The Coming Evangelical Divide

Keep Believing ^ | 17 June 2014 | Ray Pritchard

[Gamecock]

The evangelical movement is about to divide.

Nothing could be clearer.

It’s true that we have often disagreed over things like church government, views of the Second Coming, baptism, lifestyle habits, worship style and musical preference. But those differences, though deeply felt, were intramural debates over secondary issues.

This time we are going to divide over a primary issue.

It is isn’t just about homosexuality or even about gay marriage, though that is the most obvious factor. When all the cards are out on the table, it will be clear that we have divided over biblical authority. Some of us will say, "We accept the 2000-year-old teaching shared until recently by every branch of the Christian movement that God designed marriage for one man and one woman.” We will also say that all sexual activity outside of marriage is sin. And we will continue to insist that homosexual behavior is always sinful.

Evidently not everyone will agree with us. That includes some folks who graduated from our leading Christian colleges and seminaries.

For a variety of reasons, they will insist that the church has been wrong about this for 2000 years and that we must extend Christian fellowship to openly homosexual men and women. They must be allowed to join the church, sing in the choir, teach Sunday School, and if they are otherwise qualified, they could be chosen as deacons, elders and pastors.

As Al Mohler has recently insisted, there is no middle ground on this issue. We aren’t going to be able to paper over the difference or to "agree to disagree” as if this issue is like disagreeing on the timing of the rapture or whether or not we should sing more hymns.

This is a deal-breaker. Can’t we all just get along? No, we can’t.

The people who argue for full inclusion of gays and lesbians in the church are going to go one way, and the rest of us are going to go another. This will mean splitting denominations, leaving churches, and in some cases, it will divide families.

No one can be happy about the very real pain involved. But better that we should separate than stay together and pretend at a unity that does not exist.

A few years ago I would have thought that most evangelicals would stay true to the biblical teaching about marriage. Today I will hedge my bets on that issue. We hear seductive voices calling us to "rethink” our position while other influential leaders admit to "struggling” over this issue. Clearly those voices are having an impact.

But in one sense it doesn’t matter. The people who think it’s okay for two guys or two girls to get married and then come and lead Awana on Wednesday night will never be accepted by the rest of us.

We aren’t buying what they are selling.

Because our culture has shifted on this issue, the price for fidelity to biblical teaching is rising all the time. Christians who openly stand for one man-one woman marriage will face increasing opposition in the days to come. It may be that we will be the ones leaving some churches because we are the minority.

So be it.

The divide is coming and in some senses is already upon us. We all get to decide where we will stand.

You can’t straddle the fence forever. Pastor, you’ll have to take a stand. Church leaders, you’ll have to take a stand. Christian friend, you’ll have to take a stand.

Years ago I heard Don Cole say that "it is better to divide over truth than to unite around error.” He was right, and because of that we will soon be going in different directions.

[Legatus]

How do you guys handle it?

We don't anymore, huge chunks of the Church are in schism and nobody dares call it that. Unless of course your theological leanings are "stuck in the 50s" at which point you'll be run out on a rail.

[NELSON111]

Kinda what I figured. We've got similar issues but it involves doctrine vs seeker sensitive. We have some churches who are still doctrinally strong, and some that aren't.

Both opens us up to apostasy. We, unfortunately don't have a mechanism to keep a common message...but then again...it doesn't matter if you do have that tool if you never use it. Either way, we're screwed. But then again, this is what scripture said would happen in the past days.

[Legatus]

Either way, we're screwed.

I just found a new tagline, thanks.

[af_vet_1981]

I'm not sure how you get from "the apostles and prophets" to then "built on Peter alone". I'm not sure how you get from all of the apostles given the power to bind and loose to the "Peter alone can bind and loose".

Why do you write quotes for your comments to try to make them seem like mine when I did not make those quoted comments ? That seems disrespectful and dishonest.

[af_vet_1981]

If your theory is built on the premise that there is no holy catholic apostolic church, ie., no universal church containing all believers that ever will be because it has not been called out into assembly yet then you follow the Independent Fundamentalist doctrine. There is no body of Christ except in the generic sense; each local New Testament Baptist Church is the body of Christ and Ephesians 2 , as well as all the other verses about the church only apply to a local church. A church can only be birthed from an apostle like Paul, Peter, etc. or missionary from an existing genuine NT church. Is that what you believe ?

19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

[bjorn14]

See my tagline.

[bjorn14]

Kind of hard to see that when for centuries the RCC let their priests have at it with little children by covering up for them. Lots of stones around necks.

[Legatus]

One gets the feeling you would be right at home at this protest