I was born in a part of the world where government did not merely govern roads, courts, and borders. It tried to govern conscience. That is why I do not take religious liberty lightly.

When government begins to say, “You may believe that in your church, but you may not live it in public,” liberty is already in danger. When the state says, “Keep your faith in the sanctuary, but do not bring it into the classroom, the hospital, the workplace, the foster home, the adoption agency, or the public square,” we are no longer talking about religious liberty.

We are talking about religious containment.

And Biblical faith was never meant to be contained.

Religious Liberty Is Not Religious Containment

Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14, NIV).

My friends, do not miss this. Light that is hidden is not fulfilling its purpose. Salt that loses its saltiness is not fulfilling its purpose. And a Church that silences her convictions to win cultural acceptance is not fulfilling her calling.

There is nothing hidden about the Gospel.
There is nothing secretive about redemption.
There is nothing private about the Kingdom of God.

Abraham obeyed God publicly. Moses confronted Pharaoh publicly. David worshiped God publicly. The prophets spoke Truth publicly. The apostles proclaimed Christ publicly. And Jesus Christ died publicly, rose publicly, and ascended in public glory.

So what kind of Christianity says, “Believe in Jesus privately, but obey Him only where culture permits”?

Not Biblical Christianity.
Not the Christianity of Acts 5:29, where the apostles declared, “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (NIV).

The Warning Light for Religious Liberty Is Flashing

When you are driving your car and a red warning light flashes on the dashboard, you do not solve the problem by banging on the dashboard. You do not solve the problem by disconnecting the wire. You do not solve the problem by pretending the light is not there.

You check the engine.

There is a warning light flashing on the dashboard of religious liberty in America.

In April 2026, the DOJ-led Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias released a report saying that Christian belief was too often treated as acceptable only when private, while Christian action flowing from those beliefs was treated as something to regulate, penalize, investigate, or exclude. The report points to conflicts involving abortion, sexuality, gender identity, marriage, parental rights, conscience protections, COVID vaccine mandates, education, public programs, and religious expression.

Here are three facts Christians must face soberly.

Fact No. 1: The Anti-Christian Bias Report Is Not One Isolated Complaint

The report says the Task Force involved 17 federal departments and agencies.

Seventeen.

Not one agency. Not one local office. Not one isolated dispute.

The report states concerns appeared across DOJ, FBI, IRS, HHS, Education, EEOC, HUD, DHS, USDA, State, SBA, FEMA, and other federal bodies.

That should get our attention.

Whatever one’s political party, whatever one’s preferred administration, whatever one’s view of this or that policy, no Christian should shrug when an official federal report says public Christian obedience has been pressured across so many areas of government.

The issue is not merely whether Christians can attend worship on Sunday.

The issue is whether Christians can live faithfully Monday through Saturday.

Fact No. 2: The Numbers Suggest Troubling Disparity

The report cites DOJ enforcement of the FACE Act and says the Biden DOJ requested an average sentence of 26.8 months for pro-life defendants, compared with 12.3 months for pro-abortion defendants. Actual average sentences, the report says, were 14.7 months for pro-life defendants and 3 months for pro-abortion defendants.

The issue is not whether laws should exist. They should.

The issue is not whether people should be accountable for unlawful conduct. They must. The issue is whether the law is being applied evenly—or whether citizens acting from pro-life and often religious conviction are treated more harshly than others.

The report points to Department of Education penalties against Christian universities, including a $37.7 million fine against Grand Canyon University for alleged tuition-cost misrepresentation and a $14 million Clery Act settlement with Liberty University. It presents those penalties as disproportionate compared with penalties imposed on secular institutions, especially in the Liberty comparison to Penn State and Michigan State Clery-related cases.

The issue is not whether Christian institutions should be accountable. They should. The issue is whether Christian institutions are being treated fairly—or whether they are being treated as uniquely suspect because they hold Biblical convictions.

Fact No. 3: Anti-Christian Bias Reaches Ordinary Christian Life

This is not only about prosecutors, universities, or federal agencies.

This is about parents.
This is about nurses.
This is about teachers.
This is about counselors.
This is about foster families.
This is about Christian charities serving the homeless, the hungry, the addicted, and the vulnerable.

The report also highlights a notable disparity in DHS faith-based outreach. According to the report, DHS reviewed its faith-based engagements from March 2023 through January 2024 and found 61 meetings, roundtables, briefings, or listening sessions with outside faith organizations. Of those:

• 20 involved Muslim organizations
• 18 involved Jewish organizations
• 1 involved a Sikh organization
• 20 were categorized as interfaith engagements

By contrast, only two engagements were explicitly identified as involving Christian organizations—one with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and one with an Arab Christian organization. The report presents this as evidence that Christian communities were underrepresented in DHS outreach, particularly given its estimate that Christians make up roughly 62% of the U.S. population.

