In the last two BLOGS I responded to an article by Dr. Page in the October 2007 issue of SBC LIFE which was a plea for civility. I am sure that I might seem uncivil in even trying to point out that something else needs to be said. He might even agree with what I am saying. I don’t disagree with what he wrote, but there is more to the picture. In the same magazine Thom Rainer’s article (A Plea for a More Civil Discourse) was published. He says this: “I’m not saying avoid substantive issues and the calls for accountability, but I plead with my brothers and sisters in Christ, particularly in our denomination, to move toward a more civil discourse, a more Christlike attitude in what we say and write.” While we would all agree with the fact that we should all have more of a “Christlike attitude” in what we say and write, we might disagree on what that means. Jesus Christ absolutely blistered his opponents at times with withering replies and comments. Paul did the same thing. A civil discourse, as interpreted by modern Americans, is not always the most “Christlike” response. Are we still being Christlike when we are saying what Christ said in Matthew 23? If we are truly doing it out of love for God and other people, then we are.
He goes on to say that “our witness is compromised when a spiritually lost world sees us fighting with one another, when they see unloving words hurled without restraint, when they see terse comments cloaked in civility – when they see little evidence of Christian love.” That is correct in the main, but again these things have to be looked at closely. A lost world needs for Christians to be willing to stand up and fight for the purity of the Gospel. The glory of God demands that we be willing to fight for the Gospel. One thing that we have to be concerned about is worldliness. What is that? It is the spirit of the age. One spirit of our age is that of being tolerant and nice in all things. We can be very nice people and do that from being worldly. We can be very civil and do that from just wanting to be like the world or in insulating ourselves from criticism. To be Christlike means that we are to be like Christ in our outward lives and attitudes. Sometimes we must be uncivil (in terms of how modern Americans define the word) and speak in ways that will appear harsh. Good preaching that awakens lethargic people cannot be done in a civil way. It may be that writing books and articles that offend no one are worthless if people need to be awakened.
I would like to repeat that what Thom Rainer says is good, but there is more to be said on the subject. Without knowing his heart and what he meant in writing it, we know that some people will interpret his words in a modern and worldly way. For example: “Would you pray with me that the world will see us as men and women who love the Lord with all of our hearts, and who love one another? Will you be a part of the conversation that shifts from negativity to Great Commission obedience?” What does he mean by a conversation that shifts from negativity? Some people think that talking about sin is negative. Some people think that saying anything that is not positive in the superlative is negative. Without trying to get into what he might or might not mean, we must be careful to note that the Bible commands us to preach, teach and write against sin. We must be careful to speak the things that are of God as God tells us to speak and write them. Those things are termed “negative” by many people. If we love God with all of our heart and also love others, then we must talk and write in ways the world will think is negative. That will give us an opportunity to explain what real love is. Let us look at a few texts of Scripture.
Numbers 20:12 – But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”
1 Tim 5:20 – Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.
Jude 1:3 – Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
Whatever Dr. Page and Thom Rainer mean by the need to be civil, we must remember that we are to treat God as holy and sometimes that means being uncivil in the eyes of the world. Whatever they meant by the need to be civil, we must remember that we are to rebuke people for sin in the presence of all. Whatever else it means to be civil; we are to contend earnestly for the faith. We know Jesus and Paul did and they would not be called “civil” today. Standing for the Gospel of grace will require us to be uncivil at times because the world and many religious people hate God and the Gospel of grace. While it will appear as uncivil and will be hated, true love for God requires it.
God Loves... Himself 
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