Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Salvation Still Comes Through Jesus

-Bill Petite    July 1 2015

Receiving bad news is not always a pleasant thing, in fact, it is never a pleasant thing. But, people will react differently when they receive bad news. I can remember when I lost my father and then a year later when I lost my mother, I was kind of in a daze. I didn't go into depression nor did I react in a hysterical manner. People will all react differently. I have had to deliver bad news and I was always ready for the reaction; I was ready for the hysterical to the stunned. I have noticed, following the news of the latest ruling on Gay Marriage from the US Supreme Court, that Christians have reacted in a variety of ways to this news. They have taken to social media with all sorts of comments and posts. Some have been of the doom and gloom variety while others were of love and concern. Still others posted stuff which leaned more to the political agenda and took their turn blasting the President and those on the court who ruled in favor of this decision. I am not the final authority on saying what is the right or wrong reaction but my reaction is a simple one. Jesus is still on the throne and salvation still comes through Jesus. Why should we, following this decision, change our spiritual vision for the world? Why should we run around like Chicken Little proclaiming the sky is falling? While this decision by the court makes the incline of our walk with Jesus steeper, He is still with us and will strengthen us as we climb. The Christian faith is never a smooth walk, and if it is, we are out of step. And, as we regain our step with the Lord, the slope will get steeper as we go and as we grow. This latest decision has increased the incline and we should not be surprised by it. Our reaction should be one of excitement and we should be ready to accept the challenge which the enemy has thrown down! Salvation still comes through Jesus and we simply need to continue to tell those who don't know Him about this.
Let's look at this from a different perspective. I noticed right after this announcement that many, who are not gay, were coming out of the woodwork in support of this decision and celebrating. Facebook was filled with rainbow colored pictures of those who were celebrating with the gay community. Do they know they are as guilty of this sin as those who practice it?
That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other.  And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.........They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.  Rom 1:26-27, 32  NLT
Sometimes we, as Christians, zoom in on a target and miss the big picture. If we are going to pray for our gay friends and family members, we also need to remember to pray for those who support them. There is nothing, concerning sin, which is so great or so bad that Jesus cannot overcome and save. He is still God, Savior and Lord over all and nothing is too great for Him. We should never look at these people as a separate group of sinners. Sin doesn't distinguish one act from another; sin is sin and we all were there or are still there. For those of us who are saved and serving the Lord, we need not change our approach to those who are not saved. Why should we approach a person who is gay any different than one who is a thief or an adulterer? The unsaved soul needs to know what Jesus has done for us. They need to know they must surrender their lives to Him here, because after death is too late. They need to understand there is no salvation after death and heaven and hell are places that do exist. They all need to know how much God loves them and only wants the best for them beginning with salvation.
And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,  so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people.  Heb 9:27-28a  NLT
Salvation still comes through Jesus and we should not think any different or that any worldly decision can change that. While we still have the open freedom to proclaim the good news, we should step up our work for Jesus and tell those who don't know Him. I do believe time could be running out on that freedom. We have seen many Christians who have lost livelihoods and businesses leading up to this decision but we still have the freedom to call sin a sin from the pulpit of our local churches. Pastors and Church leaders should not view this news as a reason or excuse to change the message. When unsaved people show up for a church service, they could be there for many reasons, but they still need to hear the truth of God's word spoken and the gospel message!
 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.  2Tim 4:3-4
This has already happened in many local churches of  various denominations. These churches have given in to the false message that says it is OK to have gays in ministry or to be wed in the Church. And, there are many in those churches who agree. When Frank Schaeffer was defrocked in the  United Methodist Church for performing His son's gay marriage ceremony, his members and members from many other churches gathered in his support! Paul warned Timothy of this and we have seen it in our time.
Don't change the message, don't give in to the pressures of the world or to worldly court decisions. For those who can't seem to look past this event and consider it a catastrophic blow to the progress of Jesus' Church, allow me to remind you of the Chinese church; it is one of, if not the fastest growing church in the world! They have suffered severe persecution and have been underground for many years. They must continually move their locations for meeting so they won't be discovered. They are growing and serving and the gospel is reaching numerous people. Salvation still comes through Jesus in the Chinese Church! So, while we still have freedoms here in the USA, we need to take advantage of those freedoms and continue to reach those who don't know Christ as their savior. And, when the time comes that we should loose these freedoms, salvation will still come through Jesus Christ. Don't ever loose hope in the Savior! He who is in us is greater then he who is in the world! -John, An Apostle of Jesus Christ