Pastor and theologian Alistair Begg has issued a rallying cry to Christians to embrace the ‘authority of Scripture’ in the face of hostility from the world.
In a sermon from 2 Timothy 3:1-17, he highlighted the “love of self”, manifesting in the LGBT agenda, as the main source of opposition to the Bible in the UK today.
Begg is the senior pastor of Parkside Church near Cleveland, Ohio and the founder of Truth for Life.
‘Immoral revolution’
Speaking at the 2022 Keswick Convention, he suggested that “the challenge to the believability of the Bible” in this generation comes from modern beliefs about sexuality.
The pastor noted that, since 2000, the UK has embraced the promotion of homosexuality in schools, adoption by same-sex couples and same-sex marriage.
He explained: “And suddenly, within a quarter of a century, our nation has lived through an immoral revolution.”
‘Sufficient authority’
Begg went on to challenge Christians – and especially church leaders – to stand firm on the truth of God’s word.
“We’re either going to bow our knees to the sufficient authority and timelessness of the Bible, or we will be swept away by that which comes to us not simply from a secular culture, but from a clergy that has now themselves lost confidence in the Bible.
“At a time when our world is most aware of its brokenness and its need, which is to be answered in an unerring gospel message, those who are the proclaimers of the gospel message have lost confidence in the message!”
Different path
The Keswick Convention is organised by Keswick Ministries, which “exists to inspire and equip Christians to love and live for Christ in His world”.
Last month, Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Mouneer Anis warned bishops attending this year’s Lambeth Conference to abide by official teaching on human sexuality and not follow the “moral ‘norms’” of Western societies.
The Anglican Communion’s stated position is that it “upholds faithfulness in marriage between a man and a woman in lifelong union, and believes that abstinence is right for those who are not called to marriage”.
