Jacob - The Christian Blogger

Cancel Culture vs the Gospel

by JacobSeptember 23, 2023September 23, 2023Christian Living

The first time I remember seeing something like “cancel culture” was when I was in middle school.

I grew up in Missouri, and back in 2012, a man named Todd Akin ran for senate. Akin was a socially-conservative Republican seen as a viable challenger to incumbent Missouri senator Claire McCaskill, a centrist Democrat. I remember Akin doing quite well in the polls until he made a comment during an interview about “legitimate rape.”

Well you know, people always want to try to make that as one of those things, well how do you, how do you slice this particularly tough sort of ethical question. First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.
– Todd Akin, quotation via Wikipedia

In the days and weeks that followed, all anyone could talk about was Akin’s comment about “legitimate rape.” News channels, radio broadcasts, and websites ran virtually wall-to-wall analyses of the interview, the vast majority of them negative. Political attack ads proliferated.

One of my friends (probably 13 or 14 years old at the time) even said something like, “I used to like Todd Akin, but now I support Claire McCaskill.”

The enormous backlash that followed this interview completely torpedoed Akin’s campaign, and he ended up receiving less than 40% of the vote in a state that largely embraced (and still embraces) traditional values. And when Akin died in 2021, many news outlets ran a headline stating, “Ex-U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, sunk by ‘legitimate rape’ remark, dies.”

Not only did Akin’s comments doom his political aspirations over 10 years ago, they left a permanent stain on his reputation that has outlived the man himself. No amount of apologies (and he made lots of them) could atone for the grave sin he committed when he uttered a single phrase: legitimate rape.

He was cast out. Judged with finality. Made irrelevant.

He was cancelled.

The Spirit of Cancel Culture

As I mentioned earlier, I grew up in Missouri. I went to a small school and graduated with a class of around 70 students.

In that small school, reputation was everything.

I remember that everyone had things they were “known for.” One of my classmates, for example, liked to wear his jeans pulled up to his belly-button. People denounced him as “gay” and didn’t like to associate with him (even though he wasn’t really gay at all). He was an outcast. They dared not try to actually get to know him.

In middle school, another one of my classmates did something that was mistaken by other students as something entirely different, and the rumors started spreading like wildfire. This classmate became an instant pariah. He was bullied, excluded, and eventually ended up moving schools a year or two later. All for one action he supposedly committed — but didn’t really do.

There are other examples I won’t go into. But the point I’m trying to make is this: in an environment like that, your entire reputation – that is, how people see you, interact with you, and relate to you – could literally hinge on one single event.

Do something that others don’t like, and you’ll be shut out.

Yes, they will slam the door on you. People will stop inviting you to things. They’ll quit talking to you and they’ll quit sitting by you at lunch. You’ll be frozen out of the social ecosystem, and nothing you say or do will get you back in.

That was sort-of the environment in the school I went to growing up.

This is also the “spirit” behind cancel culture.

In today’s world (I’m talking about in the United States in particular), there’s a very strong sense of being “in or out.”

Say the right things, do the right things, act the right way, and you’re “in.” People will support you and say good things about you and listen to you. But the moment you do something that runs counter to the grain of the culture, people will turn on you.

That is what is meant by ‘cancel culture.’

They’ll blast you on social media, news sites will say horrible things about you, and your reputation will plummet. When someone (typically a high-profile person, such as an athlete, artist, or politician) crosses the line, there’s an initial shockwave of fire and rage.

But then comes the ice.

People stop paying attention to you. They automatically disregard what you say or do. They ignore your attempts to get back into the good graces of society. You’re forever branded by the one thing you said or did that was “wrong” — even though you may have since said and done a hundred thousand things that were “right.” Whenever your face appears on the screen or your name flashes across their social media feed, they automatically write you off as discredited and out of favor.

They cancel you.

Just like the dog-eat-dog social world of middle school, today’s broad American culture seems to be all about who said what and who did what. And if you say or do something wrong – whether it’s truly wrong or just wrong in the sight of the people as a whole – you’ll be treated like an outcast at a small school: iced out, excluded, and remembered permanently for that one slip-up.

This is the spirit of cancel culture.

Commit a single sin – a compromising photo from 30 years ago, an poorly-worded remark, a Freudian slip – and it’s over. You’re condemned. And there’s no way to be forgiven.

You’re just done.

Maybe I am overstating or oversimplifying things, and it’s worth noting that everyone seems to have a different view of what exactly constitutes “cancel culture.” But from my point of view, cancel culture is basically middle school social behavior applied to broader culture. It’s petty, fickle, childish, and leaves no room for disagreement, healthy debate, or forgiveness.

You’re either in or out.

Fortunately, we as Christians have a powerful antidote to this toxic aspect of society.

The Gospel Opposes Cancel Culture

Consider the central message of the Gospel. I think Paul in 1 Timothy 1:15 sums this up rather nicely:

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
1 Timothy 1:15, ESV [emphasis mine]

Indeed, the core message of the Gospel – or “good news” – is that Christ came to save sinners. Without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, there is no hope for anyone. For we are all sinners, and we have all fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23).

That is the kicker. Mankind, you see, has been on a streak of rebellion against God ever since Adam and Eve fell into sin in the Garden of Eden. Every time you and I sin – when we tell a lie, act selfishly, give into lust, and so much more – we are rebelling against God.

Don’t you think that rebellion against the Creator of all things (you and me included) deserves punishment? Doesn’t that, of all things, make one deserving of being ‘cancelled?’

When I look at cancel culture, I see a vindictive system of punishment. Sure, sometimes people say and do things that really do deserve our righteous anger. I am not excusing their behavior. If someone makes racist statements, that’s wrong. There’s no getting around it. If someone is having an affair or abusing women (or men) in any way, that’s flat out wrong.

Again, no way around it.

But what does cancel culture tell us to do when someone says or does something wrong – either actually wrong or just perceived as wrong?

Flame the person, ice them out, and force them out of relevancy.

And no matter what they say or do, don’t let them back in.

Once you fall from grace, you are beyond hope of redemption.

This is the message of cancel culture. You cannot be redeemed. One sin, and you’re out. There’s no forgiveness, only consequences.

But what of the Gospel? The Gospel gives us the opposite message. It opposes cancel culture.

The Gospel tells us that, because of Christ’s sacrifice, if we are willing to come to Him and cast our faith upon Him, God will forgive us and cleanse us of any and all sins (1 John 1:9). What a breath of fresh air!

You see, you can be a murderer. You can be a rapist. You could even be guilty of crimes against humanity. You could be a far, far worse person than anyone who has ever been “canceled.” But if you will only turn to Jesus and depend on Him for your salvation, He delivers you and forgives you.

And Christ also commands us as believers to be forgivers as well.

Again, this directly opposes the harsh and vindictive attitude of cancel culture. Cancel culture says there is no forgiveness for sins. And it thrives off of – nay, is even built upon – the unwillingness of the masses to even consider forgiving people for their transgressions.

Yet the Gospel tells us that we ought to be forgivers. We ought to be forgivers of others, and we also ought to be people defined by love towards those who wrong us. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ says “I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44, ESV).”

Does ‘love your enemies’ sound like cancel culture? Does cancel culture tell you to ‘pray for those who persecute you?’ Does cancel culture tell you to forgive those who have wronged you?

I rest my case.

Cancel culture is about revenge, hatred, and judgement.

The Gospel is about forgiveness, love, and mercy.

The two could not be further apart. And in the end, the Gospel – not cancel culture – will prevail.

Our Hope

In the end, I suppose cancel culture and the Gospel represent two distinct paths.

Cancel culture offers no hope. It is all judgment and no mercy. It is powerfully toxic.

Yet the Gospel offers all the hope in the world. It is the application of mercy where there should be judgment. It is powerfully life-giving.

We are beings made in God’s image, and we are fundamentally meant to live in relationship with God. That means we’re fundamentally meant to be forgivers and practitioners of mercy. I’m not saying that sin doesn’t get in the way (and get in the way a lot), but the healthiest thing we can do is live out the truths contained in the Gospel.

If you want true joy, you won’t get that by shaming others and “canceling” people. You’ll get it by lending mercy.

If you want true happiness, you won’t get it by hating others for something they said or did in the past, even if it’s something that you feel personally attacked by. You’ll get happiness by forgiving the person for what they’ve done.

If you want true life, look to Christ as the source of your life and your strength. Don’t look to the so-called “might” of the culture to stamp out people who cross the metaphorical line.

