An important part of being a faithful Christian is fighting for the truth. By fighting I don’t mean literal pugilism, but rather metaphorically defending the truth through words and putting one’s reputation on the line. Jude reminds us of this in his epistle, “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 3–4, ESV). There are those false teachers who will introduce dangerous and damnable teachings into the church. They are around today in modern Christendom as they were in the first century. They are not a mere nuisance nor are they well-meaning brothers or sisters with whom we have a misunderstanding. They are a threat to the spiritual health of Christians and local churches. Therefore, it is necessary to oppose them.
Having stated that I believe it is important to take a stand for truth, I also believe it is important to stand for truth in a way that is truthful. I recently talked to a couple of Christians who heard from an evangelist, that a certain school or Bible teacher now believes (you see where this is going) that it is acceptable for Christians to participate in social drinking. I found this surprising, but as I dug into the situation I learned the man was misrepresented. This kind of situation has been multiplied in regard to all kinds of issues. Theological opponents are often labeled as heretics and unbelievers because they disagree with a finer point of theology. Ministry rivals are sometimes said to be on a slippery slope because they do not take a stand on an application of Scripture (pants on women, reading novels, watching television, etc.). I am all for taking a stand and protecting believers from false teaching, but sometimes we attempt to defend the truth with mendacity and half-truths. How unbecoming this is of the Gospel. As believers in the Lord, who is by nature true, we ought to be committed to the truth–even when it seems less convenient for us. It is the great irony of modern Christianity that so many are unconcerned with the truth in regard to defending the Bible and the Faith. Our character and actions ought to adorn the truth, not vandalize it. We do the truth no defense when we come to its aid with lies or misrepresentations.
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