But whoever misleads one of these little ones who believe in Me, it would be better for him to have a millstone hung about his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of temptations! For it must be that temptations come, but woe to that man by whom the temptation comes!

Matthew 18:6–7 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

It goes without saying, Jesus is being firm. He is conveying the seriousness with which we as believers must comport ourselves.

It seems to be for our own good, yet Jesus explains the greater concept. It’s for the good of the “little ones,” that is our younger siblings in Christ.

We ought to act circumspectly, minding closely how we affect others not only by our actions but what we say about our faith. Not just ‘others’ outside the circle of faith, but to the younger in the faith.

In recent days, there is a bit of controversy over remarks made by a popular contemporary vocal artist who has made public appearances. It’s a great thing, though the name of Jesus is being proclaimed in novel ways. (Novel to today’s culture.) The publicity eventually strayed into one issue of contention. Whether fairly or not, she was blind-sided by a direct question.

As mature believers, the citation of Jesus above may clearly show how what Jesus is saying applies to this controversy. For those who need a bit of help, let me say the struggle is real. There are some Christians who struggle with sexual sin. For those who struggle with exactly the essence of this controversy, the wishy-washiness of the response may be taken as permission or endorsement. This can lead to dire consequences.

When we are asked matter-of-fact questions by those who hold sway over the culture, we ought not to be caught unawares. Let us all have proper answers from studying and understanding issues. Let us ask our Lord for appropriate answers that are truthful. Because if you speak the truth, it is the only way to love the culture.

Christianity is offensive. It begins with the truth that none of us measure up to the standard God gives. In fact, the moment we can understand that, we realize we’ve already fatally failed. God stepped in. He sent His Son to stand in that gap, reconciling the world to Himself. Those that trust in Him has been redeemed of the mortal debt owed. Our job transitions to an ambassador of reconciliation.

Just as Jesus died for you, He also died for those whose struggle is not like yours. Let’s love them by being truthful. Soft-pedaling sin is really an endorsement of it.

The cultural divide will only continue to grow exponentially. We have the Book that tells us this. We can try to go along to get along, what does that win us?

Let us urge others to be reconciled to God, and let Him clean them up. I know He is still trying to clean me up. I have His promises to see that through.