In John 16:1-4 are found these sobering words of Jesus to his followers:
1“These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. 2“They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. 3“These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. 4“But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you."
These are perilous times during which there is a global attack on Christianity. The satanic ISIS is leaving a trail of gore and blood across the Mideast with particular cruelty to those of Christian faith who are savagely beaten, raped, beheaded, burned alive, crucified and martyred in a multitude of other ways even more despicable than the human mind can conceive. These vile acts are done in a maniac passion for the false god called Allah. Other countries dominated by atheism continue their efforts to terrorize church congregations who are forced in many places to worship in secret to survive. Stories of their persecution are horrible to hear.
All of this murder and mayhem of our brothers and sisters in Christ world wide deserve our most earnest prayerful attention. They are paying the ultimate price for their faith. These accounts of such suffering are hard for those of us in America to understand. After all, we have our conflicts to suffer, too....like the arguments over traditional or contemporary worship, whether to have Kool-Aid and cookies or milk shake and Big Macs at Vacation Bible School and whether or not we should take Bibles on our mission cruise to the Caribbean this year.
But......I think we are beginning to get it.
Notice that Jesus said those of the synagogue will try to kill his followers. In other words, religious people will become the enemies of those who love Christ.....those of "politically correct" religion. Can you imagine the shock of these words as they fell on the ears of our Lord's followers, most of whom were Jewish? Jesus gave the real reason for the coming persecution. He said that these religious people of the synagogue would try to destroy them "because they had not known the Father nor me." He was actually saying that a person can know a lot ABOUT God but never really know God. So, I disagree with a common refrain heard so often today that the church in America is under siege. For the most part, the church in America is not under siege. Listen to the liturgies, participate in the rituals, sing the songs and listen to the sermons of the average church. There is no urgency, no desperation. The attack by politically correct social engineers is against those who are not just religious but really have a heart to know God. Jesus said his followers would be killed by the religious people of the synagogue in order to silence their witness. Similarly, those of us who strive to know Him in all of his glory are now targets of having our witness banished (killed) from the marketplace of ideas. We are now, as people of biblical conviction, being branded as hate-mongers and bigots if we dare voice a deep personal belief founded in faith.We are being admonished that if we are indeed "real" Christians that we should love the choices and behaviors of everyone. As wonderful as the love of God is, and it is indeed wonderful, love is not His primary attribute. They do not chant, "love, love, love" around the throne of God. Rather, they chant, "Holy Holy, Holy!" (Rev 4:8). Holiness, which has to do with our behavior, should also be the hallmark of the believer. Look at this piercing warning from Hebrews 12:14, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." There it is! Do you see this clear biblical command? There is nothing said here about loving every person, although I think we should, but it clearly says we are to have behaviors that are holy or we shall not see the Lord!
If you determine to know Jesus, really know Him, get ready to be misunderstood, persecuted and in whatever ways available, silenced; but why should you be surprised? In the opening verse of this article, our Lord advised us to remember that He warned us. Also, we are reminded by Him in John 15:18 that when we are hated by the world that the world hated him first. He also said in Matthew 10:22 that we who love Him are destined to be hated for His name's sake. So, you have a choice. You can settle down and have a mild-mannered religious experience in a church with no zeal while listening to a sermon exhorting tolerance and cooperation with a world that by Jesus' own words hates Him, or you can choose to be maligned, scorned and ignored.
Here is my decision.
I have decided that I will accept any invitation to debate anyone who advocates a cultural or behavioral view that is in opposition to the historic orthodox Christian position. I will affirm the validity of the orthodox Christian position and support my statements with biblical, philosophical, sociological and historical evidences. I am offering myself for such discussions before small groups, large groups, television, radio or newspaper. Only scheduling, health or other providential considerations will prevent my acceptance.
Why am I suggesting such? Anyone can say anything from behind a pulpit, university lectern, media microphone or blog. Those are monologues with no chance for rebuttal. I believe it's time for a defense of the faith. I would rather someone more qualified than I should do it, but until that person steps forward, I volunteer.....
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