Some Notes for
“Don’t Wear the Clothes”
April 12, 2015/ Eric J. Hanson
Scriptures:
Psalm 2
II Timothy 3:10-14
Review earlier message on overseas “Hard Persecution”
Here is a quick update on some of this in the last 2 months.
In the U.S., we are undergoing “Soft Persecution”,
This entails
Misrepresentations and accusations.
(haters, ignorant flat Earth types, homophobes, sexists, etc)
2. Legal actions and intimidation.
(ACLU lawsuits, campus shut downs of Christian activities, etc)
but…
Soft persecution can turn hard with social media stirring up mob violence in a very short time frame, as nearly happened a few days ago to Memories Pizza in a small town in Indiana. It is very likely that persecution will turn harder here in the USA soon, in both the legal sense of shutting down more and more public displays of faith of many types, and in lawless groups and individuals doing violence.
As for you and me: “Don’t Wear the Clothes”. Do not become hateful in how you express your support for the Bible’s standards. Don’t do as many are doing on Face Book with hateful character attacks against people we disagree with on the major issues of the day. Don’t be, even to a small extent, what the enemies of the Lord already accuse you of being.
Always stand for the truth without flinching, but always be winsome and filled with the love of the Lord, always filled with the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The anger of the flesh, the fear of man, and any other soulish displays, do not accomplish anything.
The equal and opposite error from becoming wrathful and angry (even on Face Book) toward the unbelievers, is to withdraw from standing for the truth. Believers who think that we please God when we simply withdraw into the 4 wall of our Church buildings, and do not engage the culture, are making a huge mistake too. Paul in Athens, John the Baptist, the Prophets of Israel, and history impacting preachers through the centuries stand against this misguided kind of thinking.
Make no mistake in understanding that this has become very widespread today, as many churches and most believers have fallen silent on the big issues that are destroying individuals, homes, families, and nations of the Western World today.
So, in conclusion, Always stand for the truth, but always do so in love, drawing people toward the Lord, by representing Him accurately by your words and actions. Lets consider Colossians 4:6 as we finish today.
