In today's world, it isn't uncommon for Christians to be viewed as "narrow-minded". Being 19 and going to a secular college, I've been presented with tons of non-believers. I'm not a shy person when it comes to Jesus, so when people first meet me, they can tell immediately that I am a Christian. The most common response to this is, "Keep an open mind." In other words, they tell me not to take the Lord seriously and to be willing to compromise my faith.

The first issue with this is that you can't be in an open relationship with the Lord and still expect to be set free from the bondage of your sin. Keeping yourself in agreement with the world can and will seriously hinder your work and love for the Lord. Being lukewarm in your walk with Jesus won't do you any good. Fence riders are just as well as non-believers.

"But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!" Revelation 3:16 (NLT)

A lot of people think that I should keep an "open mind" to the world since they don't actually know what Christianity is all about or who Jesus really is because of their own preconceived notions about the faith. Whether that be by what they've heard or by misunderstanding the Old Testament.

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.." Hosea 4:6 (ESV)

People are quick to jump on me about my faith because "Leviticus says this," or "Deuteronomy promotes rape," (which, by the way, is untrue. Read about it in one of my previous articles called "Biblical Analysis: Deuteronomy 22:28-29" Link: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/biblical-analysis... .) They tell me, "You can't say anything about sin because you cut your hair and wear clothing with blended fabrics, you hypocrite."

Understanding the Old Testament without a relationship with Jesus Christ is like trying to solve a puzzle without piecing together the border first. Jesus is the border to the puzzle. If you don't know Jesus, it's very difficult to put it all together. It's nearly impossible to figure out, especially when taken out of context. It makes no sense to try to solve a puzzle by starting with the center piece. Jesus is the basis of the entire Christian faith. You have to start with Him to understand the rest.

The second issue I have with keeping an open mind with the world is that it's actually pretty narrow-minded to tell me not to follow Jesus because of their own views about faith. Before I was a Christian, I was in the bondage of mental illness and I would not be alive if Jesus hadn't saved my life, both physically and spiritually. It's more narrow-minded and selfish to tell me that I shouldn't be a Christian when Jesus has set me free the way He has. Telling me not to follow Jesus is basically telling me that I have to live in the shackles of my sin just because you don't like that I believe in Jesus.

Calling me narrow-minded because I have a firm belief is absurd. The ones who call me this also have a belief that they find to be correct... that's why they believe that I should keep an open mind -- that's their firm belief. Ironically, their "open-minded" belief is just as "narrow-minded" as their claims on Christianity.

There was a time when I did have "an open mind" and it almost killed me. I compromised my relationship with Jesus so that I could gain acceptance from other people. It never worked. I didn't have the internal and eternal joy that I have now. My life used to be a disaster until I met Jesus and He showed me what love is. My joy is not determined by circumstances anymore. I no longer need to rely on the attention and the acceptance of other people, because people will fail me. Jesus won't.

"For they loved human praise more than the praise of God." John 12:43 (NLT)

So, no. I will not compromise my faith for the world. I refuse to be devoured by rejection, depression, and anxiety. I refuse to be of the world, no matter what persecution it brings, no matter how the culture changes. I didn't become a Christian so I could play games with God. You can stand on the edge of the diving board for your whole life, scared and unsure, or you can dive in. I'm not sorry for my decision to follow Christ. I don't keep an open mind for the world; I keep an open mind for the word.

"If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you." John 15:18-19 (NLT)