Bold Faith
As I write this and probably at the time that this post goes live, social media will still be ablaze with one central conversation topic: Charlie Kirk.
This past weekend, as I scrolled through my various social media feeds, I noticed a stark contrast in emotions and feelings around Charlie Kirk. Depending on which app I was on, I saw the whole spectrum of what people were saying and feeling in regard to Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
On my X and Instagram feeds, I only saw love, support, and heartbreak over Charlie Kirk’s assassination. I saw hopeful stories about people opening their Bible up for the first time, I saw people I would have never guessed were Christian start to share their faith. While I had heard stories and saw screenshots of terrible posts celebrating this event in the aftermath, I never saw one for myself. I never saw one from someone I knew.
Then I went on Facebook and was assaulted with people calling Charlie Kirk hateful, a bigot, and other lies. All of these posts were posted with the arrogance that comes with a society that lacks accountability around facts. These posts were shared as if Charlie Kirk’s status as a hateful person was as factual as the sky being blue.
When I first saw these posts on Facebook, immediately after seeing the posts on Instagram and X I started to question myself. How did I know so many people who had such opposing stances and views? I don’t think I live in an echo chamber of my own thoughts and beliefs. In fact, I try very hard to make sure I don’t live in one. Yet, the difference was so staggering. Why was I only seeing these hateful posts on one social media platform?
The difference is my salvation. The people I am associated with on Facebook are from my high school days, from early college days, from my childhood even. The people on my Facebook are from my pre-salvation days. It’s before Christ and his transformation in me. That doesn’t mean I don’t love these people or that I don’t pray for these people. I’m not out here cleaning out my Facebook friend list because of my beliefs and the staggering opposition to theirs. (Although, after I share this, they’ll probably be deleting me.)
The thing is, Charlie Kirk is called hateful because he boldly shared his faith. He believed the Bible to be truth and God’s word to be good. (This should be a standard belief for any proclaiming Christian.) Last week, we watched the assassination of a man who had the audacity to speak. That was all Charlie did. He spoke, he debated. He shared.
This happened in America where we have a shiny, beautiful document called the Constitution that guarantees our freedom to say whatever we want. The same amendment that protects our speech also protects our right to practice whatever religion we want to. The first amendment protects Americans from being told what to believe and what religion to follow by the government. Although, one could argue that in the effort to separate “church and state” by not allowing Christianity within a fifty-mile radius of a public school campus, the world has created its own religion. Since it was born out of the desire to not be religious, it isn’t recognized as a religion.
We live in a time where the government sanctioned religion of secularism is demanding that we ignore scientific facts and facts of nature. This secular “religion” that needs to be welcomed and followed has minimal hints of Christianity woven throughout so that when Christians speak out against it— they’re hateful, wrong, bigoted, and other adjectives that people will say in an effort to denounce Bible believing Christians. (“Jesus said to love” anybody?)
This past Sunday, my pastor gave a great reminder, one that I wrote down on the front page of my Bible just to be sure I won’t forget it.
“If the world loves you, you and God need to have a talk. ”
This immediately called into question how I lived out my faith. Earlier in my post, I pointed out people who I wouldn’t have guessed were Christian started to share their faith. This is a good thing but I started to wonder if I would fall into that camp for someone else. Would someone else be surprised to find out that I’m a Christian?
I know I’ve kept silent on my faith in situations because I didn’t want to rock the boat. I keep silent because I’m not a fan of internet debating or social media comment battles. I could analyze all the reasons why I wouldn’t want to rock the boat but the reality is it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter why I wouldn’t rock the boat. What matters now is that I’m okay with rocking the boat.
I’m not going to let those who don’t read the Bible, those who don’t follow Jesus, and those with wishy-washy faith or comfortable Christianity tell me what faith looks like. It’s so much easier to follow the world and not rock the boat. However, that path leads to destruction. (Matthew 7:13) I don’t want to passively pave my way to hell.
If the world loves you in your faith and how you share your faith, you’re probably following a false gospel. You’re probably sharing a watered down version of the gospel that makes people comfortable.