There is no life in hatred. And there is no place for hatred in a well-lived life.

Live your life to God’s glory and abide in the truths of the Gospel. Don’t be shackled to the chains of cancel culture which may reward you momentarily but leave you – and the rest of society – more broken than before.

True life is found only in Christ. Run to Him!

Do You Live Like God Isn’t Real?

by JacobDecember 24, 2022December 24, 2022Christian Living

I started going to church at the age of 16. During my time as a teenager, I heard dozens of sermons. I must confess that I don’t remember too many of them in particular. But one thing that does stand out to me in special clarity is a story my pastor relayed of a time shortly after he got married.

The pastor stood at the pulpit and drifted to a scene that had taken place early in his married life. He and his wife had gotten into a discussion shortly after he had done something upsetting. She said to him, “You live as though God doesn’t exist.”

Now, I don’t remember what the sermon was over that day. I don’t remember what the Bible passage was or what was preached.

But I do remember that quote.

My pastor, whom I viewed as one who had always been Godly and mature, had just given an account of when his wife called him out for acting as though God isn’t even real. He had even been in full-time ministry at the time. And it made me think.

It still makes me think.

It makes me think because, all too often, I catch myself living as though God were not real. I make decisions without consulting Him. I say things that oppose His heart. I believe things He wouldn’t want a person to believe. I find myself being faithless.

When I look into my heart, I often see a garden full of thistles and weeds – full of selfish desires, of anger, and of ungodliness.

‘My God has a lot of work to do, doesn’t He?’ I say to myself.

In these moments, I am tempted to despair and to give up hope. How can God use me for His work when I fail Him so frequently? How can He even love me? I search my own heart and find that I would lack the patience and the love to put up with such behavior.

If it were not for God, I would be left in my misery.

But it is also in these moments when I am reminded of who God is. I am gently reminded that the God I serve is far greater, far stronger, and far more powerful than my ability to live as though He’s not there.

In 2 Timothy 2:11-13, we read:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
  if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
  if we are faithless, he remains faithful—

for he cannot deny himself.

Read that again.

When we fall short – and we will fall short, make no mistake – we can draw encouragement from this passage. When we catch ourselves living as though God isn’t real, or as though He doesn’t really care and won’t really do what He says He will do, we can look to that last section of the passage.

When we catch ourselves being faithless, we can take counsel here.

‘…If we are faithless, he remains faithful – for he cannot deny himself.‘

Just look at the pattern we see.

A — “If we have died with Him… we will also live with Him.”

B — “If we endure… we will reign with Him.”

C — “If we deny Him… He will deny us.”

D — “If we are faithless… He is faithful.”

Throughout this entire block of scripture, we see a pattern.

If we do good, something good will come. If we do bad, something bad will come. You can see that in lines A, B, and C. In A and B, the doing of good results in the receiving of good. In C, the doing of bad (denying Jesus) results in the receiving of bad (being denied by Jesus).

But what about in D? What if we are faithless?

We would expect that Jesus would also be faithless, based upon the pattern. But that’s not what we see.

Instead, we see that Christ remains faithful in spite of our faithlessness. Why? Because he cannot deny Himself.

Wow.

Even in our darkest moments – our times of faithlessness and wandering – Christ stands faithful. He is steadfast. He is above and beyond our ability to hinder Him. As Jesus said in Luke 19:40, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

In other words, Christ will bring about His will and His Kingdom in spite of our failure.

Do you ever catch yourself praying and longing after Christ, yet still falling prey to sin? Do you ever catch yourself praying fervently one hour, then living as though God isn’t there the next?

I know I do.

There are times when I let the world take over, when I let my own desires run the show. I get uptight, overwhelmed, feeling as though I must do it all, for everything rests on my shoulders. I lose sight of God as the clouds of life roll in.

But then I am reminded – gently, sweetly, and firmly – that the Lord is in control. And it’s ultimately up to Him. Far from letting me drift in my sin comfortably, this gentle reminder brings me back to Him.

As Paul Washer is fond of saying, ‘There are no great men of God. There are only weak and pitiful men of a great and merciful God.’

You see, all the goodness we have comes from God. We have nothing good apart from Him. Every good and perfect gift comes down from Him. The very fact that you’re alive and breathing is a testament to His mercy and His power.

You cannot do anything apart from Him.

And be rest assured, dear reader, that it is only because of God’s direct intervention that we can build His Kingdom. Nobody goes out and singlehandedly builds God’s Kingdom. No one is a spiritual superman or superwoman. No one has it all.

Every man and woman you see that serves God is serving Him because of His power – not theirs.

Every time you see Christ shine through someone, it’s because He is bright enough to blast through the clouds of their fallenness – not because they are just “such good Christians.”

When we are unfaithful to Him – when we forget Him, when the cares of the world sweep over our lives like the tide sweeps over a beach – He remains faithful. He must remain faithful. He is unmoving and unwavering.

So be assured, dear reader, that our God is real. He is more real than the world you see around you, and in the end, only His will and His power will count.

He is more than enough to overcome your weakness. He is more than enough to smash down the stronghold of your sin and bring you into fellowship with Him.

Jesus will bear you on, and He will see to it that His good work in you is brought forth to completion.

Tagged : Bible / Faith / Faithful / God / Grace / Jesus Christ / Mercy / Scripture

An Observation on Sin

by JacobNovember 13, 2022November 13, 2022Uncategorized

Sin is – and always has been – a major topic in Christian theology. In fact, sin is the reason why Jesus had to come and give His life. Sin is what nailed Him to the cross. And sin is what consigns a person to an eternity of punishment, unless he turns to Christ to be saved.

Sin plays a central role in the lives of human beings.

Every human being is touched by sin, and the entire world – all of the seas, landmasses, trees, animals, and plants – lives on in an imperfect and fallen state brought about by the sin of Adam and Eve. Sin forms a motif, a repeating theme, which weaves its dark and calamitous music throughout the threads of time. It is present everywhere you look. Read the pages of history, and you’re reading an account which involves sin. Look at the headlines on the newspaper, and you can bet that sin is involved somehow.

So far as we are concerned, sin is an inevitable part of the world, though it is vitally important to remember that followers of Christ are set free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). Sin permeates the world, but Christ is able to overcome sin, and He delivers those who follow Him from sin. That doesn’t mean that Christ followers can attain sinless perfection in this life, but it does mean that Christ fundamentally transforms the relationship of His followers with their sin.

But this reading isn’t intended to fully explore the role of sin in a Christian’s life – though maybe I’ll write a post on that sometime in the future. Instead, I just want to offer a simple observation on sin.

What is Sin, Really?

Sin gets talked about often. But what is it?

The most straightforward definition of sin would be this: sin is anything that displeases or disobeys God. To put it Biblically, we can say that sin is anything that does not originate from faith in God (Romans 14:23). Sin is also a ‘falling short’ of God’s glory (Romans 3:23).

So sin can be anything. It doesn’t have to be the act of stealing, intentionally hurting someone, lying, or cheating. Sin can be simply wanting things your way. It can be laziness, gossip, or any other form of selfishness. It can be a casual disregarding of an important task. Even decisions that look ‘Godly’ on the surface – if not made in faith – can be sin.

Sin is what happens when we don’t measure up to God’s standard.

Perhaps this is why, in Isaiah 64:6, it is written “…all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” Even so-called “righteous” acts – giving money, giving up your time, or helping others – are polluted if they do not come from a place of faith in the Lord. Does this mean that these are bad things? No. But it does mean that, unless coming from faith, these things too are ‘polluted garments’ – or, in other words, still sin.

Indeed, sin doesn’t have to ‘look like’ sin. It can be anywhere and everywhere. It can take virtually any form. Once again, sin is a ‘falling short’ of God’s glory. And we fall short – yes, even Christians – of this lofty goal all the time.

But if we peel back the layers a bit further, I think we can make another observation about sin.

In addition to being a failure to measure up to God’s standards, sin is also often a twisting – a deviation, or perversion, if you will – of what God has declared good.

Think about it.

What is the most famous sin in the Bible? While this is a rather subjective question, I think that infamous title may well go to the sin that started it all: the sin of Adam and Eve.

Sin: a Twisting of What is Good

In addition to being a failure to measure up to God’s standards, sin is also often a twisting – a deviation, or perversion, if you will – of what God has declared good.

