Neal Pollard
Several years ago, a listener to our TV program called me at the church building. He said, “Man, I just watched your program on television. I can’t believe it, man. You must be from the dark ages somewhere.” That’s all he said. He hung up the phone.
A mark of proclaiming the truth of the gospel, even if its presentation is seasoned with kindness, is that it will inevitably draw those kind of remarks. Because true Christians stand upon the unchanging and unchangeable gospel, they will often have such ridicule hurled at them. But, what about the charge this man made? Is it true? Are we from the “dark ages”?
Of course, he apparently didn’t know what or when the “dark ages” were. That arose many centuries after Christ established His church on Pentecost. When the Catholic Church took the Word of God out of the hands of the masses and empowered only a select group of those within their group to control it, counterproductivity permeated every facet of life. The “dark ages” would continue until the Bible could be restored to the common reader.
I know the point he was trying to make, though. He disagreed with the biblical conclusion we drew in that particular program. It ran contrary to his thoughts and rationale. He, therefore, rejected its relevance.
He’s right, though. Christians are from the dark ages! Did you know that the Bible even teaches that?
Christians are turned from darkness to light (Acts 26:18). Christians have come from the dark world of sin. They are delivered (1 Pet. 2:9) to be God’s chosen peole by the marvelous light of Christ. Paul said, “You were sometimes darkness, but now you are light in the Lord: walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8). Children of God are commissioned to wrestle against the darkness of this world (Eph. 6:12), since we are no longer characterized by it.
Christians cast off the works of darkness (Rom. 13:12). Christian service is not properly described as “works of darkness.” In fact, Paul warned Christians, “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11). Faithful Christians do not love and cherish dark works of sin (Jas. 4:4).
Christians are free from the power of darkness (Col. 1:13). The dark sentence of spiritual death was revoked by the grace of God at Calvary for everyone who obeys Him (Col. 1:14). The day of Judgment will “overtake” those under the power of sin’s darkness (1 The. 5:4), but not Christians! Sin no longer has dominion over the truly converted (Rom. 6:14).
Paul wrote that, “You are all the children of light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night nor of darkness” (1 The. 5:5). The man on the telephone that day was precisely correct. Oh, that more people would be free from the dark ages!
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