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“Once more unto the breach”

Here we stand—with you—and together!

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Originally published in a CMI newsletter, December 2016

“Once more into the breach” comes from Shakespeare’s The Life of King Henry the Fifth.

In this play he intimated that in peacetime “stillness and humility” should reign. But at a time of war there are some things ‘tigerishly’ worth fighting for.

The real war since the beginning of time

Time began when “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Very shortly after in Genesis 3 we see the Fall of Man—when Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan’s question: “Did God really say?”—words that echo to this day. This began the most catastrophic war in all history that still rages today. But do most of us recognize the enemy’s tactics?

The battle is for the authority of the Creator’s Word. For centuries in the Christianized West, the Bible stood as the benchmark to ‘judge all things’. The Ten Commandments stood proudly in courthouses, and school lessons included the Bible. Christianity was the major influence upon societal conventions, and Christians could freely express what they believed without persecution.

However, in our halls of learning, the church was subtly being undermined. Universities are now cathedrals of atheism, because the worldview of evolution erodes the foundation of God’s Word and its account of origins. Not recognizing the attack, even professing Christians compromised and faltered—also convinced by ‘the lie’. Attempts to win over unbelievers became increasingly ineffective as they became convinced that ‘science’ showed the Bible was not actually inspired by the Creator. But feeling secure within the walls of the church, many Christians did not feel the need to engage in the intellectual battles going on ‘outside’. Failure to recognize this erosion of the Christian foundation has ultimately resulted in direct attacks upon the church.

Symptoms of a foundational problem

The issues of same-sex marriage, gender confusion and increasing moral decline result from God’s Word being removed as the authoritative foundation of all morality. If the Bible is ‘demonstrably not true’ when it comes to origins as most people now think, why should people respect its moral commands? Indeed, why should Christians and the church be exempt from adhering to worldly laws, even when they are in direct conflict with the Scriptures? The desire for Christians to be exempt from legislation that impinges upon our faith will be compared to Muslims wanting to live under Sharia law, for example. There will be no exemptions unless we fight for what we believe.

“ … if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3).

Any solid structure stands on good foundations. Without realizing that the attacks on Genesis—the Bible’s origins—are actually an attack on our faith and Jesus Himself, we’ve seen our youth depart the church in increasing numbers. Because the foundation has been undermined, the building is in serious trouble—we must restore the foundation by proclaiming the authority of God’s Word.

There is Good News in all this

Biblical creation makes sense of the world we live in! It explains why the world is subject to decay and sin and why there is death and suffering in the world. The Bible provides hope!

Creation teaching, with God’s enabling, turns minds and hearts towards Him. The information provided by CMI rebuilds the foundation. We need staunch Christians who recognize this vital battle, and who will help CMI to ‘stand in the breach’. When the world looks lost and a sense of hopelessness prevails, we need to remember that the battle has already been won by our Creator. Our salvation is already secure and our responsibility to God is to share Gospel truth to see others saved. Jude wrote: “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3, emphasis added).

CMI will stand in the breach

We should continue to fight this battle with every breath the Lord gives us. Obviously, some of us are more fit for certain types of ‘battles’ than others, but we can all play our part. CMI has been doing so for over 35 years, and lives are being changed. First, in the church, as Christians are equipped and emboldened, and then for unbelievers when motivated Christians get equipped and share the information. And amazingly, as I was writing this to you, I received the following from Kyle S.:

“Years ago I responded to an article and me of course being the expert that I am (sarcasm intended) decided I would write in to tell the author [Gary Bates] that long ages are fine with a biblical world view… After a few emails that back and forth, which I am extremely grateful that you took the time to write … Your responses and willingness to take the time to respond to me served as the first domino that got tipped over. I am now an avid YEC and will debate (with kindness and respect) with atheists I encounter, with confidence due to the training your website has given me. I thank you for opening this door in me. I pray that the Lord favors you and your company in every way possible. Thank you for the gift you give us all by the work that you do.”

So, for Kyle a foundation was restored and he now contends for the faith. Will you please also stand with us in the breach to help restore the authority of God’s Word?

Published: 19 December 2017