The beliefs expressed here are extremely unpopular, to say the least. Anyone who stands firm for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus will be hated and vilified. If Jesus, the sinless one who “became sin” for us to save us, could be hated and tortured and killed, how much more those of us imperfect sinners who follow him! Just as the religious leaders of Jesus’ day had blinded themselves to the truth and hated their Savior, the world today reacts to the Gospel by covering their ears and screaming as they mock you and try to destroy you. Just stick your Christian neck out and dare to speak of God’s justice and holiness, not only his love and peace, and you will be promptly beheaded. The “tolerant” will not tolerate you.
But just as Jesus endured it all for the motivation of the eternal glory that awaited him, so also we his followers must keep our eyes focused on him, not on ourselves. We must not be among those marginal Christians who “shrink back and are destroyed” out of fear of reprisal. Jesus said that he would be ashamed of anyone who was ashamed of him. The reaction of the world is a poor excuse for not faithfully proclaiming the Gospel that would save them (see articles here on negativity). People who are not confronted with their hopeless condition will see no need for any savior, but without this confrontation, if you happen to get a conversion, it’s almost certainly a false one. Everyone wants to live in eternal bliss, so a “warm, fuzzy” gospel is quite appealing. But that is not a gospel that saves.
Take your stand! Show some Spirit!
2 Timothy 4:1-5
“I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the message, be ready whether it is convenient or not, reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and instruction. For there will be a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things. And they will turn away from hearing the truth, but on the other hand they will turn aside to myths. You, however, be self-controlled in all things, endure hardship, do an evangelist’s work, fulfill your ministry.”
(Ref. Matthew 5:11-12, John 15:18, Galatians 6:9, 2 Timothy 3:12, Hebrews 6:12, 12:2)
