Their Reactions are the Witness that It’s Not

People don’t say, “Superstitious nonsense,” when listening to a medical practitioner explain medical cures. Why not? People don’t say, “How ridiculous,” when listening to a school teacher explain the importance of education. Why not? People don’t say, “How gullible,” when listening to a motor mechanic explain the necessity for regular car service. Why not? People don’t say, “How brain-washed,” when listening to an insurance agent giving advice on life or property policies. Why not? People don’t say, “You’re away with the fairies,” when listening to a sports coach share strategies for athletic success. Why not? One answer: people not qualified don’t dispute those who are.

The people listened to may not be formally qualified, of course, but if they look and sound as though they are, their solutions, advice and tips will be accepted by the majority with respect and without argument. Think of any field you like and that’s the way it is in life – no doubting, no concern, no issue, no argument, no questioning the one who knows or gives the appearance of knowing more than the one listening to him. Not only that, but the majority will defend those with the solutions, advice and tips given even if they’re later found to be inaccurate or incorrect. Self-serving church leaders know this to be true, as do self-serving politicians, scientists, academics and broadcasters.

However, there is one exception to this “rule” – one; that is the born-again, Holy Spirit-led, Jesus Christ-centered, Bible-based Christian. No matter his or her qualifications, years of sacrifice, years of Bible study, years of experiencing the reality and truth of Jesus Christ working in people’s lives exactly as the Bible says He does, such Christians are seen as superstitious, ridiculous, gullible, brain-washed and away with the fairies … and that’s by kind people! By the unkind we are seen as idiots, morons, fools, imbeciles, cretins, stupid, retards…….. the list goes on. People say it’s hard to tell what others are really like. It is when they’re talking with doctors, teachers, mechanics, insurance agents and sports coaches, but less so when they’re talking with Bible Christians!

One way of telling what a person might be like is to observe his behavior behind the wheel of a motor car when it comes to speed limits and stop signs. Another way is to observe the behavior of one who doesn’t get his own way. But a more sure way of telling what a person might be like is to observe his behavior when you talk about the Bible and Jesus Christ. Christians can learn lots about self by monitoring their behavior when experiencing the first two things too. It’s important that we do learn from within, because as we see it happening from without, we’ll be less carnally judgmental and more spiritually discerning about what’s going on. When we discern rather than judge, we place ourselves in a position where God can teach us more about human nature.

Human nature without God is insecure; more specifically, human beings without God are insecure. And the harder human beings work at denying this reality, greater does the truth of it show up. That’s one reason why they hang off every word told them by others perceived by them as knowing more. But when it comes to God and the things of God, suddenly they become experts on an equal footing – sometimes for His existence, but most times for His non-existence! If they believe in God’s existence, the conversation momentarily might be quite pleasant but once it begins to show up that his god is vastly different than my God, insults of some kind will begin to flow. If he denies God’s existence, insults of any kind will flow!

A man with cancer spoke of the medical treatment he was receiving and based on how he was feeling he was highly confident he was going to beat it. Often over the years, sometimes using insulting language, he has made it more than clear how he feels about the need for Jesus Christ in his life. Recently I saw him again and the cancer is beating him. No insults this time, but no confidence either. Not only is cancer dragging him down, but so is self-pity. Emotionally he’s a mess. I believe his long-standing rejection of Jesus, the Savior means that there’s no way for him now to experience Jesus, the Healer. It’s one thing for a man to turn his back on God; it’s another thing entirely when God turns His back on a man!

A single, middle-aged woman, all smiles and charm, agreed with me when speaking of Jesus’ love and compassion for the lonely, the hurting and downtrodden. Our conversation reminded her of those she had with her father as a young girl. On leaving, she thanked me and asked me to come again soon. On the next visit she once again recalled words of her father over something we were discussing. But when I mentioned Jesus as being, the (only) way, the truth and the life…… John 14:6, the smiles and charm were replaced in a flash with scowls and insult. There the conversation on Jesus ceased. It was obvious the theology of her father allowed no room for, “your narrow-minded fundamentalism.” I was not invited back!

