Welcome to the second installment of “Dear Watermark Family,” a series from Watermark’s Elders to encourage and equip the church we love. Be on the lookout for future installments in The Current.
Dear Watermark Family,
I remember sitting in a town hall meeting listening to someone finish a speech in opposition to my point of view. As the person turned from the podium, a friend of mine sitting beside me turned and said, “Cat people.” As a dog lover, I knew immediately what he meant.
We often identify ourselves or our opponents with a particular label or within a certain tribe. The world divides us into an endless list of subcategories: male & female, rich & poor, Republican & Democrat, pro-vaccine & anti-vaccine, and as my friend jokingly remarked, cat & dog people.
Although we have many distinctives, as Christians our most important identity marker is that of the Spirit. We are not identified first by gender, the color of our skin, or our political preference, but rather by our faith in Jesus Christ. Paul expressed this idea when he stated: “In Christ Jesus, you are all sons of God, through faith …There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26, 28).
In an increasingly polarized world, many voices compete for our heart’s allegiance. My prayer throughout our Uncompromised series is that we would take Hebrews 10:23 to heart: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” This verse offers the what, how, and why of our calling.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope”—Our charge is to remain true to the confession of our faith, specifically who Jesus is and what He accomplished for us through His death, burial, and resurrection. The gospel message informs how we view ourselves, each other, and the world around us. Our hope is in Christ alone, not the plans of man, an advancement in technology, or a political movement.
In a recent article in The Atlantic, a contributor stated that he has heard of many people leaving their church because it didn’t match their politics, but has never once heard of someone changing their politics because it didn’t match the Bible’s teaching, even around the edges. May our confession of faith, not our politics, ground and guide us in an ever-changing world.
“Without wavering”—We are to hold fast “without wavering.” In our politically charged “cancel” culture, we will certainly experience a test of our biblical convictions. Those who hold to a biblical worldview on issues such as the sanctity of life, race, gender, & sexuality, will likely be “canceled” for their perceived bigotry. Yet, we must not waver as we remember that “love rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6).
“For He who promised is faithful.”—The great promise of this verse is the fact that, “He who promised is faithful.” Despite our changing times, the Lord’s character remains the same. He does not change, nor does He grow tired or weary. History is not a random occurrence of events, but the sovereignly ordained and unfolding plan of God’s providential will. May we be reminded of our Lord’s words: “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
These are challenging days, to be sure, but they are also exciting days! May we boldly proclaim the hope we have in Jesus Christ and clearly articulate biblical solutions to the challenges our society faces today.
See you on Sunday,
Blake