In Genesis 2, God laid boundaries. He said (speaking to Adam), “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. (Genesis 2:16-17, ESV)”

In other words, God told Adam that he could have anything he wanted from the garden, but he could not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Why? Because eating from that tree would certainly result in Adam’s death. Clearly, God deemed the act of eating from trees in the garden to be a good thing – after all, He permitted it. But God set a boundary and said, “It is NOT good that you would eat from this one particular tree.”

God was implicitly declaring that eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a twisting of a good thing. It was a falling short of His design and His standard. And for Adam to fall short of this design would be to bring death upon himself.

Now, as we all know, Adam and Even wouldn’t stay sin-free for very long.

In Genesis 3, the serpent (whom most scholars agree to be Satan) deceived Adam and Eve into eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Listen to the serpent’s words:

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:1-6, ESV)

Note: the serpent’s (Satan’s) lines are bolded for emphasis and ease of reading.

Not only was this the first sin, but it was also the first temptation. Something deep within Eve (and Adam, for that matter) wanted to eat of the forbidden tree. God declared something off-limits, and when Satan showed up, the first thing he did was speak to this dark desire within Adam and Eve’s hearts. There was a desire to disobey God, and to turn a good thing – eating fruit from a tree – into a sinful thing (disobeying God’s directives).

In other words, this was a twisting of good.

Most of us know what happened after Adam and Eve ate of the tree. God came into the garden, pronounced curses on Adam, Eve, and the serpent, and then fashioned clothing for Adam and Eve before sending them out of the Garden of Eden.

Adam and Eve took a good thing – eating fruit – and then twisted this good thing into a disobedience of God. It wasn’t the act of eating that condemned them; it was the act of going against God’s design.

How This Plays Out in Our Lives

You can think of sin as a deviation (or twisting away) from God’s design. God creates a good thing, but then the lies of Satan and of the fallen world come into play and twist our behavior into sin.

Have you ever heard a saying that goes something like, “The most dangerous lie is the one that is closest to truth?” Take a moment to ponder this statement. A good liar is skilled at infusing truth with falsehood, balancing the two in such a way that even those with good judgement might be fooled.

In the same way, some of the most dangerous sins are those which do not at first reckoning appear to be sin. Or, at the very least, they may “fly under the radar” so as to be paid little attention to.

For example, much is made today in the Christian community of the sin of lust. And rightly so – lust is a potent sin with the potential to wreck lives and destroy testimonies. We rightly identify lust as a sin that must be run away from. It must be fled from. Lust is a twisting of God’s design for sexuality, and it leads to ruin.

But what about the sin of idleness? Or the sin of self-righteousness? These sins are talked about occasionally, but not as frequently or severely as those of lust or outright hatred. They are certainly not as warned against as the more “grievous” sins.

Yet these sins too damage lives and damage testimonies.

Perhaps worst of all, they can – and do – damage our relationship with the Lord. Sin is still sin, and the consequence of all sin is brokenness. Think back to our earlier example of the fall of Adam and Eve. The simple sin of eating from a tree which God placed off-limits was enough to poison countless billions of human beings with sin. The sacrifice of Christ was necessary because Adam and Eve disobeyed God.

One sin would have prompted the need for Christ’s atonement. One sin – whether the sin of murder or that of telling a simple white lie – is enough to mark a person for God’s condemnation, and thus put him or her in need of the sacrifice of Jesus.

Sin swims about in all forms in this world, and we must be wary of all of it. From the most grievous and public sins to the most hidden and “light” sins, Christians are called to live crucified lives and to take up their crosses daily (Luke 9:23). Some of the most difficult to spot and difficult to deal with sins are those which are a simple twisting of a good thing.

Wrapping Up

Christians are called to walk in the light, as we read in 1 John 1:7. To walk in the light requires a holding fast to Jesus Christ, a clinging to Him and a fleeing from sin. It requires a rejection of counterfeit things and an embrace of God’s way of life.

Indeed, God has a design for all things. He has a design for our relationships, our words, our lifestyle, and the way we conduct ourselves. And the only way to truly live in His design is to lay down everything we are to follow Jesus.

Apart from submission to the Lord, we will embrace a twisted version of what God has declared good. If we do not walk with Him in fellowship, we will not follow Him with our lives.

Practically speaking, what does this look like?

Avoid Sin by Reading God’s Word

First and foremost, if we want to embrace God’s design (rather than chase the counterfeits of this world), we will need to read His Word regularly. The Scriptures provide the mind and counsel of God, and we must anchor ourselves there. In 1 John 4, we read, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1, ESV).”

This passage was written to a group of early Christians struggling with false teachers who preached a distorted Gospel. The Gospel they preached was a derivation, a falling short, of the true Gospel.

In the same way, sin is a distortion of God’s design. So how should we keep ourselves from it? We must test our hearts and our desires with the standards of Scripture. Only by focusing our lives through the lens of God’s Word can we expect to live in a way that is pleasing to Him.

Avoid Sin by Being in Community

In addition to saturating ourselves in the words of Scripture, we ought to also surround ourselves with Godly community. Throughout the New Testament, God’s people are likened to sheep and spoken of as a “flock.” When one of the sheep wonders off, it is in great danger. Sheep outside the flock and removed from the protection of the shepherd are extremely vulnerable to attacks and accidents.

Similarly, Christians who aren’t participating in Godly community find themselves especially vulnerable to sin. This is especially true for those who aren’t only outside of community, but outside the care of a ‘shepherd.’

As Christians, we’re all under the care of Jesus, but God also places earthly ‘under shepherds’ – that is, pastors and elders – to care for us and disciple us. These people are placed in our lives to guide, teach, and oversee our spiritual development. They are there to instruct is in the way of God, to encourage us in doing good, and to bring it to our attention when we sin.

Living within the confines of Christ-loving community helps a person to walk ‘in the light’ and to avoid falling for the counterfeit goods of the world.

Avoid Sin by Being in Prayer

Finally, it is vitally important for a Christian to be in prayer. Prayer is our direct line to God.

I once heard someone say, “Nobody has a direct phone line to the Almighty.” That is simply not true. We can’t talk to God as we would to a person on the telephone, but we do have the ability to communicate directly with Him in prayer. Each and every one of us can intimately connect with the Lord right now, if we turn to Him in heartfelt prayer.

Martin Luther, the famous 16th century theologian who sparked the Protestant Reformation, is believed to have once said, “If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day.” As you can see, prayer is of great importance in our fight against sin and our fight for God’s best.

While you probably don’t need to spend two hours each morning in prayer, you do need to be praying regularly. Scripture tells us to “Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).” Scripture tells us to make prayer the pattern of our life, not just the last resort when things are going south. Christians who spend much time in regular prayer are more joyful and more holy than those who don’t.

Avoid Sin by Focusing on What is Better

As I bring this to a close, I want to make one final observation: that it is worth it to pursue God’s design and to resist sin. As a sinner of 23 years, I understand that the world is tempting. There are things that you want to do that you know are wrong. There are moments spent sweating as you resist the temptation to do things.

When I was in college, I saw people often walking around with shirts on that said “Worth it.” While I don’t know exactly what the meaning of these shirts was, I think I can make a pretty good guess. When someone had this shirt on, he or she basically implied, “I’m a good time. I’m worth it. You may feel shame and dirtiness about what you did with me tomorrow morning, but I assure you… it’s all worth it.”

But guess what? It isn’t worth it. Sin is never worth it. Sin will take you further than you want to go and keep you for longer than you ever wanted to stay. Sin – a twisting of God’s design, a counterfeit of good things – can never satisfy you. It pulls you in and entices you, but it is empty, and ultimately leads only to ruin.

I say these things because – if you’re reading this – I care about you. And I can tell you that sin robs you. It promises pleasure and riches, but robs you and leaves you poorer and more desperate than you were before. It says, “Worth it,” but ultimately kicks you to the curb.

With that in mind, I would submit to you that the costly way of Christ ultimately yields far more joy than the cheap way of sin. Submitting to Christ and saying “no” to yourself is costly – make no mistake. It requires sacrifice. It involves pain. Dying to yourself and your desires is rarely fun, if ever. But just as sin looks great but ends in ruin, sacrificing your life for Christ looks like ruin but brings abundant life.

In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus speaks about the “wide way of destruction” and the “narrow way leading to life.” To be sure, the road to destruction is easy. It’s wide, well-paved, and full of others living what they think to be their best life now. But the narrow way? It’s windy, rough, and thin. There aren’t as many travelers there. Yet in the end, that narrow way leads to life.

