Lately it seems like almost everyone is getting cancelled. Fall out of step with the “conventional wisdom” (which is often neither) and you run the risk of being labeled something bad or canceled altogether. I made the comment on someone who was lauding a move of the cancel culture, that “Cancel culture is not compatible with grace and forgiveness.” The person quickly responded that Christians have been doing it for years. My response was, “My response stands.” meaning whether or not some Christians have done it does not change the fact that cancel culture is not compatible with grace and forgiveness. Let’s face it, Christians have not been immune from behaving badly, but cancel culture is still bad behavior. Do we really want to live in a world where sin is not forgiven? For that matter, do we want to live in a world where sin is determined by the whims of the shifting sand culture? I know I don’t.
Instead why not follow Jesus? He came and died to cancel sin and death and hell and the grave. He came so that we could be forgiven. God gave us His Word (among may other reasons) so we would have an objective standard of right and wrong set by the only One qualified to set the standard. The One who knows the end from the beginning, the ramifications of every choice. He also knows how everything works and what works and what doesn’t within what He has created, and Ade has created everything! The end ramification of the cancel culture is going to be devastating. 1984 predicted it. The Bible predicts it better. “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead they will try to satisfy their own desires. They will gather a large number of teachers around them to say what their itching ears want to hear.” 2 Timothy 4:3. If something doesn’t change, the true church will be threatened by the cancel culture. We are already seeing it happen in places. Oh there will still be a “church,” but it will have preachers in pulpits lauding the shifting sands of culture, rather than the truth of God’s Word. Jesus taught about building on shifting sand. Sooner or later the storm comes and if falls. We need to build on the rock.
If we are wise, we will cancel cancel culture and replace it with grace and forgiveness. We will learn to love our neighbor, work through difference with the counsel of God’s Word and speak God’s truth in love. We will bear with one another in love, share the Gospel and trust that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth.
The question is are we wise? The book of Revelation seems to say, “no” and that this will continue until Jesus returns and sets all things right. What should we be doing? Living with love and forgiveness, loving our neighbors, and speaking God’s truth in love. That will always be the right thing to do.
AMOKArts 