Dying On The Hill vs. Attacking Others On The Hill
“How do we determine which convictions are ‘hills worth dying on?’”
I was recently asked this question and immediately what came to mind were some of the ugly scenes that have played out over the years causing many to say, “I don’t think that’s a hill I’m willing to die on.” Certainly, there are hills worth dying on; but it would be wise for us to carefully take our stand in such a way that we don’t attack and wound people who don’t agree with us. There is NO HILL that requires an unkind, caustic spirit to pervade our tone or manner of speaking. “The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to acknowledgment of the truth” (2Timothy2:24-25).
Biblical convictions are essential.
When it comes to doctrines worth dying for, each of us play out our convictions a little differently. For example, while the doctrine of the trinity is clearly a doctrine I’m willing to give my life for, I’m not sure cessationism1 is. Not to say that I don’t believe both with deep conviction; it’s just that one is much more important than the other. I suggest that we all clarify which doctrines we consider to be “hills to die on” and which we will believe and teach, all the while recognizing that our view may not be as important to others as it is to us. While moral convictions worth dying for don’t change as culture changes, there are some convictions we must emphasize in our culture that we never thought would be necessary–like the Biblical definition of a man and a woman.
It’s amazing how far adrift our culture can slide as we lose the godly moorings of the Word of God. As believers, it is important that we be dogmatic and even vocal about these moral issues of right and wrong, but we must be careful how emotionally charged we are when speaking of these issues to an unbeliever. I don’t know about you, but the term “sexual preference” is offensive to me, but I must be mindful about how I respond to topics like this one. The key is to remember that the greatest need of the people we interact with is not their lifestyle choices. Their greatest need is Jesus. Showing disdain or speaking disrespectfully is never a good way to point someone to Jesus. By showing genuine respect in the way we communicate, we have the opportunity to demonstrate the value we place on each person’s eternal soul. Sometimes our strong desire to help an unbeliever make that life-changing choice to follow Jesus causes us to become unnecessarily argumentative and confrontational.
Godly communication of our convictions is imperative.
Let’s consider the words of Christ when He was“dying on a hill.”
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”(Luke 24:34).
“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise”(Luke 23:43).
“Woman, behold your Son!…Behold, your mother!”(John 19:26-27).
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”(Matthew 27:46).
“I thirst”(John 19:28).
“It is finished”(John 19:30).
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”(Luke 23:46).
Every word Jesus spoke during His soul-wrenching death on the cross was either a prayer or a communication of thoughtfulness and care for others. It appears that even His communication of thirst was in preparation for His final pronouncement of “It is finished.” Luke 23 records that His last words were called “out in a loud voice” thus, the need for moisture on His parched throat. Peter, an eyewitness to most of our Lord’s earthly communications, testified that Jesus never retaliated in kind to those who attacked and insulted Him. “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (I Peter 2:21-23).
Jesus Himself revealed that He was gentle and lowly to the needy people on this earth. — “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29) Paul calls each of us to have Jesus’ mindset as our own. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…” (Philippians2:3-5). I’m passionate about impacting both the moral and theological views of the people in my life. I’m committed to being a truth-teller, and saying the hard things people need to hear. But I’m equally passionate about speaking in such a way that the truth AND gracious nature of Christ are evident. Let’s accept Paul’s exhortation, “Speaking the truth in love” which “makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love”(Ephesians 4:15-16). Jesus’s timeless message to the disciples at His last supper with them calls to us today. “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)
People will see the authenticity of our connection to Jesus by the way we learn to love others well. Yes! Biblical convictions are the bedrock of our lives; but loving communication of those convictions must become the very air that breathes out of us as we interact with those around us–saved and “not saved yet!”
Jeff Musgrave serves the Lord through The Exchange, a ministry of evangelism and discipleship training in local churches. This article first appeared there, we republish it here by permission.
- Cessationism is the belief that the sign gifts of the Spirit are no longer normative. [↩]