Today, I would simply like to end by saying this: yes, the narrow road – the road of self-denial and crucified living – is difficult. It’s painful. But in the end, it is the ultimate “Worth it.”

By choosing the goodness of God over the counterfeit goods of this world, you will be choosing a life of joy and riches in Christ. And in eternity, you will enjoy the fruits of your labors in a way that we cannot imagine so long as we dwell on this world.

God bless.

Tagged : Bible / Broad Way / Following Christ / Jesus / Narrow Way / Sin

Christian Persecution in America

by JacobSeptember 10, 2022September 10, 2022Christian Living

Christian Persecution is coming to America, though it may take a different form than you’d expect. With this in mind, how are we to live as followers of Christ?

By many standards, American Christians have easy lives.

American Christians do not live beneath the dictatorship of Kim Jong-un. They are not at risk of being thrown into labor camps or executed for their faith.

American Christians do not live in the tumultuous country of Afghanistan, where the Taliban threaten to wipe out anyone who doesn’t conform to their ideals rooted in an aggressive strain of Islamic fundamentalism. In Afghanistan, Christians must be wary at all times, for anyone – a neighbor, a friend, an acquaintance – might turn them over to their enemies.

American Christians do not live under the harsh oppression of Somalia, which is dominated by conflict and by hatred of non-Muslims. In Somalia, there is no such thing as a ‘safe place’ for those who follow Christ. Every day brings the potential of imprisonment or even execution for these Believers.

Truly, American Christians have it better than many other Christians.

In the United States, a follower of Jesus is free to go to church, attend Bible study, and evangelize on the streets. A follower of Christ is free to talk with non-believing friends, family, and co-workers.

Christians can advertise their faith openly, and there are no laws on the books that prevent them from doing so, except in specific circumstances.

But is this changing?

I believe it is – at least in a way.

A Growing Hostility

200 years ago, the United States was a nation composed overwhelmingly of Christians.

Of course, not everyone lived out their faith. As is the case in all periods of time, from the time of Christ to the present, there were those who attended services on Sunday but did terrible things the other six days of the week. There were pretenders – and probably a great number of them.

But by and large, the United States of two centuries ago was a Christian culture. At least in name.

Life revolved around the church, and to not attend church was to be seen as an outsider or even a pariah.

Today, things have, well… changed.

According to a Gallup poll, the percentage of Americans who counted themselves members of a church, synagogue, or mosque fell below 50% for the first time in survey history in 2020.

According to a 2021 study done by Statista, only 22% of Americans attend church or synagogue services every week. In comparison, those who ‘seldom’ or ‘never’ attend make up a combined 56% of the American population. A majority.

Whereas church attendance was socially expected as recent as the early 1900s, the tables have since turned dramatically. Today, church attendance is seen by many as strange, outdated, or even a complete waste of time.

Why would someone go to church on Sunday? Don’t we only get 2 days a week off, anyway?

To those of us who follow Christ, these attitudes are not new. Even fifty years ago, one would have been able to feel the metaphorical turning of the tide. America’s shift away from Christianity has been long in the making, and a consistent drop in religiosity has been observed since the end of World War II.

But that drop-off has radically accelerated over the last 10-20 years.

In that same span of time, there has been a growing cultural hostility towards Christendom.

One particular pop-culture example that I can think of right off the top of my head occurs in the wildly-popular movie Avengers: Infinity War, where Peter Quill (aka “Starlord”) is asked, ‘What master do you serve?’

To which Quill sarcastically replies, ‘What am I supposed to say, Jesus?’

Quill’s retort – which is loaded with mockery – could be seen as a sort of dig towards Christianity. To use a contemporary buzzword, it is what we might term a “microaggression.”

But I digress.

Pop-cultural expressions of disdain towards Christians aside, direct opposition towards Christians has taken many other forms.

Today, it is not uncommon for those who use Facebook to see others – perhaps even those they consider friends – sharing overtly anti-Christian material. This has become especially prevalent since the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade, as some pro-choice advocates have directed intense hostility towards ‘conservative’ or ‘evangelical’ Christians.

Additionally, further pressures are arising in society that make it increasingly difficult for Christians to live easy lives.

For many Christians, co-workers or classmates are creating hostile environments where faith is mocked or even openly derided. For other Christians, required activities at work or school directly test their faith. To participate in some of these activities would be equivalent to allying with sin.

These things are becoming more common with time, and furthermore, the trend is accelerating. The America of today (September 2022) is far more hostile to Biblical Christianity than it was even ten years ago.

Truly, Christian persecution in America is on the rise. And with that being said, there are some things we must discuss.

A Qualifier: Christian Persecution in America is Still Mild

Some who read this article might immediately say, ‘Persecution? What are you talking about? American Christians have it easy. They are still privileged and protected.’

To that I will say the following: you are right.

When I write about Christian persecution in America, I am not likening said persecution to that dealt with by those in harsh Islamic regimes or at the hands of Marxist governments. As followers of Jesus, we still lead historically-easy lives.

But we are noticing a shift. There is a pattern change.

Instead of overt government persecution, American Christians are experiencing cultural hostility. Faith in Christ will not get an American killed, jailed, or even fined (at least not yet). Faith in Christ won’t get you formally blacklisted or forced underground, without friend or companion.

Compared to what many Christians in world history have had to deal with, we still have an easy road.

But the fact is that life is getting tougher for American Christians – and it’s only going to get tougher, not easier.

But such a difficult life need not be one filled only with heartache and pain.

Rather, it can also be a life lived to the glory of God in a way that might not otherwise be possible if persecution were not taking place.

The Blessing of Persecution

The New Testament was written to a persecuted church.

In the earliest days of the Christian Church, persecution came from both the Romans and the Jews. After all, Jesus was turned in by Jews and crucified by Romans. Following the death of Christ, the Church spent its earliest days in the crosshairs of hatred and violence from both the Pharisees and the Romans.

Consequently, persecution was a big topic in Scripture. In Matthew 5, Jesus said,

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:10)

Luke 6:26 has a slightly different take on this, as Christ says,

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. (Luke 6:22-23)

Later on in Luke 6, Jesus says,

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them." (Luke 6:27-31)

In Christ’s day as in our own, the natural human response to persecution was to either (1) run away, or (2) fight. How much more true is this when persecution runs deep – when it jeopardizes our lives or the lives of our loved ones?

I think we really need to stop and put the words of our Savior into context here.

In the decades following Christ’s death, Christians were slaughtered for their faith. I doubt that many Americans (unless they’ve been overseas to a persecuted nation) truly understand what this was like. There are men and women who literally had friends, spouses, children, and parents stolen from them and murdered… all because they confessed Jesus Christ as Lord.

Imagine if one of your loved ones was murdered simply because they followed Christ. How would that make you feel?

I’m sure the words ‘angry,’ ‘sad,’ or even ‘vengeful’ wouldn’t even begin to describe it.

We as American Christians get angry when an atheist reviles God on Facebook. And, perhaps, rightly so. But this is absolutely nothing in comparison to what the first Christians went through.

And yet, Jesus’ words spoke to them just as much as they speak to us.

Jesus called upon the first century Church to bless and pray for their persecutors.

Seriously?

Bless and pray for those who just drug your best friend off to prison? Bless and pray for those who got you fired from your job, reducing you to a beggar on the street? Bless and pray for those who had your sister killed, all because she refused to renounce Christ?

When we frame it this way, Christ’s words sound like insanity. It is one thing to say, “I will pray for that man who cursed at me because I mentioned Jesus to him.” It is quite another to say, “I will bless the person who killed my son for following Christ.”

Yet Jesus calls His people to radical kindness and radical obedience. And this obedience looks like the faithful and steadfast endurance of persecution, no matter how horrible that persecution gets.

Why?

Because hidden within persecution is blessing. The faithful endurance of persecution requires a total reliance upon the Lord. And total reliance upon the Lord brings us to a place where we are entirely at His disposal.

In a way, persecution is like fire. When it comes, much of what we are is burned up. But what remains is more valuable than gold or precious stones. What remains is like refined silver, purified for the glory of our God. When your faith is tested, God is refining you.

One of the things God is always trying to teach us is to love as He does.

Godly love looks totally different than the love we find in this world.

The love of the world is reciprocal. It is easy to love those who love you. In Luke 6:32, Jesus says, “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.“

If you love someone because she showed you kindness, you’re not showing any special form of love. If you love someone because he took you in and provided for you, you’re not showing the world anything it doesn’t already have.

