From the Pastor |
We are continuing our look at 1st Peter, a letter written to provide comfort and encouragement to Christian believers who were suffering for what & whom they believed in. And today, Peter calls on the followers of Christ to remain faithful and not give in to fear. To hold in their hearts the truth that “Jesus is Lord”, and to continue to live out their faith in spite of their suffering.
For “… if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed.” After all, it was Jesus himself, in his Sermon on the Mount, who said “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” [Matthew 5:10] So Peter reminds them, “Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated,” because in Christ you are saved. The same Christ who also unjustly suffered and died so that those who believe could be brought back in to a right relationship with God. The righteous suffered for the unrighteous… the sinless for the sinners… Then he implores them to “Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame.” Peter was adamant that suffering should never deter a Christian from sharing the hope found in Christ. Always be ready… because if you are always ready to defend the hope you have in Christ… to witness to your faith… your focus is on that hope, and it will be easier to remember that God is with you… that you are saved… and that knowledge will help you to endure whatever suffering comes your way. By focusing on the hope that comes from faith we find our rock… our strength and help in times of need, and we CAN endure. Besides… if we are always ready… if we are prepared to defend our hope and our faith… our hearts and minds will be focused on Christ and we are then able to provide a wonderful testimony that could benefit others as well. Followers of Christ are the living examples… the living witnesses of what the gospel message is all about… their words and actions can make a difference in the life of another. Peter knew this… he knew how important Christian witness was which is why he stressed 2 things when talking about it: First, share your defense… your witness with “gentleness and reverence”… not with arrogance, condescension or abuse… but with love… even with those who persecute you. Don’t get angry or defensive… do not try to force your view on another… speak truth. Speak love… in all things, work for good, even in the face of evil and persecution. And the second thing Peter stresses… “Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame” In other words do not give others a justifiable reason to accuse you of doing wrong… of being evil. Or as John Wesley put it in his 3 general rules: DO NO HARM… Do good… and stay in love with God. What a fabulous idea… too bad throughout history Christians have not only failed at that… but actually excelled at the failing. I do not have enough time today to list even some of the horrible atrocities that have been done in the name of Christ over 2000 years… There have been wars… violence… witch trials and persecution BY Christians… Threats, extortion, lies… colonialism… slavery and genocides… sexual abuse… the list goes on and on and on and on… Phew… it’s a good thing that things like that are all in the past. That Christians are known worldwide for being loving and caring children of God…Right? Yeah… right! If only that was true. Unfortunately, even today, there are far too many reasons that Christians… especially in our own society… have a negative reputation with non-Christians. They consider us to be “Hypocrites”… “Judgmental”… “Intolerant”… even “Horrible”! And let’s face it… there is a valid reason for it. Those titles have been earned. Christ taught that we are to love our neighbors and one another… and yet there are far too many who claim the name ‘Christian’ who look down on or even lash out and hurt those who are different… whether it is people of a different race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age… there are too many brothers and sisters in Christ who radiate greed, selfishness, prejudice, intolerance, and hatred. Christians in our society cry out for religious freedom but then I have heard (with my own ears) those same people proclaim that Muslims should not be allowed to serve political offices and that (and I quote) “The only good Muslim is a dead Muslim!” There are many ‘Christians’ who protest vehemently against abortion… claiming the title “Pro-Life” who are also willing to bomb clinics and murder the doctors. Pro-life activists who are also unwilling for their tax dollars to support education, welfare programs, food stamps, and housing… who vote against caring for the least and the lost. Many of these same ‘Christians’ are now protesting against the orders to stay at home or wear a mask in public because it infringes on their rights… even though the measures are meant to save lives… who are among those who are looking to re-open our nation so we can save the economy… after all our grandparents are willing to sacrifice their lives to keep the American economy going. Even today, there are far too many Christians who fail to live the faith… to live the law of love… who fail at practicing what they preach! In fact, there have been far too many Christians who have actually caused great harm to others.
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Yeon Shin
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