Have Christians Lost the Culture War in America?

By Melissa Barnhart, Managing Editor Sunday, October 16, 2016

Have Christians lost the culture war?

While many are predicting a future in which Christians are not only discriminated against but persecuted for their beliefs, Land said it should also be remembered that a cultural moment is just that — a snapshot of a particular moment in a culture's life experience. Not necessarily a harbinger of a new cultural epic."

Himself being among the millions of Baby Boomers who came of age in the 1960s, Land said he has seen many head-snapping, head jerking mood swings in American society.

"It is a quite radical leap of faith to extrapolate from the milieu of this or any other moment and to declare a historic shift from a culture where a Judeo-Christian worldview has played a significant role in shaping America's social and cultural mores to a society where Christians will face persecution as opposed to the discrimination that we face now," he said.

But if looming predictions of persecution against Christian institutions does come to pass, Land said based on Matthew 5:13–16 which says, "You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world; Let your light so shine before men so they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven," Christians have no choice but to fight.

"Christians will continue to bear witness to their faith as they have always done in such hostile circumstances. Suffering persecution with triumphant courage and equanimity," he said. "The Church faithful have always understood the powers of this world will wax and wane, but the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior is forever.

"For me and my house, we're going to keep fighting for a society that is less unjust, less pagan, where people are welcomed and protected by law from conception until natural death and everywhere in-between, and that the freedom to practice and to live one's faith is recognized and protected by laws.

Christians' perspective, he said, "does not encompass this nation's history with all of human history. America may fall, but God's Church will not. I have reasonable reasons to be dejected about America's future, but it would be a sin for me to be dejected about the Church's future."

During a 15-minutes question-and-answer session that followed his talk, Land was asked about his response to Christians who say that because God is sovereign and in control, they will stay out of the culture wars.

Land, who's currently writing a book on this topic titled, God's Desire for You: A Solution to the Calvinist Free Will Debate? said it's a terrible temptation for people to fall prey to the belief that "everything's already been predetermined and that God does not hold us accountable for our actions."

Citing the examples of Jesus and the Apostle Paul, Land said: "Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, and says [in Matthew 23:37] 'Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thee as a mother hen gathers her chicks but you would not let me."

"Jesus is the son of God, He doesn't make mistakes with His words. He didn't say the Jews could not, He said they would not. Sounds like they had a choice. And their choice made a difference."

In Apostle Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders, Land noted that Paul said he was innocent of the blood of men because he never hesitated to preach the whole counsel of God.

"That sounds an awful lot like he would not be innocent of the blood of all men had he not fulfilled his pastoral responsibility to preach the whole counsel of God. It sounds like his preaching made an eternal difference," Land said. "So I don't [agree with] the Pontius Pilate option of washing your hands and saying that's all just too dirty, I'm not going to get involved — God's Will will be.

"I believe God holds us accountable for our actions. Yes, God knows everything that's going to happen, He doesn't necessarily make it happen. And I believe He holds us accountable. I think it's a presumption upon the Holy Spirit to assume that we can take a vacation from tough decisions."