But when you love someone – when you pray for them, bless them – despite their hostility and hatred of you, that’s when the love of God comes in. Because we are incapable of this apart from Him. This is the love that makes those in the world shake their heads in disbelief, in shock.

It is the love that, ultimately, often works as the way in which God reaches even the hardest of hearts.

Moving Forward in a World of Persecution

As this nation continues to shift in an increasingly un-Christian and even anti-Christian direction, persecution will only heat up. Barring a miracle – a widespread revival the likes of which have not been seen in decades or even centuries – our country will continue to sink into darkness.

People will grow more hostile.

Whereas today animosity towards Believers may be primarily channeled via social media and snarky comments, the persecution of tomorrow will be more overt. Some jobs and schools might make intrinsically anti-Christian activities mandatory. Some states will pass laws that regulate what can and cannot be preached from the pulpit.

Some localities might come close to banning the preaching of what we know as Biblical Christianity.

And all the while, a generation will rise up around us that is totally unfamiliar with the message of the Gospel. This will be a generation that has largely never seen the inside of a church, a generation that has no qualms about saying ‘I have no religion,’ when asked.

Already, this has begun. But it’s going to get a whole lot more intense.

This will be a generation that openly derides the Christian faith, treating the Bible as an outdated book of fables (at best), to an engine that justifies oppression (at worst).

So what is our role? What is our job as Christ followers? How are we to handle this?

1. Be Thankful

In all honesty, I see the coming environment of persecution as a good thing for the Church.

Historically, Christianity (and I mean true, Biblical Christianity – not watered-down cultural Christianity) has flourished under pressure.

When Christian persecution in America grows to a level where being a faithful Christian has real, life-altering consequences in society (i.e. loss of your job, fines, social exclusion, or school discipline), we will notice the death of “cultural Christianity.”

We will see the demise of the “nominal churchgoer:” the person who goes to church on Sunday, but doesn’t really care about the things of God.

What this will look like is a mass exodus, a mass falling-away. People will continue to leave the church in droves. Magazines and news outlets will report that Christianity is failing, and is soon to be a relic of the past practiced only by one in hundreds or even thousands.

Much will be made of the death of Christianity – a religion long suffering from illness, but now on its deathbed.

But all the while, God will still be at work.

In the heat of persecution, God will draw hearts to Him. He will work in ways we have not yet seen in this nation. As those of us who remain faithful to Him are forced into tighter corners, we will savor His truth more. We will cast ourselves upon Him more often.

For those that remain in His service – that is, the true Church – the era of American Christian persecution will be an era of both physical danger and spiritual blessedness. There will be a rich harvest of souls as we work in the hostile environment of the culture. We will get the opportunity to interact with people who have never been taught the Gospel. We will see converts come out of lives of sin and darkness.

As darkness abounds, light will shine all the brighter.

Just because persecution is coming – whatever form that persecution takes – doesn’t mean that God is somehow losing. Rather, He is refining His people. And He will continue to bring people into His service in miraculous ways.

Be thankful.

2. Be Prepared

In 2 Timothy 4, we read,

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." (2 Timothy 4:2-5)

2 Timothy, which was written by the Apostle Paul to Timothy, was an exhortation towards the younger evangelist. It was an exhortation for him to be ready for the service of Christ.

Although 2 Timothy was written by one man (Paul) to another (Timothy), there is much for us to take away.

You see, Timothy shared the Gospel in a far more difficult environment than what we have in the United States. In fact, he shared Christ in an environment far more hostile than any we are ever likely to face in the United States, at least in the foreseeable future.

And in this tough environment, Timothy needed to be ready.

He needed to be ready at all times to ‘reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.‘

In a similar manner, we are called to be ready at all times. As the metaphorical skies grow darker outside, our light will shine out all the more. But we need to be prepared.

We need to be prepared to lay down our lives in patient love and servitude. We need to be prepared to answer tough questions, confront tough realities, and give answers (even if the answer is, ‘I don’t know’) to those who are hurting and broken.

In 2 Timothy 4:5, we read, ‘As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.‘

To bear witness to Christ is to be involved in a work. It’s a job. It’s a calling. And it’s a more important calling than any other you may have on your life. We need to be ready to “do the work of an evangelist,” and to “fulfill our ministries.”

With this in mind, I would call on all of us – myself, my family, and anyone reading this article – to start preparing. Get in the Word. Get in prayer. Don’t neglect the things of God any longer. Spend time with Him, receiving His strength and His mercy.

We will need it in the days to come.

Be prepared.

3. Be Mournful

For all I’ve written about being thankful, I believe there is also a place for mourning as Christian persecution in America rises to ever-increasing heights.

Why should we mourn? And for who?

We should mourn for those around us who don’t know Christ. We should feel a burden for their souls. As hostility towards Christ and His followers intensifies, we would do well to remember that the worst effects of this hostility will fall not on us, but upon those who direct it towards us.

Those who are hostile to God, those who persecute His people, are those who are most to be pitied. Unless saved by God, they will spend a lifetime in hatred, before departing for an eternity of all-consuming punishment. These people will live miserable lives, scratching for anything they can find in the world that might bring them pleasure.

We see this today already.

Those who have the most worldly possessions are also often miserable. Those who seek after drugs and alcohol get wrapped up in lives of sickness, poverty, and crime. Those who hate Christ cannot find rest. They can self-medicate, they can distract themselves, and they can turn to the vices of the world to cope, but they cannot find rest.

This will only get worse with time.

As the world turns against God, the world will be digging itself into a hole. Misery will abound. The great lie of Satan is that God withholds good things, and that true pleasure and goodness is found by going around Him.

As the world buys the lies of Satan, its situation will only deteriorate – not improve.

This should burden us and sadden us. It should inspire us all the more to repent of our own sin and reach those who are sinking. We ought to have our hearts broken over the brokenness of the world, and over the disastrous effects of sin – both towards ourselves and towards those who don’t know God.

Be mournful.

Christian Persecution in America: a Conclusion

In John 16, Jesus says,

"Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:32-33)

Looking ahead to the future, we might be tempted to be either angry or fearful. We might be tempted towards anger at seeing the destruction of cherished traditions. We might be tempted towards anger at the thought of living in a world that hates us, and doesn’t hide that hatred. We might be tempted to be fearful of what may happen.

How bad will things get? Will the government ever outlaw Christianity? Will there come a time when I must choose between my job and my public profession of faith? What then?

These fears are rational, but I don’t think that God wants us to either bury them or dwell on them.

Instead, reflect on what Christ said in John 16: ‘…take heart; I have overcome the world.‘

Ultimately, our sense of security and worth comes from Jesus. This world will approach us with every manner of things. In the world there is temptation. Temptation pulls us to turn our backs on the Lord.

In the world is also hatred and vitriol. Such hatred pulls us to feel angry, powerless, and discouraged.

But Jesus Christ, our model in all things, dealt with everything we will ever deal with and more. Christ dealt with slander and accusations. He dealt with temptation. He dealt with being thrown in prison, wrongly convicted, and brutally murdered.

And even after His resurrection, Christ has been present with His Church throughout centuries upon centuries of persecution, hatred, slander, and slaughter.

But His words remain the same: ‘Take heart; I have overcome the world.’

Does this mean that we are immune from the things of this world? No. But if we cast ourselves on Jesus Christ, if we fully lean into Him, we will be able to take heart.

There’s a reason why history is full of examples of people who were beaten, jailed, or enslaved for their faith, yet came out the other side all the more in love with Christ.

It’s because Jesus has already overcome the world.

Nothing can touch Him. Nothing threatens Him. Nothing happens outside His knowledge and His ability to deal with. And He is able to care for all the needs of His followers, whatever situation they find themselves in.

We still live in the world, and we have to deal with the world, but Christ has overcome the world. Whatever suffering we must endure in this life is but for only a short time. And even the worst suffering ever endured by a follower of Christ will be but a light affliction when viewed in light of the reward that is coming.

Take heart, Believer.

Christian persecution is coming to America, but our Lord will have the victory. And as we follow Him, as we serve Him, we too will share in this victory. And so will all those who we bring into the Kingdom as we serve Christ.

Take heart.

Tagged : America / Bible / Christian Persecution / Christianity / Following Christ / Jesus / Persecution / United States

God Gave us a Spirit of Power – Not Timidity

by JacobMarch 24, 2022March 24, 2022Christian Living

The Lord does not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power. Here’s a look at how the Holy Spirit empowers us to move past our fears.

