Clarity in a Confused Age

Why positional clarity on contentious topics cultivates a context for authentic dialogue.

More than 90% of our church is under 30 years old. Counter to what many would expect, this generation values and appreciates theological clarity, especially on divisive issues. The responsibility of church leadership is to establish clear teaching not just on the major pillars of our faith but also on important and potentially destructive lifestyle issues.

There is a peculiar and deeply concerning trend in parts of the church world to resist making clear statements on contentious issues within their own church context. In our post-Christian world, it is tempting to try to close the cultural gap between us and the broader society by showing that we aren’t all that extreme or radical in what we believe. However, since Jesus’ call on us is radical, softening the gap cannot possibly bring people closer to Jesus.

The Problem with the “Third Way”

This approach has been popularized in some circles as a “third way” approach to contentious issues. The thinking goes: we don’t need to be clear, we can just agree to disagree. The result of a “third way” approach is a false peace in the name of unity, and the problem is that it is not Biblical. God is not a God of confusion, but of truth and clarity. We need to work through questions to arrive at clarity, not muddy the theological waters, so that we are all comfortable singing together. The very fact that an issue is contentious means we should seek clarity about what Scripture teaches.

Much of Paul’s letters to the churches consist of instructions on precisely these types of contentious issues. For example, Galatians deals with circumcision, while 1 Corinthians 5–7 addresses sexuality, marriage, and matters of conscience related to diet.

Because scripture is clear, when we do not point people to the scriptures, we end up robbing them of a complete picture of the way that we are called to live. Our discipleship should reflect that, even if it can be hard to hear at times.

Almost every part of the Christian faith is difficult to accept: resurrection, loving your enemies, simplicity in lifestyle and possessions, sexuality, exclusivity of Christ, and so on. Any effort to appeal to culture by avoiding theological or practical clarity is sure to backfire. The biblical worldview is radical and controversial. It always has been. There is a reason Peter referred to the early church as “aliens and strangers” in the world.

Authenticity Requires Honesty

Much has been written about how this generation values authenticity. That means we need to be upfront and honest about what we believe and why. When we mask our convictions out of fear of offending people, we only delay the inevitable day of having to bring clarity, except now, we do so with the added perception of having been dishonest or manipulative.

By being clear up front, even with people who are likely to disagree with us, we open the door for relationship. We can disagree and still be civil and open to dialogue. We have many people who interact with our church with a very wide range of perspectives on all sorts of issues. Our clarity actually invites dialogue rather than division.

Disciple Lordship

To be a Christian means accepting Jesus as Lord. The call to Christian living has always been tremendously high. As Bonhoeffer famously put it, to follow Jesus is to “come and die.” I’ve been meditating on Romans 6 this week, and how it calls us to become slaves to righteousness. While we should not expect the world to live according to Christian convictions, when someone comes to Christ, they must ultimately lay everything down to follow him.

Secondary issues become primary when they intersect with the question of Lordship. Jesus makes this point clear with the rich young ruler. When an area of our life remains unyielded to Jesus, we are not dealing with a secondary issue; we are dealing with a Lordship issue.

The point isn’t that some issues matter more than others, but that every lifestyle question can be traced back to obedience to Jesus. That’s why we need to engage with them, not avoid them.

Clarity Opens the Door for Discipleship

Years ago, when we began developing expanded leadership covenants that outlined our expectations on a broader range of issues, we received pushback. People asked why we were singling out certain topics. For example, our member covenant includes clarity around biblical sexuality, substance use, and lifestyle expectations.

The answer is simple: it’s vital to speak clearly in the areas where our culture is confused. Take human sexuality, it is one of the most contentious and divisive topics in our time, yet Scripture brings clarity and beauty to it.

Where there is tension in culture, we must lean into it and bring biblical wisdom. Our experience has been that writing these convictions down opens the door to meaningful discipleship. Sometimes it takes people years to work through the covenant. But in that time, they’re walking with someone who genuinely loves them.

During this season of wrestling, leadership may be limited. But as I’ve written about in Everyone Sent, leadership should never skip the discipleship process. We must ensure people are building on a strong spiritual foundation.

Clarity Protects the Vision

I’ve seen too many organizations falter because they lacked doctrinal clarity on so-called secondary issues, most often in the area of human sexuality. This lack of clarity allowed individuals to rise to influence and ultimately steer the organization away from biblical orthodoxy. Just in the past few months, I’ve encountered a major local church, a Bible college, and a Christian school that all fell into this exact trap.

When we’re clear from the start on non-negotiables, we protect the vision and theological integrity of the organization.

Not All Will Accept

The reality is that many people will not accept the Christian faith because of our teaching on a range of issues. That is simply the truth. But it should not stop us from asking: What is our culture torn over? What do they resent Christians for? The conversations those questions unveil may be our best evangelistic opportunities yet.