I don’t see any evidence in the Bible of Jesus making sure people were comfortable with his message and what he shared. In fact, Jesus went after the most comfortable in their faith—the Pharisees. They thought they knew it all and they thought they were the perfect image of faithfulness because of how they followed the law (and all the laws they made up to protect the law). Jesus came and started to preach the word, that the Kingdom of heaven is at hand, and performed miracles. The Pharisees tried to outsmart him. They said he was the devil or that he was getting power from the devil. They tried to twist scripture to “get” Jesus. They hated him so much they plotted to kill him. Then, they did.
The gospel is for everybody because it isn’t about the person as it is about the savior. Man has fallen and is separated from God. We’re all sinners and we have a desperate need for a savior. Jesus, came down as a man, lived a perfect life, died and rose again. His death was atonement for our sins. Jesus paid that price that we couldn’t. We are saved by grace and by grace alone. There isn’t a single thing I could have done that would have saved me. There isn’t a single thing you can do that would save you from eternity apart from God. Salvation is accepting Jesus as savior and Lord and then following and doing his will.
In Matthew 28, we have the great commission. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)
I’m not sure when it happened but Christianity has created this half-truth, surface level, easy going version of itself that will probably lead people to hell. What is the purpose of this type of gospel? I tend to call it “hippie Jesus” when I see proclaiming Christians water down the gospel or the Bible, or when I see an emphasis on loving one another while not calling out sin or speaking truth.
It is so much easier to claim Christianity when you’re following a gospel that allows you to live like the world. It is easier to claim Christianity when the gospel you share and follow doesn’t make you rock the boat.
I know, I’ve lived it—all while thinking I was really following Jesus and the Bible.
Which leads us back to what my pastor said. If the world loves you, you’re probably not living the gospel. The world hated Jesus. The world hated what he said, even as those who heard him recognized the truth and started to follow him, those in power sought to kill him. They sought to take him out. Even after Jesus’s death and resurrection, the council told Peter and John to “not speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” (Acts 4:18)
Jesus even warned of being persecuted and warned us that we would be hated. And you will be hated for my name’s sake. (Matthew 10:22)
If the world hated Jesus (which it did), and if the world still hates Jesus (which it does), how much more will the world hate you, the one who shares his teachings and speaks truth?
In Matthew 10, Jesus is sending out his disciples and warns them that they are going out as sheep in the midst of wolves. (10:16). In John MacArthur’s commentary, he defines wolves as false prophets. Those who persecute the true ones and seek to destroy the church.
It doesn’t take much searching to see how the church is being actively destroyed today. The world hates the church. The world hates Jesus. That is why we have sects claiming Christianity that twists and manipulates scripture to the point where it’s not recognizable. We have “Christians” that have condoned evil to the point where those who speak out against it are called the hateful ones.
This is what wishy-washy Christianity has led us. The Church is supposed to be a place for pastors to teach and equip saints to go out and spread the gospel and fulfill the Great Commission. Instead, we have big, full churches full of self-improvement mantras and worldly comfort. In an effort to win others to Christ by being passive, easy going, and keeping the “hard” stuff hidden away in a corner, we have created a false gospel.
In Matthew 10:34 Jesus says—Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Later, in Ephesians, Paul will describe the Word of God as the sword Christians pick up to defend themselves against the evils of the world. John MacArthur explains the Greek term refers to a small weapon. It is used defensively against Satan’s attacks but also used offensively against Satan’s strategies. Satan is the king of twisting scripture and I think we’re playing a catch up game because the world has bought and celebrated his twisting lies.
Our battle is a spiritual one. Here’s what we can do:
Pray frequently and often
Read the Bible, spend time memorizing the Word
Serve in ministry, share the gospel
and finally:
4. Be aware that in war there are casualties. I’m not talking about death here. When you choose to follow God, you are leaving the world behind. Our hope is in Christ and eternity and is no longer in what the world offers. The world isn’t going to like it and neither are the disciples of the world. Friends and family will cut you off, pray for them anyway. They will say hateful things, pray for them anyway. They will disassociate and hate you, share the gospel and pray for them anyway.