faith.
THE CURRENT CLIMATE
OF POSTMODERNISM DOES REPRESENT A WONDERFUL
WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY
FOR THE CHURCH OF
JESUS CHRIST. THE
ARROGANT RATIONALISM THAT
DOMINATED THE MODERN
ERA IS ALREADY IN ITS DEATH
THROES. MOST OF THE
WORLD IS CAUGHT UP IN
DISILLUSIONMENT AND
CONFUSION. PEOPLE ARE
UNSURE ABOUT VIRTUALLY
EVERYTHING AND
DO NOT KNOW WHERE
TO TURN FOR TRUTH.
In one narrow respect, the driving idea behind the Emerging Church movement is correct: The current climate of postmodernism does represent a wonderful window of opportunity for the church of Jesus Christ. The arrogant rationalism that dominated the modern era is already in its death throes. Most of the world is caught up in disillusionment and confusion. People are unsure about virtually everything and do not know where to turn for truth.
However, the absolute worst strategy for ministering the gospel in a climate like this is for Christians to imitate the uncertainty or echo the cynicism of the postmodern perspectiveâand in effect drag the Bible and the gospel into it. Instead, we need to affirm against the spirit of the age that God has spoken with the utmost clarity, authority, and finality through His Son (Hebrews 1:1â2). And we have the infallible record of that message in Scripture (2 Peter 1:19â21).
Postmodernism is simply the latest expression of worldly unbelief. Its core valueâa dubious ambivalence toward truthâis merely skepticism distilled to its pure essence. There is nothing virtuous or genuinely humble about it. It is proud rebellion against divine revelation.
In fact, postmodernismâs hesitancy about truth is exactly antithetical to the bold confidence Scripture says is the birthright of every believer (Ephesians 3:12). Such assurance is wrought by the Spirit of God Himself in those who believe (1 Thessalonians 1:5). We need to make the most of that assurance and not fear to confront the world with it.
The gospel message in all its component facts is a clear, definitive, confident, authoritative proclamation that Jesus is Lord, and that He gives eternal and abundant life to all who believe . We who truly know Christ and have received that gift of eternal life have also received from Him a clear, definitive commission to deliver the gospel message boldly as His ambassadors. If we are likewise not clear and distinct in our proclamation of the message, we are not being good ambassadors.
But we are not merely ambassadors. We are simultaneously soldiers, commissioned to wage war for the defense and dissemination of the truth in the face of countless onslaughts against it. We are ambassadors âwith a message of good news for people who walk in a land of darkness and dwell in the land of the shadow of death (Isaiah 9:2). And we are soldiers âcharged with pulling down ideological strongholds and casting down the lies and deception spawned by the forces of evil (2 Corinthians 10:3â5; 2 Timothy 2:3â4).
Notice carefully: our task as ambassadors is to bring good news to people. Our mission as soldiers is to overthrow false ideas . We must keep those objectives straight; we are not entitled to wage warfare against people or to enter into diplomatic relations with antiChristian ideas. Our warfare is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12); and our duty as ambassadors does not permit us to compromise or align ourselves with any kind of human philosophies, religious deceit, or any other kind of falsehood (Colossians 2:8).
If those sound like difficult assignments to keep in balance and maintain in proper perspective, it is because they are indeed.
Jude certainly understood this. The Holy Spirit inspired him to write his short epistle to people who were struggling with some of these very same issues. He nevertheless urged them to contend earnestly for the faith against all falsehood, while doing everything possible to deliver souls from destruction: âpulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment
THE CURRENT CLIMATE
OF POSTMODERNISM DOES REPRESENT A WONDERFUL
WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY
FOR THE CHURCH OF
JESUS CHRIST. THE
ARROGANT RATIONALISM THAT
DOMINATED THE MODERN
ERA IS ALREADY IN ITS DEATH
THROES. MOST OF THE
WORLD IS CAUGHT UP IN
DISILLUSIONMENT AND
CONFUSION. PEOPLE ARE
UNSURE ABOUT VIRTUALLY
EVERYTHING AND
DO NOT KNOW WHERE
TO TURN FOR TRUTH.
In one narrow respect, the driving idea behind the Emerging Church movement is correct: The current climate of postmodernism does represent a wonderful window of opportunity for the church of Jesus Christ. The arrogant rationalism that dominated the modern era is already in its death throes. Most of the world is caught up in disillusionment and confusion. People are unsure about virtually everything and do not know where to turn for truth.
However, the absolute worst strategy for ministering the gospel in a climate like this is for Christians to imitate the uncertainty or echo the cynicism of the postmodern perspectiveâand in effect drag the Bible and the gospel into it. Instead, we need to affirm against the spirit of the age that God has spoken with the utmost clarity, authority, and finality through His Son (Hebrews 1:1â2). And we have the infallible record of that message in Scripture (2 Peter 1:19â21).
Postmodernism is simply the latest expression of worldly unbelief. Its core valueâa dubious ambivalence toward truthâis merely skepticism distilled to its pure essence. There is nothing virtuous or genuinely humble about it. It is proud rebellion against divine revelation.
In fact, postmodernismâs hesitancy about truth is exactly antithetical to the bold confidence Scripture says is the birthright of every believer (Ephesians 3:12). Such assurance is wrought by the Spirit of God Himself in those who believe (1 Thessalonians 1:5). We need to make the most of that assurance and not fear to confront the world with it.
The gospel message in all its component facts is a clear, definitive, confident, authoritative proclamation that Jesus is Lord, and that He gives eternal and abundant life to all who believe . We who truly know Christ and have received that gift of eternal life have also received from Him a clear, definitive commission to deliver the gospel message boldly as His ambassadors. If we are likewise not clear and distinct in our proclamation of the message, we are not being good ambassadors.
But we are not merely ambassadors. We are simultaneously soldiers, commissioned to wage war for the defense and dissemination of the truth in the face of countless onslaughts against it. We are ambassadors âwith a message of good news for people who walk in a land of darkness and dwell in the land of the shadow of death (Isaiah 9:2). And we are soldiers âcharged with pulling down ideological strongholds and casting down the lies and deception spawned by the forces of evil (2 Corinthians 10:3â5; 2 Timothy 2:3â4).
Notice carefully: our task as ambassadors is to bring good news to people. Our mission as soldiers is to overthrow false ideas . We must keep those objectives straight; we are not entitled to wage warfare against people or to enter into diplomatic relations with antiChristian ideas. Our warfare is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12); and our duty as ambassadors does not permit us to compromise or align ourselves with any kind of human philosophies, religious deceit, or any other kind of falsehood (Colossians 2:8).
If those sound like difficult assignments to keep in balance and maintain in proper perspective, it is because they are indeed.
Jude certainly understood this. The Holy Spirit inspired him to write his short epistle to people who were struggling with some of these very same issues. He nevertheless urged them to contend earnestly for the faith against all falsehood, while doing everything possible to deliver souls from destruction: âpulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment
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