind, I can’t say I’m surprised about his position on using preferred pronouns.

Under Russell Moore’s leadership, the ERLC also has been surrendering ground.

Five — The failure of the church to forthrightly and directly condemn sin and warn about its consequences.

This failure exists because of a fear of offending members and/or potential converts (see items 1-10 in this post). In the church, we see a lack of emphasis on repentance (see items 20-21 in this post; also go here). Also, as we mentioned, the church and church leaders have failed to warn people about God’s coming judgment. Underlying all of these failures is a lack of understanding about some of the things that genuine love and compassion demand.

Six — The growing affinity for socialism among the young.

These articles — here, here, and here — highlight this phenomenon, and it is a big problem. Significantly, the third article, published by The Federalist, describes some of the reasons the young are drawn to socialism. The article contends that young adults are attracted to this failed economic system

- - because they don’t know history,
  - because of government ineptitude,
  - because of the leftist indoctrination that takes place at colleges and universities, and
  - because they have been coddled rather than challenged.

These observations are extremely important. To loosen the grip socialism holds on idealistic minds and hearts, we will need to understand why they members of the upcoming generation are attracted to this ideology — and we must craft a case for a free market model that addresses these issues. Along these lines, Prager University videos are extremely effective. Every American, and even Christian, needs to “enroll” at Prager U!

Item seven is related to item six. One big reason Christian young people are drawn to socialism is a failure of the church to explain how biblical principles are 1) consistent with a free market economy and 2) contrary to socialism.

Because Christian young people don’t know their Bibles and don’t understand how Scripture addresses all of life, they are sitting ducks, vulnerable to the propaganda of religious leftists who say things like Jesus was a socialist and The early church practiced socialism. No, He wasn’t, and no, it didn’t! Addressing these and related questions are a part of the cultural commission God gave to His people. It’s also mandatory for fighting effective spiritual warfare. The great reformer Martin Luther is credited with saying,

If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battlefield besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.

The Bible isn’t just a roadmap to heaven, but a blueprint for living life as beacons of light in an otherwise dark world. Christianity is, inherently, a comprehensive worldview. When implemented in daily living, it transforms all that it engages.

Most Christian young people are sitting ducks, vulnerable to the propaganda of religious leftists who say things like Jesus was a socialist and The early church practiced socialism. No, He wasn’t, and no, it didn’t!

Keep Your Vision Sharp

Keep these seven trends in mind in the coming days and weeks. Here they are again.

1. 1. The rabid tactics and evil policies of the left—not liberals, but the left.
  2. The ever-tightening grip of the social justice movement on the evangelical church.
  3. The growing acceptance of homosexuality within the church.
  4. A strong tendency among church and denominational leaders to avoid, at all costs, offending people who have been taken in by homosexuality, gender identity issues, and other confusing and misleading messages from the LGBT movement.
  5. The failure of the church to forthrightly and directly condemn sin and warn about its consequences.
  6. The growing affinity for socialism among the young.
  7. A failure of the church to explain how biblical principles are 1) consistent with a free market economy and 2) contrary to socialism.

Pray about them and ask God to help the church and individual believers (including you) to understand them and to effectively counter them.

Furthermore, don’t let these realities weigh you down. God still is in control. Next time, we’ll examine a few movements He already is using to push back against these trends. You’ll be encouraged.

¹Minor edits made for smoothness and clarity.

²Although I haven’t quoted Prager verbatim with every item in the list, I have named all the items he names.

top image credit: Photo by Yi ZhU on Unsplash

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