Continue readingTagged : Bible / God / Holy Spirit / Jesus / Spirit of fear / Spirit of power / Spirit of timidity

Whatever You do, do all to the Glory of God

by JacobMarch 22, 2022March 22, 2022Uncategorized

As Believers, we are called to do all things to the glory of God. But what does this mean, and what does it look like in the life of a Christ follower?

Continue readingTagged : 1 Corinthians / Bible / Christ / Glory / Glory of God / Living a Godly life / Scripture

Meek is not Weak

by JacobMarch 19, 2022March 19, 2022Christian Living1 Comment

Meek is not weak. What is meekness, and how should we seek to serve God as “meek” people?

Continue readingTagged : Jesus Christ / Meek is not weak / Meekness / Meekness is not weakness / Moses / What is meekness

The Cost of Not Following Christ

by JacobJanuary 7, 2022January 7, 2022Theology

Following Christ is costly, as He demands your life. Yet not following Him is a grave mistake that is infinitely more expensive.

Some years ago, I came across this video:

The video, titled ‘It Will Cost You Everything’ is an 11-minute long exhortation to count the costs of following Jesus Christ. It brings up an oft-ignored aspect of the Christian life – that to follow Jesus, one must count the costs and be willing to give up everything for the sake of Christ.

This is true.

Christ demands absolute obedience, and a total selling out to His lordship. Simply look to the Gospel of Luke, where we read the following:

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:25-27)

How often is it that we focus upon this piece of Scripture? It doesn’t preach well, does it? It doesn’t sound as rosy and positive as ‘God’s plan is always health and safe living.’ Here we learn that those who would be Christ’s disciples must be willing to forsake everything for the sake of Jesus. We must live a “crucified” life.

That’s what it is to follow Jesus.

Following Christ is Difficult

Following Jesus is not easy. It is not necessarily a life of wealth, health, and prosperity. It is not a life of great popularity. In fact, Paul even remarks in 1 Corinthians that,

...If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:17-19, emphasis mine)

In other words, if Jesus has not truly been raised from the dead (that is, He isn’t who He claimed to be), then we’re the most pitiful people in the world. Here we are, living a crucified life where we no longer satisfy the demands of the flesh and follow life’s broad, easy way… and all for nothing? What an awful way to live!

Of course, Paul goes on to write in the next sentence that we do have every reason to hope. Christ is raised, God is God, and our eternal reward is coming. But if this were not so, then we would be living a life of immense sacrifice for no good reason at all.

Following Jesus is expensive, the Bible says. You have to give up much. You don’t just ‘get in’ through the narrow gate and walk the narrow way that leads to life without submitting to Christ and laying down your life. Following Christ will be tough. It’s not for the faint of heart. It is costly.

But NOT following Him is more costly.

Following Christ is Costly… But NOT Following is More Costly

As humans, we stand at the crossroads between two choices: surrender to Christ and be saved, or run from Christ and experience eternal punishment. God gives us the choice between the two. We can choose one or the other, but we will make a choice… whether we realize it or not.

Choosing to follow Christ is costly. To turn to Jesus will ultimately require us to give up some things. As Steve Lawson says in the video shown at the beginning of this article, it will cost us everything. All our possessions, hopes, dreams, desires, talents, strengths, and weaknesses will eventually be submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It may take us some time in getting there (and we will never be perfect at it in this life), but obedience and increasing holiness will be the pattern of the life of a Believer in Jesus.

It’s a costly life. But what are the costs of not following Jesus? Let’s find out.

The Cost of Not Following Christ

When one chooses to not follow Jesus, he may initially experience what we might call “rewards.”

Without Jesus, the man is free to pursue his own desires without any resistance at all. He has no moral code obligating him to a higher standard of righteousness, save for the laws and morals that society places on him. There is no voice in his heart pleading with him to quit his sin. There is no community around him holding him to a great moral standard.

If he wants to drink and do drugs, he can do so. If he wants to make lots of money and spend it on his pleasures, he may do so. If his desire is to have as many relationships as he can, he may do that too. Of course, he probably feels worse and worse all the time as he pursues his pleasures, but the world offers those pleasures for a reason: they’re a distraction from the spiritual damage brought on by such a lifestyle.

As his life draws to its end, we may compare it with the life of a man who accepted Christ. Whereas the Christian has little wealth, the unbeliever has great wealth. Whereas the Christian didn’t experience “the world” – that is, the pleasures of an ultimate focus on the self – the unbeliever did.

The unbeliever might even say, “Sure, I’m no saint. But I lived my life to its fullest, and I enjoyed my time here.”

While the Christian had to learn to control his body and say ‘no’ to his desires, the unbeliever spent his entire life in full pursuit of that which made his flesh happy. While the Christian had to obey a greater Master, the unbeliever was free to do as he pleased.

The conclusion? From an outsider’s point of view, one might say that the unbeliever has come out ahead. He denied himself no pleasure and allowed himself whatever he wanted.

But here’s the rub: life has only just begun.

The True Costs Compared

When the unbeliever dies, a terrible fate awaits him. Dying without Christ, the unbeliever stands condemned before God. He pleads with God, perhaps even begs God to spare him the fate of those who do not accept the Lord. Yet God will not. The unbelieving man had every opportunity to believe upon Jesus, but he didn’t do so.

I will not go into detail on what the unbeliever experiences next. However, we must understand one thing: we ALL have an eternal destination. We will go to a place in which our consciousness, our soul, never dies. There are only two places in which to spend this eternity: either Heaven or Hell. In Heaven, those who believed in Christ will experience pleasures that nothing in this world could ever equal or even come close to. In Heaven, there will be perfect bliss and perfect pleasure for all eternity.

But in Hell? In Hell, we have a complete and total absence of pleasure. Scripture tells us that the torment of those in Hell never pauses. There is no cheerful smile in Hell; there is no joy, no happiness, no rest, and – worst of all – no hope.

Thus, the choice becomes clear. We have a choice between the following:

A lifetime of imperfect pleasure (up to 100 years long, if you’re lucky), and an eternity of torment, or
A lifetime of obedience to God (which is NOT always drab and dull), and an eternity of the richest pleasure and life we could possibly imagine.

As we stand back and survey these options, I am reminded of the account in the Bible where Esau, the brother of Jacob, sold his inheritance for a bowl of stew. This man literally sold his entire inheritance for a small bowl of mush. And it probably wasn’t even that good, either. Talk about a bad trade! I’m sure we all would recognize it as such. But if we refuse to accept Christ because “the cost is too great,” then we are doing the same thing Esau did all those years ago.

Why Do People Reject Christ?

A sad truth of the world this: many people are confronted with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and come away having rejected the Savior.

Why?

I mean, wouldn’t everyone desire eternity in paradise? Why reject Christ, when He offers you an eternity of treasure and life and joy?

Simply put, most people reject Christ because they cannot bring themselves to give up their life to Him. They are like the rich young ruler of Mark 10, who walked away from Jesus with sorrow in his heart because he couldn’t give up his earthly possessions for the sake of the Lord.

Those who reject Jesus are rejecting the claim He has over their lives; they reject His Lordship and authority. When you become a follower of Christ, you are purchased by Him at the cost of His life. He owns you. He becomes your Lord and your king.

And in doing so, He – not you – has the right to use your life as He sees fit.

Of course, this is costly. It means giving up the rights to your life in the here and now. But look at what you gain! When your life becomes hidden in Christ, it is truly safe and truly saved. When one rejects Jesus, he is rejecting what is best for him. When a man or woman turns away from the Savior, he or she is embracing the lie that the cost of following Jesus is too great.

Instead, we might ask a counter-question: why would anyone NOT follow Jesus, when the cost is so little?

The Splendor of Following Christ

Think about it. This world is fraught with trouble and difficulty. Life has its highs and also its lows; that much is true regardless of whether you believe in Christ or not. So in the end, can we really say that living without the yoke of Christ is that much more pleasing than living with His yoke upon us?

In my own life, some of the happiest people I’ve ever known were those who were sold out for Christ. These were the men and women who truly gave everything they had to “buy the treasure” that is the Kingdom of Heaven. These people gave up much, but were happier than those who chose to reserve everything for themselves. Do the unbelievers – those who count the costs of following Jesus as too great – really come out better in this life?

I would say that the answer is “no.” Following Jesus requires sacrifice, but it comes with great joy and great abundance of life… even in this life. The unbelieving crowd often claims, “Christians are so heavenly-minded that they’re no earthly good.” They say, “Worrying about the afterlife is no way to live this life.”

