This article was first published in Tabletalk, the Bible study magazine of Ligonier Ministries. Find out more at TabletalkMagazine.co.uk or try it free for three months today at TryTabletalk.co.uk.
Who would deny that the three institutions that God created – the family, the church, and the state – are under direct attack by our secular culture? Perhaps they have always been under attack, but the world's antagonism towards these institutions seems more intense than ever.
That is especially the case regarding the family. What is particularly saddening is the fact that some Christian denominations have collapsed under the weight of secular pressure to redefine what the family is, what marriage is, whom it is between, and more.
Departure from biblical language in favour of secular redefinitions is a disturbing example of how far many have drifted. As the culture abandons truth, opposition to the church and those who stand for truth seems to be increasing.
Marx and Machen
In the last century, many Marxists saw the family as one of the major flaws of human civilisation. The family was viewed as a source of oppression and societal dysfunction. Marxism proposed an alternative: the state would supplant the family, and the government, not parents, would oversee teaching kids.
Christians need to be very careful about playing language games with the world. Once we compromise our definitions, it becomes hard to defend and maintain our faith.
