Date posted: 04-04-2024
Estimated Reading Time : 5:00
Let me be blunt. There are a lot of woke ministers out there these days who are misusing the Bible to say Jesus would approve of abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, and all kinds of ungodly things. That’s just terrible!
At the same time, we also have ministers who know the truths of God’s Word, but they aren’t standing up against that same ungodliness. They think that by not saying anything, they are being compassionate. But by their silence they’re actually speaking volumes.
This quote is popularly attributed to Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.
In the 1930s and ‘40s, when other “Christian” leaders in Germany were ignoring or supporting Adolf Hitler, Bonhoeffer stood for biblical truth and against Nazism. He was arrested during World War II and later executed in a concentration camp just days before the Nazis surrendered to the Allies.
Here was someone who, by the world’s standards, had everything to lose by speaking up against evil and ungodliness. But instead of thinking about himself, Dietrich Bonhoeffer put God and others first. That’s a godly attitude.
I once spoke with a pastor in San Francisco, a city which is well known for its homosexual activity. He had a large church there, so I asked him, “How do you handle the homosexual issue?” But he said, “I never mention it.” I was surprised! So, I asked, “Why not?” And he responded, “I don’t want to run anybody off. I want people who are homosexual to feel free to come.”
Now, I understand that. Christians should want people to come to church so we can share the Gospel with them. But we shouldn’t stop there—we need to disciple people with the truth. So, I then asked this pastor, “What about your young people? If you don’t teach them, I can guarantee they are being taught pro-homosexual ideas in the schools. If you don’t counter it, where are they going to hear the truth?”
This man was shocked! He just looked at me and said, “Well, I never thought of it that way!”
As a minister with a large church in a major city, he was in a position of influence. And yet, he wouldn’t stand up and speak the truth.
Now, I’m not against anybody, and I don’t hate anybody. But I do hate Satan who is destroying people’s lives. I have to be willing to stand up and speak the truth on these issues.
When Christians see people flaunting their ungodliness and don’t say anything, it reminds me of a wedding ceremony. Typically, a minister will say, “If anybody objects to this marriage, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.” If someone attending the wedding knows those people shouldn’t be married, and they don’t say anything, then they have consented. They have given their approval to that marriage.
If something happens in our society that is ungodly and Christians don’t speak up, they have given tacit approval to it. That grieves the Holy Spirit.
Years ago, I was ministering to a man and the Lord showed me some things that had caused him to get into the situation he was in. And these weren’t positive things! I was concerned that if I revealed to him what the Lord had shown me, then he would have a negative reaction.
That’s when the Lord spoke to me and said, “You do not have the right to deny someone else the opportunity to hear the truth!” What He was saying to me was that, by being afraid of how someone else would react, I was denying them the opportunity to receive or reject what God was trying to show them.
In Philippians 3:18–19, the Apostle Paul wrote,
For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.
Some people in ministry today are just like what Paul is describing here. Regardless of whether their collar is turned around backward or not, they’re “enemies of the cross.” And he went on to say their “end is destruction.”
Not everybody who claims to be a representative of the Lord is truly representing him. They are going to be held account to whether they are saying the same things as Jesus and following His example (Heb. 13:7–8).
The good news is that many pastors are still sharing the truth with their congregations. Because of that, people are getting involved and making a difference. And that’s what the Truth & Liberty Coalition is all about!
Our friend Duane Sheriff, who helps host our daily live call-in show, is the founder of Victory Life Church. Pastor Duane has always been uncompromising in preaching the Gospel, and that’s why his ministry has made such an impact. There are people in his churches who have heard the truths of God’s Word, ran for public office, and are now making a difference in their states and communities. That’s awesome!
Brothers and sisters, we’re at a tipping point in this nation. I believe we’re in the middle of a Third Great Awakening in America and that things are going to turn around in this nation. But Christians are the ones who have to stand up, get involved, and start making a difference!
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