Yet it is Believers who often prove to be the happiest, healthiest, most generous, and most impactful souls in the world. Jesus’ demand for obedience may seem to be the death of our own happiness, yet full submission to Him seems to also yield the greatest joy and pleasure we can hope to experience in this life.

In the end, following Jesus will prove costly. It may cost you success, promotions, friendships, easiness of life, and physical pleasure. It might even cost your very life.

But when the two options are weighed in the balance – the option of following and the option of not following – it becomes clear that one choice is a sham that results in neither the best this life has to offer, nor the next.

When you choose to follow Jesus, you are making nothing less than the most rational choice a human being can make. And you can rest assured that Christ – who has bought you with His blood – has only your best interests at heart.

Tagged : Bible / Cost / Following Christ / Following Jesus / Heaven / Hell / Jesus

Where Did Hell Go?

by JacobNovember 5, 2021November 5, 2021Theology

Many today deny the existence of Hell, but the Bible portrays Hell as a real place of punishment. Here’s why we should teach on it.

For many centuries, the existence of Hell was a given for Christians around the world. But recent movements in the Church have challenged the idea of Hell.

A Pew Research Survey conducted in 2014 found that a substantial portion of the American populace – 58% – still believed in Hell. A similar survey conduct in 2007 returned a figure of 59%. Many denominations and churches still include Hell in their official doctrine.

Clearly, the doctrine of eternal punishment is still alive and kicking. More than half of Americans claim to believe it. Roughly 7 in 10 Americans identify as Christian, meaning that a majority of American Christians must still believe that Hell is real.

But in truth and practice, the doctrine of Hell is losing influence. And it’s losing influence quickly.

This is a problem.

The Importance of Believing in Hell

Before I begin, please let me say this: I am not here to shame or guilt anyone. I am not yelling at you or condemning you if you don’t believe in Hell. The work of a Christian is not to condemn, but to deliver the Gospel. The work of a Believer is to obey God’s Word and to make that Word known to others… in its entirety.

This is why belief in Hell is important.

Belief in Hell is important because the Bible talks about Hell. It is an integral part of the Gospel. Jesus Himself references Hell many times in the New Testament. He tells us that it is a place we most certainly do not want to go.

Revelation also talks about the Final Judgement, where it is very clear as to the fate of those whose names are “not found recorded in the Book of Life.” It tells us that the unsaved will depart to be in the “lake of fire” which was originally prepared for the devil and the devil’s angels. This is none other than Hell.

Those age-old images of Hell being a place of blazing fire and acrid smoke do not come from a vacuum. The Bible is rather clear in its portrayal of what happens to those who die without Christ.

To deny Hell, you see, you must deny certain portions of Scripture. You have to claim that the lake of fire is either metaphorical or that it doesn’t really exist. You also have to work some pretty serious gymnastics around much of what Jesus said. There are theologians today – popular theologians, too – who claim that Hell is simply a Western (or even American) invention.

But this is not the case. Scripture proves it. Has Hell always been correctly understood? Absolutely not. But there is no denying that it exists.

Additionally, Hell is central to the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to save people and give them eternal life. He often spoke of repentance and salvation, urging people to place their faith in Him.

Finally, Jesus died a horrific death on the cross for the penalty of our sins. His death was among the ugliest imaginable. He was not painlessly executed, nor was He quickly executed. Instruments of death such as the gallows and the guillotine can be seen as incredibly merciful when compared side-by-side with the crucifixion death of Christ.

Christ came, lived, ministered, suffered, died, and rose again for a purpose.

There are many today who claim that Jesus was a “good teacher.” But if He was only a teacher, why was He killed? And why was He so assured of its necessity? Plenty of people have been killed throughout history for causes they believed in, but Jesus’ convictions were startlingly different. He did not die solely because of what He believed in; He died because He knew in advance that He must die!

His mission was His crucifixion.

The gravity of what Christ did is made even greater – infinitely greater – by the fact that He was the Son of God. Christ was Himself a member of the Holy Trinity. He was God in His own right. While on Earth, Jesus had every right to call upon the strength of ten thousand angels and have them execute justice on His behalf. He had every right to put to shame His opponents, His persecutors, and His murderers.

But He didn’t.

Why?

Because His death was necessary. Without the willing death of Jesus, there is no salvation for people like you and me. Our salvation is so important to God – and so mind-blowingly expensive – that it took the literal slaughtering of God’s only Son to accomplish it.

And therein lie the questions.

If there was no threat of Hell whatsoever, then why did the very Son of Almighty God Himself hang on a cross for six hours in pure agony? If eternal punishment and torment were not the fate of sinners dying outside of grace, why was Christ’s death necessary?

The truth is, Christ’s death was necessary because sin is a big deal and Hell is real. Any of our sins – small and great, visible and invisible – are capable of sending us there. Without Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice, we are literal and metaphorical toast. We would be plunged directly into Hell at the final judgement, sinners without mercy being separated from God’s goodness forever and ever.

This is a central, core doctrine of Scripture. The Gospel is so sweet because sin is so horrible and Hell is so terrifying. When we stop preaching and teaching about Hell, the urgency of the Gospel message is diluted. Without Hell, Christ becomes nothing more than a good man who gave His life so that we could be enlightened, successful people.

I’m sorry, but if there is anything Christ is not, it is merely “good teacher” or “ticket to prosperity.”

When we deny the reality of Hell, or even fail to touch on the subject from time to time, we are effectively reducing the significance of the Gospel. Does not the Gospel stand in such sharper relief when considered against the backdrop of Hell? Christ did not die to make you rich, happy, healthy, or otherwise prosperous. He didn’t die to offer you ‘enlightenment’ or ‘spiritual release’ in this life.

Rather, Christ died because God loves you. Your sin will send you to a place of eternal punishment known as Hell. If you die in your sins, you will perish apart from mercy. You will be subject to the full justice of God, which demands eternal payment.

But Christ died so that you would not have to experience Hell. He died to keep you out of that eternal lake of fire. That is why He came, died, and rose again. Christ satisfied the justice of God, and it is only because of His sacrifice that you are declared totally righteous in the sight of God.

Final Thoughts

To sum everything up, belief in Hell is important for two primary reasons:

The Bible teaches on it, and the Bible is infallible and inerrant
The Gospel’s urgency depends upon sin and Hell

Denial of Hell is symptomatic of a broader trend of denying (or otherwise running from) fundamental truths of the Bible. While denial of Hell will not make you unsaved – again, I firmly believe that there are many saved Christians out there who either deny Hell or are unsure of its existence – to deny Hell is to deny a bedrock reality of the Bible. Christ spoke openly on Hell, and Revelation teaches on its reality. For the serious Bible scholar, there is no getting away from Hell’s reality in Scripture.

Indeed, a conclusion that I have come to is this: orthodoxy is orthodoxy for a reason. Hell is orthodoxy. It’s an established and broadly-accepted doctrine in historical Christendom. Many theologians whose minds far outstrip my own have thought, wrestled, prayed, studied, and come to the conclusion that there is a Hell and it is eternal.

Hell is real. It’s eternal. It awaits all sinners who die without the blood of Christ. This is uncomfortable, but true. It does not go over well to the unsaved masses of our culture.

We live in a society that is viciously anti-judgement – even though our society does hypocritically judge – and Hell is God’s judgement. Naturally, therefore, people don’t want to hear about Hell. Churches built upon being “seeker-sensitive” will oftentimes avoid Hell. To preach on Hell is to turn away potential congregants.

Additionally, it is becoming increasingly popular in the contemporary age to go against the grain of established truth. You hear things such as, “What’s true for you may not be true for me.” And while there is a grain of truth to such an idea, this relativism should never be applied to issues of theology or Scripture. Denial of Hell is a slippery slope down which many have already slid a great deal.

If one denies Hell, it is only one more step to deny God’s wrath. If one denies His wrath, it is only one further step to deny His justice. If one can deny His justice, it is only one more step to deny the need for a Savior.

And if one denies the need for a Savior, he or she can effectively deny Christ and therefore Christianity.

As Believers, we ought to aim to confront Hell not as a frightful fantasy, but as a weighty reality. The idea of Hell compels action. There are people out there who are on their way to eternal destruction. Sinners who die without Jesus don’t merely cease to exist or go to a less-good afterlife; they go to Hell. They are stuck there for all eternity, and by then, it’s too late.

This is why evangelism and witnessing are so important. Why go to all the trouble of witnessing to others? Why go to the trouble of spreading and sharing Christ? Just so that someone can be enlightened and live a good life?

