Christianity is not a religion of exclusion and deceit but a relationship with God that promotes acceptance and love. If you study the Holy Bible in an attempt of finding the truth and not in attempting to distort or denying its accuracy, you will find that God’s love has been given unto every one, there are no exceptions or exclusions. No matter how hard you try, you will never prove one word of God’s Word to be untrue or out of place. God is not here to condemn man but to liberate him and to set him free (John 3:17-18). Demanding obedience is a form of restriction when it is the only option presented. God does not demand that you accept and obey Him but He will not remove the penalty if you decide not to do so. Witnessing, or coercion of the lost as some might wish to call it, is not an act of defiance but of compassion and concern. True Christianity is always about the other individual, it is never complacent or unconcerned. There is no happiness or security outside of God’s will and there never will be. Supposition or identifying with true peace are never the same nor can they ever be. How do you rightfully express how something feels when you have never experienced it? How can you reasonably renounce what is authentic by unwarranted fits of arrogance and pride? The repentant, God-fearing heart is not about what it can gain but what it can give. Deception is a product of the enemy and has no place when you speak of God and His intent or purpose. How do you deceive anyone into believing what is true? The truth is what it is; it exists and stands on its own power and merit, it is God Himself (John 14:6). If the truth will, as the Bible states, set man free, how does anyone honestly and compassionately demand that it be withheld or compromised? God cannot and will not deny Himself, He will forever remain constant and sure (2 Timothy 2:13). Are bondage and sin to be more desired than freedom? Are not honesty and the truth more enlightening than deceit? Deception implies treachery, that of misleading and betrayal. God is a God of choice; He will never force you to accept any of the “gifts” He has offered to all mankind. God is a God of love; He will never hold back His mercy and His grace. This idea of today that you are never to oppose or offend is as impractical as it is impossible. It takes you from a place of stability and places you into a position of insecurity and compromise. Opposition or those things that oppose are not always negative and destructive. Opposition will cause us to think and to rationalize. Of necessity, opposition is not an excuse to war but a call to mature and to grow. The trying of our faith is necessary and productive (James 1:3).
So much of this world’s opposition is felt within; the fight being fought is internal. There has never been a time or period in the existence of all mankind when we have all agreed. As we live we will gravitate to the moral or to the immoral, to the defiant or to the submissive, the choice will be ours. The war will continue to rage as long as we continue in our iniquity and under our own power and might. Guarded dissimilarities in thought and opinion are what cause society to thrive, it causes some to advance and others to retreat. Our differences are what drive us; they take us to those places we choose to go. Only a fool will accept what is unreliable and unable to succeed. Christians do not spend their day seeking whom they may offend; such thoughts and actions are in direct defiance to what they are taught and believe. That does not mean they are to be the “punching bag” for all those who disagree, “yes”, and even hate them. “Turn the other cheek” is not a command of submission and weakness. So much of the hatred directed upon Christians is out of jealousy and coveting: jealous at their ability to “stand fast” when everything around them is beginning to crumble, coveting their faith to trust a God that they know will never leave or desert them. So much of what is directed at Christians is a test; a test to see if the magnificence they represent and proclaim is as wonderful and fulfilling as they declare it to be. Living out your faith is as important as it is reassuring. There are no disappointments or failures when you stand strong, unwavering and uncompromising. God’s Word and promises will always stand forceful and true. The only way to disprove God is with lies and deception.
Unfortunately today there are many who will believe the lie before they will accept the truth when the lie is there to destroy them and the truth is there to set them free. So many Christians are caught in their weakness and humanity and do not allow God to be the all-powerful God that He really is and wants to be. As a Christian you are called to take a stand, you are called to sacrifice. Sacrifice is a show of sincerity, a willingness to give so that others can live. Giving your life to Christ means that you have let go and have allowed Him to gain full control. If this is not the case, you have given very little, and in some instances, you have given nothing. The Christian life is not effortless and without pain. The Christian is just as human as the individual that chooses not to believe. They are just as fallible and frail as all humanity is and will always be. The only substantial difference is their faith and trust in a God who has the power to uphold and deliver them. They are never alone, and as they rely upon Him they are made to understand the true reality of His marvelous, all-abiding love. In the Christian life, giving your life to God does not mean that you have given up your right and authority to live and to be free. True freedom can only be obtained in Him. Without Jesus as your Savior, you are dead in your trespasses and sins. Responsibility, or the act of being responsible, is required in everything we do, Christian or not. As God is allowed to enter our lives, our responsibility is given to Him and He, in turn, has promised to meet our many needs. What good is achieved when we belong to someone and serve another? Saying that you belong to no one is admitting your loneliness and lack of importance and true worth. There is little gained without love and to place yourself in the realm of the unlovable is wearisome and life threatening. True life or freedom can only be possessed and assured when one has willingly given up his authority to a God that can guarantee life and freedom. The Christian lifestyle is the only existence with true purpose and stability. What power or freedom is there in a life that exists only for the moment? Say what you please, but without the strength and support of a superior power, man would have no means of creation or defense. GLH