My friends, these are not minor matters. The report repeatedly frames anti-Christian bias not merely as hostility to private belief, but as government pressure against Christians who act on those beliefs. It cites examples of Christian students and pro-life visitors being told to remove religious or pro-life attire at federally managed museums; a Christian nurse allegedly coerced into participating in an abortion despite religious objections; Christian foster families and agencies pressured to affirm views contrary to their Biblical convictions or risk losing licenses and funding; and Christian charities serving the poor facing zoning enforcement and other regulatory barriers.

The Real Question Is Lordship

Too many Christians think religious liberty is merely a political issue. It is not. It is a discipleship issue.

The real question is not, “Which party is in power?” The real question is, “Who is Lord?”
Is Christ Lord only in the sanctuary? Is He Lord only during worship?
Is He Lord only when obedience is convenient? Is He Lord only when culture approves?

No.

Jesus Christ is Lord over all—or He is not Lord at all.

He is Lord over the Church. He is Lord over the family. He is Lord over the classroom. He is Lord over the hospital. He is Lord over the workplace. He is Lord over charity, conscience, speech, education, medicine, and public service.

Romans 12:2 commands us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (NIV).

Conformity does not always arrive with threats. Sometimes it arrives softly. Sometimes it arrives gradually. Sometimes it arrives dressed as professionalism, sensitivity, tolerance, or the desire to avoid controversy.

Sometimes conformity simply looks like silence when Truth should be spoken. But Truth cannot be softened without being weakened. And Truth cannot be silenced without consequence.

Conviction Is Not Cruelty

Now hear me clearly: Biblical conviction must never become an excuse for cruelty. We must never confuse courage with contempt. We must never confuse boldness with bitterness. We must never confuse standing for Truth with despising those who disagree with us.

Every person is made in the image of God. Every person. The confused child. The angry activist. The hostile official. The wounded neighbor. The critic who mocks us. The person who calls Biblical conviction hatred. We are commanded to speak Truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Truth without love becomes harshness. Love without Truth becomes compromise. But Truth in love is the way of Christ.

The Greatest Danger Is Inside the Church

The greatest danger facing the Church is not only external pressure, it is internal compromise. When the Church becomes more concerned with acceptance than obedience, she loses her prophetic voice. When pastors become more afraid of offending culture than disobeying God, the pulpit loses its power. When Christian institutions trade Biblical clarity for cultural approval, they may keep their buildings, their budgets, and their platforms—but they lose their spiritual authority.

The apostle Paul warned that a time would come when people would not endure sound doctrine, but would gather teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3).

That time is not coming. It is here.

We are not called to be popular. We are called to be faithful.
We are not called to be accepted by culture. We are called to be obedient to Christ.
We are not called to win applause. We are called to bear witness.

What Must Christians Do?

First, we must pray.

Pray for those in authority. Pray for judges, lawmakers, school boards, pastors, healthcare workers, teachers, parents, and public servants. Pray for those who oppose us. Pray for those who misunderstand us. Pray for those who believe lies about Biblical Christianity. Consider joining more than 500,000 believers across America in daily prayer through AWAKE America’s national prayer movement. 

Second, we must know the Word of God.

A Christian who does not know Scripture will be tossed about by every cultural wind. We must know what God says about life, marriage, family, conscience, justice, mercy, sexuality, repentance, grace, and salvation.

Third, we must prepare.

Churches, Christian schools, ministries, pregnancy centers, counseling centers, charities, and Christian organizations must strengthen their statements of faith, employment policies, facility-use policies, child-protection policies, and religious-accommodation procedures. Do not wait until the crisis comes to decide what you believe.

Fourth, we must support believers on the front lines.

Christian doctors, nurses, teachers, counselors, business owners, federal employees, military members, foster parents, adoptive families, students, and nonprofit leaders need prayer, wisdom, encouragement, and support.

Finally, we must stand without fear.

Not with panic.
Not with hatred.
Not with withdrawal.
Not with partisan rage.

But with faithful courage.

God Has Not Lost Control

Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid. The Church was born under pressure. The Church grew under pressure. The Church was purified under pressure. The Church has always been strongest when she has been most dependent upon her Lord. When the Church is pressured, God purifies her. When the Church is challenged, God strengthens her. When the Church is scattered, God multiplies her. When the Church is refined, God prepares her for greater glory.

Jesus said, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18, NIV).

He did not say, “I might build My Church.”
He did not say, “I could build My Church.”
He did not say, “I should build My Church.”
He said, “I will build My Church.”

No government, no court, no agency, no cultural movement, no hostile ideology, and no power of hell can undo what Christ has ordained.

Will You Stand?

So I ask you plainly, my friends, not as a political question, but as a spiritual one:

When pressure rises, will you stand?
When Truth is unpopular, will you speak?
When faith becomes costly, will you remain faithful?

One day, every government official will stand before Christ.
Every judge will stand before Christ.
Every pastor will stand before Christ.
Every silent believer will stand before Christ.
Every one of us will give an account.

And on that day, the applause of culture will mean nothing. The approval of institutions will mean nothing. The fear that kept us silent will mean nothing.

Only faithfulness will matter.
May He find us faithful.
May He find us standing.
May He find us unwavering in Truth and steadfast in love.

And may our lives declare with quiet courage and unshakable conviction:
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.