The Church was in controversy against false leaders in the days of Jesus, in Athanasius’ 325AD, in Luther’s 1517, in Bonhoeffer’s 1940, and our own in 2021. The Church moves and conquers one square inch after the other, but never easily. She seeks to take the land with the expected opposition. When we say, “Jesus is Lord,” the world responds: “Only in your faith.” When the Church says, “this is my Father’s world,” they say, “Only in your little secluded world of fanatics.” This privatized faith is not the real thing; it’s the skim milk the world has expected from our banquets.
The Christian Church is antagonized by her own timidity. We think the world, the flesh, and the devil will give us a few inches here and there willingly with a thank you card attached to it. But that’s not how it goes. The Church receives nothing from the world for free, for the world is at enmity with God; the world wants unhindered pluralism, and she wants you to give up your inches of gain for 30 pieces of silver.
The sooner we discover that we are heirs of Abraham destined to take the entire world that rightly belongs to King Jesus, the better. The apathy and complacency will only delay the blessings God has in store for his people.
The reason we are so captivated by the claims of Jesus is that he has proven that all authority and power belong to Him and no one can take that from his hands. We cannot cease to press his claims because every inch is an inch he died to secure. The real estate market has one owner, therefore we should not be timid disciples but bold proclaimers in word and deed.
