Now is NOT the Time To Quit!
It’s a new year but it seems that we are facing the same old problems: economic woes, violence at home and abroad, evil seemingly having a heyday and partying like there was no tomorrow. Even in the Apostle Paul’s day, sin and evil were rampant. Take a look at what he wrote in Romans 1:24-25:
“Therefore, God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”
In this crazy world, where everyone gets to pick their own “identity” (gender, race, species, etc.), and there is no standard (moral or otherwise), we might be tempted to think this verse shows that people nonchalantly “slip” out of God’s grace. So many voices screaming for attention, you might as well listen to the loudest voice.
Ponder the word “exchanged”. That is not a passive verb. It requires action on the part of two or more parties. When i was young, I would trade (exchange) one of my toy cars for one that I liked better. “I like your car. I’ll give you mine and you can give me yours.” If the other party agreed, then it was a done deal. It was accomplished with a conscious effort. The same goes for what is happening in this world right now.
Paul clearly states the case against those who would turn their back on God. They are willing to trade out and barter their eternity for a temporal and oh-so-momentary fulfillment. They do it willingly. They make a conscious and deliberate choice. And they, in turn, pay the price as He turns them over to their own wicked and debased selves! They do not make this choice with closed eyes. They stare God in the face and defiantly reject Him.
How are we, the Body of Christ, supposed to respond to a world so wrapped up in itself? Should we “let God take care of them” or are we called to continue to let the light of the Gospel shine in the encroaching darkness? I think you know the answer!
No matter how tempting it is to assume a fetal position and curl up in a corner, covering our eyes and ears until Jesus comes back, we are, indeed, called to be His witnesses. We must stand firm in our faith in Jesus and share the Good News. However, when sharing the Gospel, don’t expect a warm and fuzzy reception. 1 Corinthians 1:18 states, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”.
This world only cares about its own agendas and the Bible, in its eyes and estimation, is nothing more than a child’s storybook. BUT, to those who respond to the invitation in the Gospel, it is salvation from the darkness this world offers and is an explosion of the light of Jesus in their soul! We will be met with opposition but Jesus made it clear that persecution is an opportunity, not a hindrance (see Luke 21:13).
As we pray and work towards bringing the Gospel to the world and seeing more people added to the Body of Christ, we must remember this: church growth is not dependent upon how flashy the preaching is or upon the entertainment value or talent of the worship team. It does not depend on props or programs. Church growth occurs when people live their life fully submitted to God, walking boldly in the confidence and comfort that comes from the Holy Spirit. Let us take a cue from the early church…
“And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.” (Acts 9:31)