Twin brothers Jason and David Benham encouraged Liberty University students to hold firm to their convictions and live out their faith during convocation on Wednesday.
The brothers, who graduated from Liberty in 1989, described their journey as vocal followers of Christ in the media in a roundtable Q-and-A with Senior Vice President for Spiritual Development David Nasser, reports Charisma News. Topics they discussed included biblical business practices, enduring spiritual opposition, and how they relied on the Lord while undergoing controversy with HGTV.
Earlier this year, HGTV producers cancelled the Benham's show, Flip it Forward, because of the twin's outspoken opposition to homosexuality and abortion due to their Christian convictions.
"We knew at that point, the battle is on," David Benham recalled. "We were sitting there with an opportunity to basically back off or stand strong ... it was at that moment that Jason leaned in and said, 'We are not bowing to any agenda; we are going to speak the truth of God; we are going to do it in love ... but we are not going to back off.'"
Despite their show being cancelled shortly after that meeting, the brothers continue to renovate the houses of people in need.
"The people most affected by HGTV's decision to cancel the show were the families that stepped out in faith to flip a house for the show," David said.
The brothers also shared how they strive to adhere to four biblical principles both in and out of the workplace: family and business: being faithful in every responsibility, giving rather than receiving, contributing more in value than you expect in payment, and breathing life into others in every setting.
"You want to be the person that, wherever you go, life follows you," Jason Benham said. "Wherever you go, you bring the dead to life, because that is the Christ in you."
In concluding their speech, the Benhams encouraged students to hold fast to their faith, explaining how the story of the old testament hero Daniel helped them despite opposition from HGTV.
In the same way that Daniel prayed faithfully when ordered not to, the brothers continued to hold fast to their beliefs when asked to compromise.
"Today is the day for you to purpose in your heart and to choose who you are going to serve," David Benham said.
They also challenged the students to commit to reading through the entire Bible each year, as they have done ever since attending Liberty, to help them remain strong in their faith and grow closer to the Lord.
"When you let the experience of other people come into life, it will break your theology in half," Rutledge said. "(Then) what God will do is build you into something stronger."
