Today, in both the religious and secular worlds we hear an awful lot about building bridges.
We all need to ignore our differences, seek out our commonalities, hold hands and sing Kumbaya.
To disagree with anyone about their particular view about anything is construed as “hating” them, personally. And that is not to be tolerated.
Such ideas about bridge-building are inherently irrational, since they concede that absolute truth is a reality, even though they undermine absolute truth when it does not agree with an individual’s personal opinion that is assumed to be absolutely true.
Bridge-building is a worldly philosophical construct intent on denying the absolute truth.
God’s people were never called to be bridge-builders with the world.
From the earliest days, when Israel was commanded to go in and take the Promised Land of Canaan to the days when the Apostle Paul exhorted the Corinthian church, God’s people were to be distinct.
They were told not to build bridges, but to “tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their” wooden female idols used for fertility rites (Ex. 34:13).
Later, Paul would write, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses…and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:3-5).
The reason why such mandates were given to God’s people is simple.
What the world has to offer by way of bridge-building ultimately becomes a snare and trap to those who would fall for the cunning tricks of following an idol.
Idols, both in Old Testament Israel and the New Testament Church, were rife.
Whether the Israelites were bowing down to the Asherim or sacrificing their children to demons (Lev. 17:7; Deut. 32:17; Psa. 106:37), it was because of Israel’s disobedience to destroy those idols and the people that concocted them that ultimately led to Israel’s own demise.
The same was true in the early church, where not only were Christians tolerating sexual perversion in the church (1 Cor. 5:1), but others were being led astray through the preaching of false gospels (Gal. 1:6-9).
Idols in the world today are no different, as the come in the forms of politics, money, and, of course, religion, among a plethora of others.
Christian, if you are reading this, you are not be a bridge-builder to the world.
The world has absolutely nothing to offer you by way of compromise.
You, on the other hand, have been commanded by God Himself, to destroy the altars that have erected against God and His Christ.
The only way you will be successful is first to commit yourself to obeying what God has revealed.
Obedience will require that you put away your electronic gadgets, pick up His book, and study it (2 Tim. 2:15)!
Then, you will have to make a concerted effort to use what you have learned in a discerning manner.
You may rest assure that, as soon as you begin put into practice the command to destroy the fortresses and idols the world has erected, you will be attacked on all fronts.
Name-calling, threats, and possibly even physical abuse or attacks may be expected.
“Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12).
The alternative, however, is to build a bridge to an idol that will lead you both away from God and ultimately into bondage.
Therefore, learn from the past and do not let the appeal of the world ensnare you.
Do the work of a Christian apologist, tear down those altars, and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
You will be blessed that you did.
