Couldn't agree more:
"Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall
say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify
the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your
dread." (Isaiah 8:12-13)
The people of Judah were terrified by the imminent prospect of invasion
by the cruel Assyrian hordes who had been further strengthened by a
confederacy with Judah's own brethren in the ten-tribe kingdom of
Israel. It is indeed cause for concern when compromising Christians join
ranks with ungodly pagans in opposing those who defend the true word of
God, for such a combination seems almost too strong to resist. A modern
example is the current collaboration between the secular evolutionists
and those Christian evolutionists and "progressive creationists" who
oppose Christians who stand for the literal truth of the biblical record
of creation and earth history.
This is cause only for concern, however, not for fear! Just as in
Isaiah's day, we must fear God--not men. In the coming judgment it will
be far easier to explain to God why we had too much faith in His word
than too little!
These verses are referred to by the apostle Peter in a well-known New
Testament passage: "Be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an
answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you
with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:14-15).
Therefore, when unbelievers and compromising believers join forces
against those who fully believe the Bible, the proper response is not
panic, or submission, or even belligerent opposition, but an implicit
confidence in God and His word, accompanied by a gracious "answer"
(literally "apologetic") in defense of the truth, given in a meek spirit
and in fear only of God. HMM
That line on 'compromising believers' says it all.
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