Britain was a country once proud to profess to be a Christian nation. But over the past fifty years we have become much more materialistic and this has pushed Christianity out to the fringes of society. People who uphold their traditional Christian values have found it increasingly hard to do without coming into conflict with either secularism or multiculturalism.
2 Peter 2:2 - "Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth to disrepute."
With the increase in militant atheism and humanism, too often Christians today find themselves living in a world in which the truth is evil spoken of'. Or even a society that persecutes those who choose to live a godly life. To Christians, living the way God instructs can seem to be anything from a challenge to being virtually impossible.
Hours before his horrific crucifixion, Jesus prayed to his Father about all Christians - past, present and future. He asked precisely that they would not be taken out of this world. The biblical paradoxes are these:
-God selects his followers out of this world
-Christ sends his followers into the world
-Christ prays that they are not taken out of the world
-But, he states that in the world they will be hated
Also, whilst living in a world that hates them, Christians are expected to be different from society around them.
Colossians 3:5-10 - "In Apostle Paul's letter to the Colossians he listed many selfish traits that Christians must 'put off', for example lust, greed, impurity and malice.
Colossians 3:12-14 - Christians are also to put on the many positive characteristics of Christ, for example, kindness, humility, patience and compassion.
Another paradox is that the distress suffered by Christians living in today's world will actually prevent total destruction coming to all the people of the world. In a prophecy, Christ spoke of a future time of huge stress that would lead to life being extinguished on the earth but for the sake of the true, elect Christians in the world. Due to their selection and existence, that time would be cut short and annihilation prevented.
Matthew 24:22 - "If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened"
This Scripture explains how the very people that this world will hate and want to kill will be the reason a substantial remnant will survive.
Luke 21:34-36 - "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipitation, drunkenness and anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
Jesus instructs Christians to be very careful, always on the lookout, always praying that they may escape, always praying that they may stand before the Son of Man.
Revelation 2:26 - "To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations."
While salvation is a gift from God, Christians are required to grow and overcome. In contrast, Revelation 9:20-21 shows how the rest of the world's societies will behave even in the face of great tribulation. Despite utter chaos and impending death, people will refuse to repent. The basic problem is the worship of demons and demonic systems which leads to idolatry and the worship of 'things'. They would not repent of their murders, dabbling with the occult, sexual immorality or thefts.
Colossians 3:6 - "Because of these, the wrath of God is coming."
Paul warns that the wrath of God is coming on those who disobey God with sins such as fornication, uncleanliness, passion, evil, desire, anger, wrath, malice, slander and lying. Paul issues the warning because these are sins that separate people from God and are affront to His divine nature.
Acts 4:12 - "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
Life as a Christian in the present day has its ongoing challenges; the one constant factor is God the Father and his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Various scriptures refer to Christianity as 'the Way'. It is the one and only way to an everlasting life. This aspect of Christianity is a challenge to every other belief system. This is why a world full of false religions hates true Christians.
God has the power to guard and preserve His people while they are here in this world. Without question, Christians need to exercise that God-given power while living in the world. In the Garden of Gethsemane, on that crucial night, Jesus showed great concern for his followers. He asked his Father 'to keep them through your Name'. In other words, Jesus asked his Father to protect Christians, not from all the difficulties in the world , but that he grant them protection from the devil.
Jesus' aim for his people is that they will, with his help, remain in God's love, and attain the first resurrection and eternal life. Jesus wants to present us before God, perfect and full of joy. Until this time we need to try our very best to keep ourselves in God's love.
It is not easy to resist temptation in this world. It is even harder to resist our own human weaknesses, which so often conflict with God's law, and on top of that we are in a daily battle with the devil. Although God often protects us from the devil, if we become spiritually weak by drifting off God's path then that opens it up for the devil to deceive us and entice us further off God's path.
Philippians 2:12-13 - "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."
We really need to do our upmost to keep a strong relationship with God and Jesus. God is at work inside of us. He has promised that He will always be there with us, unless we wilfully turn away from him. If we make a mistake, he forgives us as he considers us to be his children so forgives us when we repent. This hope should encourage us to purify ourselves, always with his help.
All Christians have a glorious promise of salvation, eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Nothing happens to Christians in this life that God doesn't know about.
Acts 14:22 - "strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 'we must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God,' they said."
God allows us to go through trials and difficulties, to mould us, teach us spiritual lessons and to teach us more about Christ and what He went through on our behalf. It should be greatly encouraging for us to know that, even through life's trials. God protects his people by his power. We need to look beyond the present to our great salvation that lies ahead. Our minds need preparing so that we can persevere in faith.
1 Peter 1:3 - "Praise be to the God and Father of Lord Jesus Christ! In this great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
The Apostle Peter wrote about the hope Christians have. God has promised the living hope of a resurrection. Through faith, they are kept and shielded by God's own power.
1 Peter 1:6-7 - "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith, of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire, may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed."
The testing of Christian's faith strengthens it, proving its genuineness and leading to ultimate glory. We are motivated by love of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. We are saved through a working faith, the end result of which is salvation.
Philippians 1:6 - "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ."
This is a very encouraging scripture. It lets us Christians know that we can have confidence that whatever the world, the devil and human nature throws at us, we can overcome with God's help.
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