Offensive?

If we place the Word of God in our hearts, we can be careful to make sure that it also comes out of our mouths. We can be bold to speak His truth in the situations to which God calls us. Ephesians 6 states:
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--
19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

In verse 19 and verse 20, Paul asks for prayer to speak "boldly." We should not be intimidated by those in this world who would want to silence the voice of the Church. We are living in critical times, and our culture needs to hear that voice - giving honor to God and stating the truth of Scripture. As we grow in Jesus, we can increase in our courage to deliver the message with which we have been entrusted.  We can also rely on God to give us the words we need to speak.

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The Bible speaks of taming the tongue and we are instructed to use our words wisely, building people up rather than tearing them down. In Ephesians 4, we can find these words:
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

Well, in all of its "wisdom," a church body in the United Kingdom has provided for all of us a guide in order to stop using what it calls "hurtful language." The Western Journal reported recently that:

The Methodist Church in the United Kingdom has released its own “Inclusive Church Language Guide” in which parishioners are urged to avoid certain words on the basis that their usage makes “assumptions” about one’s family life.

“As Christians, we need to have the courage for conversations that can sometimes be difficult, to recognize that we sometimes exclude people, to listen with humility, to repent of any hurtful language or imagery and to take care with how we listen and what we say, write or depict, in the Spirit of Christ,” the statement from the church began.

It goes on to say:

“Terminology such as ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ may sound inoffensive, but it makes assumptions about a family or personal life that is not the reality for many people.

“The words ‘parent,’ ‘partner’ and ‘child’ are a good place to start. ‘Carer’ is also a neutral yet understandable way to refer to the primary carer of a child, who may or may not be their parent.”

 The article adds, 

"Other terms such as “brothers and sisters” are also unacceptable on the grounds that it “doesn’t take into account our nonbinary friends.”

Embedded within the article was a tweet by noted theologian and social commentator Calvin Robinson, who wrote:

This is not Christianity. It is Critical Theories: ‘smash heteronormativity.’ 

It is no longer enough to acknowledge disordered lifestyles. Everything normative and ordered must be demolished for fear of causing offence.

Franklin Graham posted a link to the article on X, formerly Twitter, and commented:

The Methodist Church in the UK is trying to edit what the Word of God says to be more appealing to the changing whims of culture. As Christians, we aren’t called to avoid what might offend people—we are called to share the Truth of God’s Word.

Think about that phrase: "...edit what the Word of God says!"  Isn't that what we're seeing - we're in an age of spiritual rationalization, where people pick and choose what God's Word says and integrate it into a feel-good, progressive narrative.  But, those who are afraid of offending are, in essence, offending those of us who adopt a Christian worldview perspective on marriage and family. In an attempt to be "inclusive," Christian find themselves on the outside looking in.

It's not unlike what our Savior has taught us - there will be persecution. And, those who are persecuted are blessed, He says in Matthew 5.  We can see efforts to silence the Church, to mute its voice. But, we should not be dissuaded.  Galatians 6 tells us we are not to be weary in well-doing, and Isaiah 41 reminds us that if we wait upon God, our strength will be renewed. We have the resources available to us to stand in the face of opposition.