I used to watch a TV sitcom called Reba. And I remember a scene in which Reba and her son-in-law, both real estate agents, were arguing with each other while showing an open house. As they were bickering and going back and forth, the house was being robbed right behind them. And they had no idea.
The scene reminds me of what’s happening among Christians today. We spend all our time fighting each other, while the world is looking to destroy us, and we have no clue what’s going on.
“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” – Mark 3:24
You might say, “I don’t believe in prosperity”. That’s fine, then stay poor. I’m not going to waste my time debating with anyone who refuses to shed their pre-existing biases. I have had to change a lot of my views over the years when I learned that I was believing the wrong things. As Christians, we have to allow the word of God to speak to us. We can’t read the word with a flawed belief system already attached, because we’ll find a way to interpret the scripture according to what we want it to say.
“The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” – Psalm 34:10
The world wants to rob us of our freedom. They want to take away our right to preach the Bible. And we spend all our time whining and complaining about other Christians. If you don’t agree with the concept of divine healing, then stay sick. That’s your right. I’m going to choose to believe what the Bible says, and stand on the promises of God.
“Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you.” – Exodus 23:25
I refuse to waste my time with theological arguments. They’re useless. You know you aren’t going to change your mind. Stop hiding behind the notion that you’re “saving” people from false prophets and false doctrine. You just want to be right. Social media has empowered us to voice our opinions, whether helpful or not. We haven’t become more aware. We’ve become more self-absorbed.
There is a brand of watered down, liberal Christianity that is infecting our churches. There are people who are operating according to the world’s system of thinking, rather than following what the Bible teaches. “I’m a Christian who leans to the left.” What does that even mean? How about being a Christian who leans to God’s word?
Unfortunately, in this entitled Western World, we’re overrun by political talk, and it bleeds into Christianity. There aren’t two sides to choose from in the Kingdom of God. You’re either for Him, or you’re against Him.
“Choose this day whom you will serve.” – Joshua 24:15
Christians are terrified of the world. They don’t want to labeled hateful, or bigoted. Guess what? That’s a guarantee if you’re a follower of Jesus. It’s going to get worse. The solution isn’t to become more politically correct. The solution is to become more filled with the Spirit so that you’re able to stand up against the schemes of the enemy. We can’t shrink back or bow to the angry mob. The loudest voice isn’t necessarily the correct one.
“And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” – Mark 13:13
Stop with the nonsense of “winning people with kindness”. That’s code for being too afraid to share what the Bible says. If you want to gain the approval of man, then Biblical Christianity isn’t for you. Kindness never got anyone saved. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ can do that.
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:10
Of course we can’t clobber people over the head with the Bible. Non-believer’s don’t understand that they’re living in sin. We have to treat them with compassion. Jesus was always compassionate with sinners. But the gospel is offensive. Our approach should be kind, but the message is going to be tough.
“He is a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” – 1 Peter 2:8
Now should be the time to band together to defeat the powers of darkness that are permeating this world. Now more than ever, Christians need to defend each other against mounting persecution. But no. We can’t agree on anything, we can’t stop bickering and criticizing.
“So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. – 1 Corinthians 1:23
Why are we living in a society where everything is offensive? Because we’re obsessed with self. We’re obsessed with what’s best for us, regardless of how it affects the people around us. We want to be happy, but we never are. What we have is never enough.
The Bible teaches that everything we need is found in Jesus. Look at 2 Peter 1:3-4.
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
There are people constantly searching for who they are. There’s a struggle to find identity in something, because they don’t understand that their identity is found in Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:15-17 tells us exactly that.
“And [Christ] died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
We cling to how we perceive ourselves in the natural. That’s why certain comments are so offensive to people, because it comes across as an attack on who they are. But that’s not Biblical.
Look at this quote from Rod Dreher on the wave of confusion with sexuality and gender identity:
“To be a Christian means that you believe, as the Bible teaches, that man is made in the image of God. This is at the root of human dignity. This necessarily means that human nature is given. It is not created by us; it is created by God and given to us. We either receive it or we don’t. As Christians, we cannot believe that we have permission to create ourselves in our own desired image.”
If we understand who we are created to be, then we won’t be offended so easily, because our security doesn’t lie in what exists in the natural. We have an eternal security and identity in God.
This doesn’t mean we have should be purposely rude, or disregard a persons feelings. It’s simply a reminder that the way the world operates is in complete opposition to how God operates.
It’s up to us as Christians to share the gospel with everyone, so that they can understand who they are and where their identity lies. The answer isn’t to be callous and condescending. No, because there are souls that need Jesus. Souls that are hurting and crying out. The role of the church is help them.
“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” – Matthew 5:44
We need to pray for supernatural boldness. We need to pray against intimidation. Goliath never actually touched anyone. He just shouted and berated the Israelite’s and they backed down out of fear. It took a shepard boy, full of faith, who stood on the promises of God, to take down that giant.
“David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” – 1 Samuel 17:32
Friends, the battle we’re facing is not against one another. It’s not against the individuals in the world who don’t know Jesus. No, the battle we are waging is against the enemy of our souls, the Devil, who wants to destroy us from the inside out.
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” – Ephesians 6:12
There is a big difference between “love” and “approval”. God loved everyone, but He didn’t approve of everything they did. He went to great lengths to make sure the people of Nineveh were warned of their sin. He loved them, that’s why He commanded Jonah to tell them the truth.
“And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left?” – Jonah 4:11
“If you stay in line with the Bible, you can’t take the Bible too far. You’re never wrong to quote God” – Jonathan Shuttlesworth
