Sun 9:30a Class; 10:30a Worship; 11:35a Communion
Bible Bites
Who's the Enemy? Generational Differences
"You shall judge a man by his foes as well as his friends" (Joseph Conrad)
God’s people must have enemies! To love the Lord is to hate evil (Psalm 97.10; 119.104). The supreme enemies aren’t “flesh and blood” but rather Satan and his minions (Ephesians 6.12). Opinions differ among Christians as to which adversaries are most threatening, especially among those of different generations. If those over forty years of age and those under forty were asked to make lists of dangerous spiritual enemies, the lists would often be quite different.
Greatest Perceived Enemies of Older Christians
Denominational Error — New Testament Christians constantly battled mainstream Protestantism through the 19th and 20th centuries on topics like Calvinism, baptism for the remission of sins, infant baptism, etc. The combat was conducted from the pulpits, on the radio, through tracts and in hours of personal discussion. Denominational error was the big enemy and the battles with it were often bitter.
Institutionalism — Preachers of my father’s generation suffered rejection by friends, loss of support and the withdrawal of preaching opportunities because they refused to go along with the denominational machinery being promoted by the “Church of Christ” denomination in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
"Liberalism" — Though this term has unfortunately been used disparagingly by some, it can also be used legitimately to describe the tendency to be less strict in interpreting the scriptures. I heard sermon after sermon as a boy designed to counteract this inclination by pointing out the need to have Bible authority, book, chapter and verse, to back up everything we do. To be presumptuous was to risk being punished like Nadab, Abihu and Uzzah.
Worldliness — The love of the world is seen in our attitudes towards questionable movies, TV shows, revealing clothing, money, etc. Unfortunately, many older Christians have difficulty seeing the danger of this enemy as well as younger ones.
Greatest Perceived Enemies of Younger Christians
Some younger disciples today seem little concerned with the spiritual enemies mentioned above. It is difficult for them to see mainstream Protestantism as a spiritual enemy when its followers are often allies in taking on humanism, evolution and abortion. In the minds of many, the need for Biblical authority is decreasing in proportion to how much they’ve been affected by worldly Postmodernism. Many would see almost any movie except those openly pornographic. However, young disciples often have their own set of perceived spiritual adversaries.
Overemphasis on externals - Some congregations seem to have a checklist mentality, going through the same routine every Sunday with little enthusiasm. They focus almost exclusively on external “acts of worship” while doing very little to promote love, evangelism, prayer or reaching out to the poor.
Legalism - This term is difficult to define and is often used unfairly in name calling sessions when communications are breaking down. Many don’t know what they mean when using it, but they know they are against it!
Traditionalism - A woman raised in the South objected to partaking the Lord’s Supper in a new congregation in the Northeast because the table on which the bread and fruit of the vine were placed didn’t have the engraved words, “Do this in memory of me.” Young disciples are quick to point out the absurdity of allowing such customs to become law in the minds of some.
Sectarianism - The real church of Christ is not some kind of network of local congregations represented by church directories or a social circle with an official name, but rather saved individuals bought by the blood of God (Acts 20.28; Hebrews 12.28). Sometimes younger disciples see this fact more clearly than older ones.
Over eagerness to judge the final destiny of others. If Michael the archangel showed discretion by avoiding pronouncing judgment against Satan (Jude 12), why have some Christians in the past overlooked any possibility of God’s mercy as they brazenly pronounced final judgment against those who disagree with them? This attitude turns off many young disciples.
Who’s Right and Who’s Wrong?
Both groups are right that their concerns are real spiritual dangers. Every enemy mentioned above takes people away from God and needs to be fought. Jesus rebuked the looseness of the Sadducees (Matthew 22.22-32) and the stifling traditionalism of the Pharisees (Matthew 23).
Both groups are wrong when they only focus on one set of enemies. Usually it’s the enemy that we’re not concerned about that gets us! The dangerous enemy for the Israelites was not the Canaanites, but their own lack of faith (Numbers 13.32, 33).
Older Christians who constantly complain about the young often don’t realize that if not careful they can be grouchy, unloving, inwardly focused and even sectarian and proud as they overlook the radical nature of Jesus’ teaching. Laudable efforts of younger disciples to promote prayer sessions and group Bible studies are undercut when they talk about attending ungodly movies and wear tight or revealing clothing. They must remember that belittling the importance of Biblical patterns regarding church organization and worship resulted in the Roman Catholic Church and the Disciples of Christ denomination, both far in their practices from the simplicity taught by Jesus.
A renewed focus on Christ and his approach to personal holiness will help us battle all spiritual enemies, not just those that may be unpopular within our little social circles.
— In "Biblical Insights", June 2012
