“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes”

Romans 1:16

We are living in a very divided time.  It seems like whatever belief you have, it is either going to be applauded by one group or condemned by the other.  The enemy is thriving in our current time because he’s stirred up enough confusion and anger amongst the people on earth, that he now just gets to sit back in a long chair watching it all unravel.  We are doing the hard work for him.  Rather than searching God and seeking His truth, people would rather make idols out of their temporary gratifying things on earth and find fulfillment there.  It’s a brilliant tactic.  More focus on differences, division, confusion, and frustrations amongst each other and less focus on the things that really matter; your salvation and eternity with Jesus.  

But here’s the thing, if you choose to follow Jesus Christ… you are choosing to live life differently from the world and you have to come to peace with that.  You’re not going to be liked more for following Jesus and will in fact face more opposition.  This doesn’t mean we aren’t going to have doubts and confusion that pop up… it doesn’t mean that we suddenly lose fear of man, but it does mean that when doubts and confusion do arise, we must not turn towards other things.  This takes being intentional and being alert of the lies that may be forming in your own mind.  It’s easy to start conforming to the world and not even realizing it.  It seems like in our current age, even Christians can’t agree on core Biblical principles that are laid out within the Bible. You know what I love though? God’s word prepares us for this, God’s word already tells us that this will happen and tells us what to do when (not if) this happens.  

One instance of this happening is when Paul writes a letter to the Churches of Galatia, who were divided and arguing amongst each other about the law.  Paul starts off his letter by saying “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- which is really no gospel at all.  Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” Galatians 1: 6-7  We know that all scripture is used for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training (2 Timothy 3:16)… so we can be prepared that some people will in fact throw us into confusion and alter the gospel from its original context to fit their narrative.  Paul then goes on to say “Am I trying to win human approval, or God’s approval?  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  The world is so focused on trying to appease one another, rather than serving and honoring God.  People will try to throw you into confusion by making you question your core beliefs and morals, simply to fit the narrative of the world’s beliefs and standards. Stand firm, by faith. It is by that very faith that rather than trying to please one another, we can instead encourage one another by the encouragement we receive from Christ.  Instead “let us draw near to god with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”  Hebrews 10:22-25  Let this be a reminder to us, the Day, capital “d”, is approaching, meaning the Day that Jesus will return.  This is why we are to encourage one another even more.  We are not only told to encourage one another, but to draw near to God and his promises, hold unswervingly (not changing, remaining constant or steady) to the hope he’s promised us, even when the world tries to make us think otherwise.  Don’t be misled, encouraging one another doesn’t equate to agreeing with one another.  If someone is living in sin, encouraging them doesn’t mean agreeing with that sin, but instead speaking truth over that sin.  God’s grace doesn’t give us a hall pass to continue walking in sin.  Loving one another means that we are to love in both grace and truth, which means we must not encourage others to keep living in sin, just because the world approves of it.  We are to “speak truth in love.” Ephesians 5:15.  While the times of this world seem crazier than ever, we are to go back to the roots of our faith and focus on the promises that God has made to us.  By faith, we can remain rooted in God’s truth and hold unswervingly to the hope of Jesus, despite the division in the world.                                                          

I don’t mean to come off harsh, but salvation is too urgent to live a lukewarm Christian life.  The author of Hebrews reminds us that the Day is coming… and that was written almost 2,000 years ago.  How much closer are we to that Day now?  This is why it is so important that we persevere, even when people may question your belief in Jesus and the truths of the Bible.  “Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.  Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.  You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you know that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.  So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.  For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.”” Hebrews 10:32-37 While, yes- many of us are not physically being persecuted against for our belief in Jesus, we are being mentally and emotionally broken down for it.  Many of us are being insulted and coming into conflict with others for holding firm to the truths of the Bible and not the ways of the world.  We are reminded though, to not throw away our confidence and to persevere, by faith.  Brothers and sisters, we need to be on guard more than ever.  We are in a time when God’s word is being manipulated to fit the mold of “acceptance of the world” and it’s a very tricky thing.  When you start to bend God’s word to fit into the mold of the world, you start to compromise your relationship with God. “His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.” 2 Peter 3:16 We cannot manipulate God’s word to keep living however it is we want to live. The Bible is not meant to be cherry picked, but instead meant to bear fruit in each of our lives and live by that very fruit.  Again, “all scripture (not some, but all scripture) is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that all God’s people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16  So let us not cherry pick what we want to obey and not obey in God’s word.  

We need to persevere in our Christian walk because “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” 2 Timothy 3:12-13 Guys, this is Biblical.  Almost 2,000 years ago, Paul is telling us that in living for God, we are going to be persecuted against.  Persecution for Christ is inevitable.  “But, as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:14-15 So in remaining rooted in the Biblical truths God set forth for us, we can be confident that those very biblical truths which we are holding firm to, will be the very thing we get persecuted for.  The world is deceived, just like you and I once were before we found Christ, so we must endure through the confusion and manipulation the world is throwing at us.  Again, this is biblical. 

Paul finishes his letter to Timothy by saying “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage- with great patience and careful instruction. For a time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of the evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4: 2-5 Does any of this sound familiar?  A time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine… a text that has been around for thousands of years and has proven accurate by hundreds upon hundreds of prophecies that have already been fulfilled. Yet, people will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, people are unintentionally doing the work of the enemy and trying to throw you off. This is why it is so important that we keep our eyes on Jesus, even when the noise from the world gets loud.  We are not living for ourselves, but instead living for Christ and he will help us keep our head in all situations. You must persevere, by faith.  You must hold strong to the doctrine in which God has entrusted us with.  And when we do, we can confidently say “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8