We’ve all been in one of those situations where we’re embarrassed by someone in our social group. Whether it’s a friend who starts acting obnoxiously, someone who’s completely unaware of their surroundings, or even a young child who’s acting out, such a person can make you want to fade into the wallpaper so as to not be associated with them. We have a tendency to be afraid of how other people think of us, and that tendency can be brought out strongly when we’re afraid of how the actions of those we’re associated with will reflect on us.
In a spiritual sense, just like the friends of parents with a screaming toddler, many have begun to apologize for the church and distance themselves from it. They are embarrassed of how folks might think of them if they come across as too extreme, too devoted to their Christianity, or too convinced of the Bible’s inerrancy. To give a few examples…
It’s because of this fear of external perception that theistic evolution is embraced by a number of Christians. The “really smart” people who work as scientists tell us that we’re stupid if we believe in a supernatural being or a young earth, so Christians came up with compromises like the Day-Age Theory and the Gap Theory. “Sorry, God, but I don’t want people to think I’m an idiot for Your sake.”
Other less extreme but far more common cases involve Christians apologizing for and speaking out against those of us who take the Bible literally. “They don’t realize that Jesus didn’t care about religion or laws, He just wanted us to love people,” they’ll say. And by “love people,” they mean uphold a moral standard only as far as the speaker sees fit before feeling judgmental. This is the kind of apology that allows for all kinds of unbiblical, immoral activity and great liberties being taken with the roles of men and women in the church along with the type of worship we use. It even led Exodus International to apologize for their years of work in helping practicing homosexuals conform to biblical truth. “Sorry, God, You gave us Your Word but following it would be pretty inconvenient.” (Keep an eye out for tomorrow’s Questionable Quotes article, “Don’t Put God in a Box” for more in-depth discussion of this particular issue.)
But, beyond that, a spirit of apology for God can affect the everyday lives of even Bible-believing, church-attending homes. Having watched different families make the decision not to skip worship for sports and seeing others justify their decision to skip anyway, the implication has often been “Well, yeah, I believe in God and I go to church but I’m not that crazy about it.” Some even justify acting in ungodly ways or participating in worldly activities because it helps them reach other people. Again, they reach those people by apologizing for those who have dedicated their lives to growing more like Christ. “Sorry about those guys. If you become a Christian you don’t really have to change much. You can be a casual Christian like me!” At the same time they imply, “Sorry, God, You called me to be holy and set apart, but people are uncomfortable with that so I’m going to deemphasize Your role in my life for their sake.”
What this really comes down to isn’t analogous to the situation I discussed in the article’s introduction. Though those who apologize for the faith seem to think of God’s Word or vocal Christians as obnoxious friends that embarrass those around them, it’s more like the person who will disown his closest friends when the “cool kids” come around. It’s convenient to claim God and His blessings in secret, but when those who deny Him come around there’s a tendency to put down the Father in an attempt to be like the “cool kids.” But we don’t get to pick and choose the parts of God that we like and discard whatever might offend the world or even other Christians.
Jesus had no use for such two-faced people. “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33 NKJV). Jesus never intended for His disciples to beg the world to like us. In fact, He demanded just the opposite. He knew His words would call people out of their comfort and into a lifestyle of change and submission, and He knew the world would hate it. Just as Elijah asked the people of Israel at his face off against the prophets of Baal, we must ask those who would apologize for God, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him” (1 Kings 18:21). How long will Christians falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if (insert modern idols – consensus opinion, being liked by men, following our own desires, etc.) is god, then follow it. 
I’m not sorry that the Gospel is offensive. I’m not sorry that it makes me stupid according to the “experts” of this world to believe in God and the Genesis account. I’m not sorry that I’m going to cling to the cross of my Savior rather than cling to a favorable image in a godless society. We should apologize for our sins and for our shortcomings in trying to follow a holy God, but we should NEVER apologize for standing for God and His inerrant Word. 
By Jack Wilkie