1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
There will be those who are hostile, those who do not understand, people who reject Christ and therefore reject us. It's the territory to which we're called - but what a high calling we have, to bear the name of Christ, to carry out His mission, and to enjoy His strength, even amidst opposition to our message. While we continue to fight for those who are persecuted or harassed for His name, and support efforts to strengthen religious freedom, in the spirit of justice, we also recognize that God will use suffering for His glory.
In Luke 21, Jesus shares some of the signs of the last days. Yes, there will be conflicts in the earth, with nations squaring off against one another; there will be natural disasters. And, He teaches, beginning in verse 12:
12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.
13 But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.
14 Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer;
15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.
There have been a number of events recently which have brought a heightened awareness of religious freedom - Pope Francis spoke on the topic several times during his visit, and now it has been reported that he visited with the clerk from Kentucky who was jailed because she would not violate her conscience and grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples. He also paid a visit to the Catholic charity Little Sisters of the Poor, who have been at odds with the Federal government because they do not wish to be forced to provide health services that violate their conscience, such as free contraception or drugs that could cause abortion.
And, the same night the Pope flew back to Rome, the President articulated what has been apparent for some time - that gay rights, which are not found in the Constitution, trump religious rights, which are.
On the international front, there were calls for the President to address human rights concerns as he met with the leader of China. And, there has been criticism of the U.S. making a deal with Iran while leaving Pastor Saeed Abedini and others in prison - there were prayer vigils held all over America last weekend in correlation with the third anniversary of Saeed's incarceration.
And, a Barna poll that was commissioned by the Alliance Defending Freedom reveals that more Americans believe religious freedom is worse today than it was 10 years ago, according to a piece on the ADF website. And, practicing Christian Millennials and Gen-Xers are among the most concerned.
ADF Director of Alliance Relations Alison Howard is quoted a “Americans should be able to disagree over issues without using government to force one another out of jobs or into jail,” adding, “It makes sense that Millennials have greater concerns about the loss of religious freedom, as the erosion of freedom has increased in our lifetime more rapidly than in any generation before us..."
Consider these stats:
Forty-one percent of Americans say religious freedom is worse off than 10 years ago, compared to 33 percent just three years ago. That concern is prevalent among Christians, at 52 percent, but has increased for Americans of other faiths, and the number of those who are not religious or religiously unaffiliated who share that sentiment has increased.
Something's not right in our land - there are threats to the ability of believers to freely act upon our faith. That is a concern, and we as believers should support efforts to strengthen our ability to exercise freedom of religion and freedom of speech.
But, there are ominous signs on the horizon, and Jesus told us in Luke 21 what would be coming. It happened to Him, it happened to His followers, and we bear the threat of it happening today. Jesus taught we would be brought before authorities, and that it would be an opportunity to testify to Him. In fact, He promises to be with us, and we can rely on the Holy Spirit to speak through us with irresistible words.
Do we want to make an impact with the message of the gospel - in an irresistible way? We can make up our minds to allow the Spirit of God to speak through us, as yielded vessels, willing to suffer for His sake, but also willing to speak for His name. So, we make it our aim to stand, no matter what consequences we may have to endure.
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In Luke 21, Jesus shares some of the signs of the last days. Yes, there will be conflicts in the earth, with nations squaring off against one another; there will be natural disasters. And, He teaches, beginning in verse 12:
12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.
13 But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.
14 Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer;
15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.
There have been a number of events recently which have brought a heightened awareness of religious freedom - Pope Francis spoke on the topic several times during his visit, and now it has been reported that he visited with the clerk from Kentucky who was jailed because she would not violate her conscience and grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples. He also paid a visit to the Catholic charity Little Sisters of the Poor, who have been at odds with the Federal government because they do not wish to be forced to provide health services that violate their conscience, such as free contraception or drugs that could cause abortion.
And, the same night the Pope flew back to Rome, the President articulated what has been apparent for some time - that gay rights, which are not found in the Constitution, trump religious rights, which are.
On the international front, there were calls for the President to address human rights concerns as he met with the leader of China. And, there has been criticism of the U.S. making a deal with Iran while leaving Pastor Saeed Abedini and others in prison - there were prayer vigils held all over America last weekend in correlation with the third anniversary of Saeed's incarceration.
And, a Barna poll that was commissioned by the Alliance Defending Freedom reveals that more Americans believe religious freedom is worse today than it was 10 years ago, according to a piece on the ADF website. And, practicing Christian Millennials and Gen-Xers are among the most concerned.
Forty-one percent of Americans say religious freedom is worse off than 10 years ago, compared to 33 percent just three years ago. That concern is prevalent among Christians, at 52 percent, but has increased for Americans of other faiths, and the number of those who are not religious or religiously unaffiliated who share that sentiment has increased.
Fifty-five percent of practicing Christian Millennials believe religious freedom is worse today, up from 32 percent in 2012. And the percentage of Christian Millennials who are "very concerned" about the future of religious freedom is up from 19 percent three years ago to 56% now.
Sixty percent of Christian Gen-Xers believe religious freedom is worse today, compared to 40
percent in 2012.
And, in a more general sense, a Gallup poll also reflects the concern that Americans have over the reach of government. Almost half of Americans, 49%, say the federal government poses "an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens," similar to what was found in previous surveys conducted over the last five years. When this question was first asked in 2003, less than a third of Americans held this attitude.
The summary of the survey says:
Americans who agree that the government is an immediate threat tend to respond with very general complaints echoing the theme that the federal government is too big and too powerful, and that it has too many laws. They also cite nonspecific allegations that the government violates freedoms and civil liberties, and that there is too much government in people's private lives.This is based on the responses to an open-ended question about why those taking the survey felt that the government is a threat. Gallup states that, "the persistent finding in recent years that half of the population views the government as an immediate threat underscores the degree to which the role and power of government remains a key issue of our time."
Something's not right in our land - there are threats to the ability of believers to freely act upon our faith. That is a concern, and we as believers should support efforts to strengthen our ability to exercise freedom of religion and freedom of speech.
But, there are ominous signs on the horizon, and Jesus told us in Luke 21 what would be coming. It happened to Him, it happened to His followers, and we bear the threat of it happening today. Jesus taught we would be brought before authorities, and that it would be an opportunity to testify to Him. In fact, He promises to be with us, and we can rely on the Holy Spirit to speak through us with irresistible words.
Do we want to make an impact with the message of the gospel - in an irresistible way? We can make up our minds to allow the Spirit of God to speak through us, as yielded vessels, willing to suffer for His sake, but also willing to speak for His name. So, we make it our aim to stand, no matter what consequences we may have to endure.
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