Standing at the front door of a Roman Catholic man, when he heard me mention what church I was from, immediately told me his faith was in his church, his pope and his priest. “What have you got to put your faith in?” he angrily asked. When I held up the New Testament and said, “This book and the Living Lord Jesus revealed within its pages,” he scoffed, sneered, insulted and shut the door in my face with a little more force than he needed to! Over more than three years I encountered similar types of behavior from liberal “Christians” and Jehovah’s Witnesses. I praise God for learning that the real enemy of true Christianity is not communism, Marxism, humanism or atheism, but false religion.

Another Roman Catholic man shared his new-found knowledge with me about a former, but still famous world leader. There have been many books written and TV documentaries made about the leader and not all of them speak the same “truth” about his life and work. Nevertheless, the man spoke with enthusiasm about the former leader based on the new information he’d learned, setting aside previous material not lining up with it. Later we had a conversation on Jesus. To his questions on the Lord I gave biblical answers. They clashed with Roman Catholic answers causing the real man to show up! Where his eyes formerly sparkled from enthusiasm over the former world leader, they now burned with anger over the biblical Jesus – insults following!

So why is it people shed their inhibitions to insult born again Bible Christians but restrain them when listening to the solutions, advice and tips of others? Essentially, the Holy Spirit of God is not speaking through the others; it’s merely one natural human being speaking to another natural human being expressing natural human words. No inner convictions, therefore no need to feel inwardly threatened. But that’s not so when it comes to born again Bible Christians. When they listen to us, they’re listening to a Supernatural Being speaking through us, the Lord God Almighty. No human words this time, but rather, the words of God Himself. Even if we simply mention the word ‘Bible’ it’s the Lord speaking through us.

Jesus said, But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me….. Acts 1:8. There it is; that’s the power, that’s the witness; they know it! Human beings in their natural state have no love for God, only hatred Romans 8:7. It’s God’s desire to purify their soul; they know that too and (at that stage at least) they want no part of it. Not everybody expresses their hatred through insults, there are a variety of ways of expressing it, but that’s what’s going on when you’re being insulted. They hate God and they hate the messengers of God too. The Lord Jesus is our grandest example of this truth, as are the New Testament apostles, plus the thousands of martyrs down through church history.

Hebrews 4:12 says, For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two- edged sword. There it is again; ‘powerful’. Not only that, but it cuts. Ouch! The word of God pierces our innermost being and cuts in all directions. As Bible Commentator John Gill says of God, “He pierces the hearts of men, cuts them to the quick, and lays them open.” Any human being not willing for that kind of spiritual surgery to take place within will not hesitate to insult you if that’s his only way of shutting you up. The Bible is the only book in the entire world with that kind of power. Don’t believe them when they tell you it’s antiquated and irrelevant for this  modern generation. That’s what they’ve said in every generation. Their reactions are the witness that it’s not.

Now for the good news! Not everybody who hates God and His messengers today will hate Him or them tomorrow. Those of us who are born again give witness to this reality. We were all in the same boat once and it is only because of the word of God that we are not in it today. God used at least one Bible Scripture to draw us to Jesus, even if we didn’t read it from the Bible. We could have had it spoken to us, or read it in a book or on a church outdoor notice board, but it was enough to confirm the truth of Romans 10:17, So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. It is that living word of God that eventually softened our heart; that’s why it makes receiving insults from hard hearts worthwhile. Who knows which one God will soften next?

The man knew me as an unbeliever for sixteen years. When he learned of my conversion to Jesus, my stand for the Bible and baptism by immersion, he gave a loud “how brain-washed ” laugh and kept his distance from then on. A few years later he got cancer. I shared the gospel and one Scripture with him in hospital, mid-morning. Early that evening he repented and asked Jesus to save his soul. Some months after that event, he died. He’s in heaven today. If insults and separation are what it takes to get someone into heaven then bring it on, I say. I would rather that than compliments and companionship … with hell at the end of it all! “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part, He is blasphemed, but on you part He is glorified” 1 Peter 4:14.