Encouragement for new Christians: Each time you are ridiculed for your stand on the Bible, remember these Scriptures within, embrace them firmly, then smile: For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account Hebrews 4:12-13. If you get the chance to quote these to ridiculers then do so, if not, keep smiling!
Why keep smiling? Because God is saying to you that He is doing a work within them one way or another. What the outcome of the work will be, you’ll probably never know this side of eternity, but the day will come before they die when they will finally either turn to Christ or reject Him. Should the latter be the case, they will know with total certainty they’re without excuse when they stand before Him to give an account. All their infantile attacks and bravado presently, are nothing but smokescreens to hide behind. If it were otherwise, there would not be a murmur from them. “A book of myths; a book for the superstitious; a book for the gullible,” they say of the Bible. But who are those that are into myths? Who are the superstitious? Who are the gullible? It is them!
How can that last statement be made with certainty? In reference to God and His Bible, the Psalmist wrote: The entirety of Your word is truth and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever Psalm 119:160. That means then, if one is not standing for truth, one is falling for anything. What better “soft landing cushions” for the gullible than myths and superstitions? Synonyms for myth and superstition: ‘misconception, fallacy, mistaken belief, false notion, misbelief, old wives’ tale, fairy story, fairy tale, fiction, fantasy, delusion, figment of the imagination.’ You can chisel it in stone, if truth is not guiding a person’s life, some or all of these things are. The test of that will always show up when the Bible is proclaimed publicly or personally. Test proof? Bitter and angry responses.
Why bitter and angry responses? Jesus, the Word of God, has spoken John 1:1. He has pierced them with His living and powerful word sharper than any two-edged sword. The piercing has gone deep and it hurts bigly! That’s not what they expect to hear from Jesus; if they have any thoughts on Him at all, you can guarantee they’ll be based on religious myths and religious superstitions – plus lies; the church is full of these too! “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild; Jesus loves everybody; Jesus said we’re not to judge others; Jesus never said anything about homosexuality or same-sex marriage.” Jesus knows all. He knows all our sneaky little rackets, insincerities and hypocrisies. Each individual’s heart is perfectly open before Him always; there’s never any escape.
God’s truth exposes the true feelings of us all – it shows us exactly what we are. Said one theologian from times past: “Truth always has this power – whether preached, or read, or communicated by conversation, or impressed upon the memory and conscience by the Holy Spirit. There can be no escape from the penetrating, searching application of the Word of God. That truth has power to show what man is, and is like a penetrating sword that lays open the whole man……. In some way it will bring out the real feelings, and show what man is.” No wonder the bitter and angry responses. They have been brought face to face with that which they already intrinsically know about themselves, that they are not right before God.
“Prove to me that God exists!” shout the bitter and angry. Apart from being a sneaky little defense mechanism, that question too is a smokescreen; they know He exists because, what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and God-head, so that they are without excuse Romans 1:19-20. The heavens (sun, moon, stars) declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork Psalm 19:1. The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory Psalm 97:6. As has been mentioned before on this blog, denying God as the Creator is not clever, it is idiotic!
For the past few weeks here in Australia, God has been exposing the hearts of people of all ages by the hundreds and thousands. A Christian International Rugby Union player has come under intense rapid-fire ridicule for posting a message on “social” media, almost identical to 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. It has been fascinating to read the bitter and angry responses. Social, these people are not! Anti-social, they are! For years I have been saying one never knows what another person is like until you mention Jesus Christ to them; then you begin to find out immediately. Family members, long-time friends and acquaintances – even church people – it matters not who they are; at the mention of Jesus, you’ll find out who they really are in a flash.
“He/she is such an emotionally well-balanced person,” says one of another. It will appear that’s certainly so if you’re at lunch or a barbecue with them because just before they entered your presence they put on their “looking good” mask. They always do. But Jesus will show you the truth about it all; all you have to do is mention the name of Jesus to them, quoting His word perhaps, and nine-point-nine times out of ten their mask will come off and their bitterness and anger will come out! Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment John 7:24. If Christians would apply that word from Jesus Christ to every person they meet they would be spared of a lot less heartache when the “real” person shows up, whether that be at the mention of His name or otherwise.
In the case of the Rugby Union player, so bitter and angry are some among the many, they don’t bother to hide the name of their business or work place. Should I decide to visit one sometime to purchase their wares, it can be guaranteed he/she will have that “looking good” mask firmly attached! Would it come off at the mention of Jesus’ name before they took my big dollars? No, never when money is involved. But curse me they would once I was out of sight! New Christian, let none of this be a surprise to you. Ridicule is part of the normal Christian life; it has been since the days of Christ and the apostles. Peter tells us, scoffers will come in the last days (of this age, not the end of the world) walking according to their own lusts (evil desires) 2 Peter 3:3.
No wonder the ridicule of the Bible from the bitter and angry! It’s the only book God has given us. It’s the only book to reveal God, His nature, His character and His will. It’s the only book to reveal the nature of spiritually dead people. Jesus speaks to the latter: What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these things come from within and defile a man Mark 7:20-23. The “social” and mainstream media crowd would have us believe they’re attacking the Rugby Union player because of his “homophobia” and violation of contract. Don’t believe them! He’s attacked, because he exposed them.
Now for the good news! At the start of this post I said God is doing a work within those who respond to the Bible with bitterness and anger, one way or another. That means not all will reject Christ; some will turn to Him before they die because through the Christ-sent Holy Spirit they will be quickened to the truth of His living and powerful word, plus the truth that they are spiritually dead and powerless! The Holy Spirit will show them Christ is not their enemy, they are enemies of Him. Too, they will be quickened to the truth that they are their own enemy. In cursing God and His Bible they will be quickened to a deeper truth also – they’ve been cursing themselves! No curse ever touches God. It never touches His committed people either; therefore it must always return upon the one who curses.
In turning to Christ they will come out from under the curse and be elevated into blessing. What does that mean in a practical sense? Take a look again at those Mark 7 Scriptures just above as a profound example. It means they will be set free from all of those things. Christ took all of them to the cross on our behalf. In exchange they’ll become recipients of His divine nature: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, courage, discernment, insight, honesty, integrity, morality…… Why keep smiling? Well, while ridiculers ridicule, they are on the losing side. When the few among them cease ridiculing and turn to Christ, they’re on the winning side. Once we were losers, now we are winners. Smile! Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold….. 2 Corinthians 5:17.