I submit to you that the sweetness of the Gospel and the urgency of spreading the Gospel stem at least partially from the reality of Hell. This fundamental truth of Christianity is important, and is necessary to a better walk with the Lord. If you’re in a ministry position, it is important that you teach others about Hell. It is important that this doctrine does not go silent.

For our sake and the sake of those who have yet to know Jesus, we must acknowledge and deal with the truth of Hell.

May God richly bless you.

Tagged : Church / Gospel / Hell / Is Hell real / Jesus Christ / Salvation

Stand With Christ, No Matter the Cost

by JacobSeptember 28, 2021September 28, 2021Christian Living

We must stand with Christ, no matter how difficult and costly it may be to do so. Here’s how we stand when persecution arrives.

I am not here to sound the alarm of doom. I am no prophet of despair.

But I am a concerned follower of Jesus, and one who wants His church to faithfully and joyfully reflect the purpose we’ve been handed by our Savior.

What I’m about to write will sound alarmist. It will sound as though I’m directly contradicting what I wrote in the first sentence of this post. But please bear me out. Please read all the way to the end.

Here’s my message to you today: there is a time approaching – and approaching quickly – when our Christian faith will be tested as it never has been before. There is a time coming when we will need to choose between following our Savior and having a comfortable life. It is coming much faster than you or I probably realize.

I’m speaking to YOU, America. If you’re a follower of Christ Jesus living in the United States (or anywhere else in the Western world), you should listen to me.

Our Problem

Droves of men and women are leaving the church every year. Old church members are dying, and young ones are not falling in line to replace them.

Don’t believe me? The numbers don’t lie.

Our society has become critically infected by toxic individualism, where each person seeks to create his or her own bubble world. This is resulting in widespread dysfunction across all spheres of life, from economics to government to education to religion to family.

Social institutions are crumbling at their foundations. Confusion is reigning supreme. Political instability and moral arguments are threatening to rip this country apart at its seams.

And what is the Church doing?

Christians in today’s America are largely (though not exclusively) falling into one of two camps:

They’re changing their beliefs, practices, and narratives to fit the “emerging culture”; or,
They’re cowering behind oaken doors and debating carpet colors while their church hemorrhages attendees at the rate of dozens or even hundreds per year.

On one side of the fault line, we’ve got churches that are literally shape-shifting with every gust of wind in the storm. On the other side, there are those who are so set in their ways that they would rather die than change.

Both churches will fail.

One will fail due to its lack of conviction, and the other will fail because it simply dies out.

Neither is healthy. Neither will be effective.

This is our problem and our coming crisis: that Christianity is losing its influence. It is losing its ground. There is no way around it. You cannot “dress up” the data and say that there is no problem. To do so is to stick your head in the sand.

If you’re a Christian, you must admit that your faith is losing its prominence in America and in much of the rest of the Western world.

What will result from this?

Lots of things.

For one, we are likely to see the introduction of something hitherto not seen in the United States: official, legal persecution of Christian faith. We’re also likely to see an increasingly hostile public attitude towards the faith, where people regard Christianity as (at best) an outdated relic of another time, or (at worst) a dangerous and hate-filled set of beliefs that must be stamped out at any cost.

We will see a world where true Christians become increasingly isolated and ostracized from the mainstream of society. Those “Christians” who do manage to stay within society’s good graces will have adopted a set of beliefs and practices so different from that of Biblical Christianity that it will be debatable as to whether or not they’re truly Christian.

Are you concerned yet? You should be.

The Coming Era

Here’s the rub: there’s no hard, fast solution. There is no magic pill or silver bullet.

Societal forces are at play here that dwarf the capacity for any one person (or even any one group of people) to deal with. We’re witnessing the result of decades of social decay and dysfunction. We’re seeing a living example of ,”…Sin when it is fully grown brings forth death (James 1:15).”

Society will continue to grow more and more hostile to God. Open criticism of Christianity will become more and more commonplace. Christian beliefs will be more and more disdained by the mainstream culture. Churches will continue to lose influence, and many buildings will continue to shutter their doors and never re-open.

This is the world we live in. This is our new normal.

Are we living in the last days? Many think so. There are many Christ followers (particularly older ones from more traditional backgrounds) who herald the “imminent return of Jesus.” That may certainly be the case, though it’s also possible that this is just another chapter in God’s perfect plan for the world.

Regardless of whether the Rapture comes next year or next millennium, our responsibility will remain the same. Our solution remains the same. Here it is:

We are to keep on being the Church.

That doesn’t mean we’re to keep being Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalians, Catholics, Reformed, Non-Denominational Christians, Presbyterians, or Lutherans.

Increasingly so, denomination will not matter.

What I’m saying is this: we’re to keep on being what Jesus Christ calls us to be. Gone will be the days of “safe” Christianity, where one attends church on Sundays, Bible study on Wednesdays, and posts inspirational Christian quotes on Facebook.

Gone will be the days of Christian billboards and Christian ideals being promoted in public. Christian books will gradually disappear from bookstores, and Christian radio stations will fall silent one by one.

The metaphorical landscape will become increasingly dry and bleak. If you’re expecting things to get easier, you are mistaken.

Taking the place of encouragement will be persecution. You will suffer for your faith. You will suffer the derision and exclusion of your co-workers, your friends, and perhaps even your family.

Many Believers in the United States have already experienced this.

You will suffer in the workplace, as unbelieving or even anti-Christian managers refuse to award promotions to you. There may even come a time when you are asked to renounce your faith or leave.

Furthermore, there is every chance that the government will enact laws that are unabashedly anti-Christian. Some laws in various cities and states have already trekked dangerously close to this. Laws may be passed which outlaw certain doctrines or curtail religious assembly.

Depending on the fervor of the anti-Christian sentiment being reflected in lawmaking, it’s possible that some Christian groups may be legally banned outright.

If you don’t think this can happen, you’d do well to examine the histories of nations such as Russia, China, Mexico, Germany, and Cuba. All of these nations went through (or continue to go through) eras during which their governments effectively criminalized Christianity.

Many of these nations were also “Christian nations” which had held their collective faith for centuries.

It happened there; therefore, it can happen here. And I will be the first to admit that the direction the United States is taking does not bode well.

There is writing on the wall, but whether this translates into merely increased hostility towards God’s people or an outright, full-blown persecution of them remains to be seen.

But I digress. There is a new era coming. Can you feel the winds of change? Can you feel the shift in the direction and the strength of that wind? Isn’t it apparent to you?

Therefore, We Must Stand

The early Church had to endure all manner of persecution. It endured persecution at the hands of the Jews and the Romans. Christians were ostracized, beaten, jailed, and killed.

Throughout much of Church history, various people at various times have suffered intensely for the Gospel. There are countries even today where merely proclaiming faith in Jesus can be a death sentence.

The American church has yet to experience such intense resistance.

In the United States, we have it in mind that “persecution” means being called names or being attacked on social media by an angry atheist. It can include that. But it is also so, so much more.

And regardless of how much persecution we have to endure, the call of Christ to His Church is the same: stand firm, follow Me, and show love.

That is our calling in a new era of persecution and hostility. We are called to hold firm to what we believe. We are called to stand in the power of our Savior, showing love and compassion to all people… even those who persecute us.

We are called to be salt and light, to spread the Gospel of hope, repentance, and love. We’re called to stand for Christ, even if it costs us our lives.

As a Church – as followers of Jesus – we must be prepared to deal with persecution when it comes. We must be prepared for the cost of losing friends, losing jobs, losing influence, losing money, and even losing our freedoms. We must be prepared to give our lives to Christ as a living sacrifice… where we may literally be called to die for Him.

That is our call. That is our duty. Following Christ demands our full obedience, even if that obedience means giving up everything we have.

In a way, the coming time of persecution presents an incredible opportunity for God’s people. Historically, the Church has always thrived under persecution. Historically, great and mighty things have happened when the crackdowns were at their most intense. Historically, Christ has always won.

And He isn’t about to start losing now.

As we submit fully to Him in a new era of hostility, we will bear an incredible witness to those around us. There will be something truly different about us. Others will notice. Our different way of life will truly be different, as our lifestyle is thrown into sharp relief with the lifestyle of the world.

Persecution is coming, but although this presents a challenging and difficult new life, it is not the end of the Lord’s work in America. Far from it.

God bless.

Tagged : Christ / Faith / Following Christ / Persecution / Stand