Our social media age enjoys finely crafted “gotcha” moments. You have likely seen them in your algorithm-guided feeds. An ambassador of Christianity and Conservative family values is confronted by a ‘woke’ activist challenging him to defend his truth in the age of social justice. Ben Shapiro, Charlie Kirk, Matt Walsh— the list goes on— and these videos that we often see are, in fact, fake.
I don’t mean fake in that the encounter is entirely fiction. A confrontation likely took place. Dozens, and perhaps even hundreds of conversations, took place. This is the one the content producer wants us to see. This is the one that best captures the extremes of “good” and “evil” on display in the contrasting messages. There is a reason a camera was present to capture the confrontation. Preceding this one, there were provocations, specific efforts to draw out the woke degenerates— the crazier, the better— to challenge the speakers of truth.
There is an inherent falsehood in all of this. It may be entertaining and even comforting to hear a speaker voice words and values that resonate with our own, but the entire scene is built on a staged scenario. These staged scenarios promote a culture war that isn’t based on Truth and a way of combating in that war that is neither practical nor legitimate.
That is not to say we do not live in a polarized society. We certainly do. As believers, scripture teaches us that behind the polarization is a spiritual struggle between light and darkness, good and evil. Ephesians tells us we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against darkness and spiritual powers (Ephesians 6:12). The real spiritual struggle is not so easily defined as right versus left, conservative versus liberal, or rational hero versus deviant interloper. In fact, the true spiritual battle is far more subtle in its dark intentions, often baiting and trapping those who seek to do right into ultimately doing wrong. In many of the videos I see like this, both sides are far more connected to the fruits of sin and darkness than to the righteousness of God.
There is a well-known passage of scripture that many so-called “defenders of the faith” rely on for this type of behavior. It is taken from 1 Peter 3:15 – be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Many modern-day Christian justice warriors have used this verse to justify their arguments against the left and the perceived enemies of God and righteousness. We have hope. We have a better way of life. There is a reason for the hope we hold. This is what the world needs to know.
This is well-intentioned, but they overlook or ignore the rest of this verse from 1 Peter.
…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:14-17
I contend that in most situations, seeking conflicts and provoking our enemies is not a sign of gentleness and respect. Sharing a reason for the hope you have might gain clicks and views on social media, but true gentleness and respect require a disciplined life of obedience to Christ’s principles. Both are equally vital. One is often praised by modern Christian culture, while God honors the other.
This isn’t just about emphasizing one part of a verse over another. It captures the essence of what true Christian faith really is. True Christian faith involves a sincerely experienced hope in Christ and a transformed life and character that follow.
It is also the path that Jesus modeled for us. Make no mistake, Jesus confronted the degenerates of His day in first-century Palestine. Tax collectors were seen as traitors to their national identity. Prostitutes were viewed as immoral degenerates. Lepers were considered unclean. In His confrontations and encounters with these individuals, we never see Him provoking or stirring up conflict. Instead, we find Him gentle, respectful, and inviting, drawing in an audience that finds itself intrigued by the hope that was in Him.
Indeed, the only group he became angry and outraged toward was the religious class that had built an economy and social order based on the traditions of man rather than the power of God (Matthew 23, Mark 11:15-18). Think about this the next time you click on one of those “gotcha” videos in your social media feed. Is this really the Spirit of Christ, or is it a well-choreographed and financed piece of religious provocation?
We are living in dangerously deceptive times. Not everyone who calls Him Lord is truly an ambassador of the Kingdom of God. We should be very careful about who we give our attention and admiration to.
This article was initially published as our Monday Morning Devotional.