Believers need not be shy about binaries—at least legitimate biblical ones. Yes, in many areas we need a more full-orbed understanding, and nuance can be called for. But in some other areas things really ARE black and white.

We hear a lot lately about the term “binary”. It of course is especially coming from the radical trans activists whose hatred of binary has gone ballistic: ‘How dare you say there are only two sexes—stop being a hateful bigot!!’ They insist that there is no such thing as male or female, and people can identify as whatever sex they want, with not just two sexes but an endless number to choose from.

This is of course anti-science, anti-biology, and anti-reality. But it also reflects the wider secular culture where all sorts of genuine polar opposites are rejected out of hand. In an age which does not believe in black and white, but just 99 shades of grey, folks have a hard time thinking in terms of true and false, right and wrong.

I wish to speak a bit more about this notion of binaries. There are indeed some real binaries that must be insisted on. And there are also some false dichotomies that we need not accept. Let me give a few examples of each. Both somewhat involve comments from folks I have never met but have enjoyed their company on the social media.

Both of these believers had said things which I can basically go along with, but I would say a few more things about them. One example had to do with a post I had put up about how Christians need to get involved in engaging with our culture and not just sit back and await the end of the world.

One friend replied to me by saying that ‘framing things in binaries is not a good idea usually’. He said there can be other reasons why people make choices like that. Yes, that is all true, and in this case (as with the next example I will provide), there can be many good reasons why someone might want to bow out of certain activities that normally a Christian can be involved in—e.g., the culture wars.

So I have no beef with what this fellow had said, but his use of the word ‘binaries’ got me thinking again. Sure, many things, including various theological debates, involve a lot of nuance and there can be room to move along a spectrum. But that of course does not rule out all binaries.

The truth is, Scripture is full of them. Here are just a handful: You are either a child of God or a child of the devil. You are either lost in your sins or alive in Christ. You are either going to heaven or to hell. You are either walking in the flesh or walking in the Spirit. You are either seeking glory for yourself or glory for God.

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