| Author: Mike Wendland |
Much of today's religions system, call it what you will - New Age, cults, modernism, liberation theology, relativism, whatever - but much of what even passes for religion today is false religion..
There are many, many pastors in mainstream Christian denominations that say Jesus is just ONE WAY of getting to heaven, that maybe there was no such thing as the virgin birth, that social action is more important that personal evangelism, that homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle, that the Bible is just a sort of Miss Manners of Emily Post guidebook rather than the inspired word of God. That is wrong. That is sinful. That is OF THE WORLD and that kind of religion will attack you and fight you every step of the way if it even suspects you hold opposite views.
That's why Jesus, over and over and over again, tells us to hear his words and keep his commands. Where do we find his words and commands? In the Bible. He knew that the warped religious system that put him to death in his day will be just as antagonistic towards his followers as they were to him.
And so we see the lesson is as true for us today as it was in the past. Whenever someone stands with Jesus Christ, he stands against the world. And the world will come down on those who hol;d to the way, the truth and the life.
Jesus was the most narrowminded man who ever lived. Wrong is wrong. Period. He never compromised with sin. Never. He exposed sin everytime he came up against it and the world refused to hear him. They attacked him.
The world hates the truth. It hates it. That's one reason the truth of the Passionthe horrible suffering Chriust enduredis being so lambasted in the media today.
Have you experienced something like that, rejection, ridicule, persecution because you are a Christian and act like a Christian?
If you haven't maybe it's because nobody can tell you're a Christian.
Do you keep your faith a secret, something you share only on Sunday mornings? Hey, it is definitely uncool to be a Christian, a real Christian, in our world, our society.
The world can't give you what you want. It can give you money. It can give you sensual pleasures. It can give you praise. But not enough. You always want more. That's the way the system works, the world wants you to always be trying to buy your way into its graces.
The only happiness comes from knowing Christ. That's real fulfillment. And if there's anything the world hates to see is someone who is really fulfilled in Christ. Because then the world loses its hold on you. Who is the ruler of the world? The Bible makes it clear in 1 John 5:19. Satan. This is the devil's world. He controls it.
And when a Christian lives a life powered by the Holy Spirit and content in Christ, this kind of real life testimony gets attention. Other people start to say, hey, what's with this guy? What's he got that I don't? For Satan, those are dangerous questions. So you need to be shortcircuited. Derailed. You need to be squashed, discredited.
Sorry, Christians but you've got a big "X" on your back.
And Jesus tells us, warns us, that we will face hostility and prejudice and opposition by the world because we are his. It isn't fair. But that's the way it is |
Author Bio:
The author is a pastor at a large Bible-beieving church in the Midwest and the publisher of the Online Christian Shopper (www.onlinechristianshopper.com), a popular shopping site specializing in uniquely-designed Christian T-Shirts and jewelry items. |
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