Christians Are Always In Black And White
Posted by:
Bible Blogger on
December 18, 2006 at
5:45PM EST
The hardest part sometimes about sharing our faith with those who do
not believe is that we don't have wiggle room on things. It's not like
Jesus came to earth and said "well, you can believe this and be saved
but if you don't then that's just fine." It was very clear from Jesus
what was right and what was wrong. The only path to spending eternity
with God was through him.
John 3:35-36 (NIV): "35The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.""
We don't have the right within ourselves to decide who's going to
heaven and who's not going to heaven. That puts us in the place where
in today's mostly anti-Christian society we'll find ourselves being
called closed-minded or a bigot or worse. We'll be held up as
intolerant of other lifestyles and someone who doesn't show respect to
other religions.
Here's the thing...we don't have a choice in this matter.
If you truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the only way to
the Father...as Jesus himself said...then you can't tell someone who's
practicing another religion they're going to be spending eternity in
heaven. If you choose to tell someone of another faith their belief is
acceptable, you're mocking the Scriptures and faith you claim to hold.
I know it's very hard today when the current wave of those in power is
to crush Christian values and beliefs. They want to shut Christians
down and prohibit our views from being part of the social, economic and
political discourse. Special interest groups are doing all they can to
try and run anyone with a Christian faith...who stands on the Word of
God...out of political office. They cry out against a "separation of
church and state" that doesn't exist in the manner they want to try and
make people believe. It's harder and harder to stand for your beliefs
without being persecuted for it.
Now, I know some of you will say "you're in America. You don't have it
bad." I'm the first to say American Christians are very blessed in
that we don't face being beaten or killed or jailed for our faith yet.
Right now, the majority of persecution of Christians is done through
the media and ostracisism. If a Christian can be held up for scorn and
humilated in public then it's a time to celebrate in the eyes of many
non-believers.
(On a side note: that's why I get so irritated at people like Stephen
Colbert who claim to be believers yet routinely hold up Christians for
ridicule and scorn: they feed the people who harbor genuine hatred
toward believers in Christ. There's a big difference between debating
differences in interpretation of Scripture and holding someone up to be
harassed and belittled.)
So stay strong when you face people who mock without mercy. The people
who go out of their way to persecute, harass or smear you and then turn
around tell people you're crying about persecution that doesn't exist.
The Bible says you'll face trouble...(i.e. John 16:33 (NIV)):
"
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In
this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the
world.""
Just turn them over to God and let Him handle everything. Forgive and
take heart that our savior has overcome anything you will see in your
days.
