For Right not Wrong
Here is something aimed directly at Christians. The apostle Peter wrote,
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.
But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.
However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 1 Peter 4:12-16.
At the risk of sounding controversial I need to make it clear here that what Peter is saying is, if we are going to suffer let us suffer for our faith. Let us suffer for our beliefs. Not for breaking a secular law that does not affect the way we can worship and conduct our faith.
As I said in one blog sometimes simply being a Christian can have us thrown in prison, beaten even killed. Some governments in the world for whatever reasons do not tolerate Christians. They jail, even execute them for their faith.
This happened in Roman times. Many Christians were murdered because of what they believed. They among other things, would not bow down and worship the Roman emperor as a god. In some cases they simply died because Christianity was not an official religion of the Roman empire.
Here in North America there are those who say they are suffering for their faith but are not. They are under the misconception that America at least is a Christian nation. America is not nor is any nation in the world Christian.
Throughout the years I’ve seen Christians standing protesting in front of abortion clinics. I’ve see those calling themselves Christians standing protesting against same sex marriages.
When they are arrested they claim they are being persecuted and arrested for their faith. They are not. They are breaking a secular civil law granted by an elected government. A law that does not restrict their right to worship, evangelize and conduct their faith as they wish.
As wrong as Christians may think abortion, and other things are, these things are they are still legal under the law of the country. They are as legal as the barbaric practices that went on in the amphitheatres and coliseums around the Roman empire that seen slaves, gladiator and even Christians put to death for sport. The list of what the Romans allowed in the time of Jesus and the apostles, that they would have disagreed with would fill a very large book. Yet Christians did not protest. Instead they knew the answer to the problem. The spreading of the gospel.
It worked! The glory that was the Roman empire is long gone along with its barbaric practices. Christians and Judaic morals and teachings have permeated the very fabric of western society as we know it today. All done without raising a placard in protest.
Jesus gave us the perfect plan to change the world around us. When he addressed his apostles,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.
If we claim to be Christians and if we must suffer let it be because we are taking the unadulterated gospel message to the world around us and not for braking some secular law.
That is what the apostles did. It is what we should do.
Please think about it.
Here is something aimed directly at Christians. The apostle Peter wrote,
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.
But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.
However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 1 Peter 4:12-16.
At the risk of sounding controversial I need to make it clear here that what Peter is saying is, if we are going to suffer let us suffer for our faith. Let us suffer for our beliefs. Not for breaking a secular law that does not affect the way we can worship and conduct our faith.
As I said in one blog sometimes simply being a Christian can have us thrown in prison, beaten even killed. Some governments in the world for whatever reasons do not tolerate Christians. They jail, even execute them for their faith.
This happened in Roman times. Many Christians were murdered because of what they believed. They among other things, would not bow down and worship the Roman emperor as a god. In some cases they simply died because Christianity was not an official religion of the Roman empire.
Here in North America there are those who say they are suffering for their faith but are not. They are under the misconception that America at least is a Christian nation. America is not nor is any nation in the world Christian.
Throughout the years I’ve seen Christians standing protesting in front of abortion clinics. I’ve see those calling themselves Christians standing protesting against same sex marriages.
When they are arrested they claim they are being persecuted and arrested for their faith. They are not. They are breaking a secular civil law granted by an elected government. A law that does not restrict their right to worship, evangelize and conduct their faith as they wish.
As wrong as Christians may think abortion, and other things are, these things are they are still legal under the law of the country. They are as legal as the barbaric practices that went on in the amphitheatres and coliseums around the Roman empire that seen slaves, gladiator and even Christians put to death for sport. The list of what the Romans allowed in the time of Jesus and the apostles, that they would have disagreed with would fill a very large book. Yet Christians did not protest. Instead they knew the answer to the problem. The spreading of the gospel.
It worked! The glory that was the Roman empire is long gone along with its barbaric practices. Christians and Judaic morals and teachings have permeated the very fabric of western society as we know it today. All done without raising a placard in protest.
Jesus gave us the perfect plan to change the world around us. When he addressed his apostles,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.
If we claim to be Christians and if we must suffer let it be because we are taking the unadulterated gospel message to the world around us and not for braking some secular law.
That is what the apostles did. It is what we should do.
Please think about it.
