“ROOTED IN BAD SOIL: HOW AN UNBELIEVING HEART PRODUCES FALSE IDEOLOGIES”
Part Three: In the Shadow of Strongholds
The Bible reveals not only the light of the gospel of Christ but also, more generally, “the knowledge of God” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Christians are to enter the dark places of the world as bearers of the light of God’s truth – all of it (Matthew 5:14-15).
Is there any limit on when and where God’s truth should be manifested by the Christian? Not if the Lord is the Most High God. While believers should be “shrewd as serpents” (Matt. 10:16) in all that they do, no area of human existence should be allowed to remain in the shadow of any stronghold. As the Dutch theologian and politician Abraham Kuyper famously said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’”
This would imply, of course, that Christians should be involved in cultural issues – at least if the truth of God’s word speaks to the issue in question. The Christian must command all the world to be obedient to Christ in their religious practices, laws, institutions and so on. We should never attempt to force that obedience by threat or punishment, but in the power of the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the word we must command it nonetheless.
Naturally, this will create a spiritual crisis for most people. It will also be seen as a direct challenge to all human- and demon-oriented cultures, and neither people nor devils will take the challenge lightly. Conflict and, in some cases, persecution will invariably follow. But it is the only way to expose the lies that hold men captive, and it is the only way to bring them into the kingdom of the Lord Most High.
This excerpt is from the article, “Rooted in Bad Soil,” which appeared in the January 2014 issue of AFA Journal. [www.afajournal.org/2014/January/012014rooted.html]
