Life Matters - October 18, 2023
In the book of Revelations 22:12 God says, “And behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be.” The heavenly messenger told John there will be no more opportunity for change after the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are warned in the New Testament many times, such as in the account of the merciless rich man who died and went to hell (Luke 16:22). There was no way for him to go from unsaved to saved. There was no provision made for a return trip. The natural response to jolting statements like this is to begin weighing our works in a balance to see which side, whether good or bad, carries the most weight.
Am I merely exposing myself? I think not.
When our righteousness resides in the Person of Jesus Christ we allow God to judge our works. Faith in Jesus Christ affects our works, (James 2:18) cleansing and molding us into what God wants. But when we weigh the balance of our preconceived goodness against our perception of righteousness, we are naturally biased in our favor. I happen to know that “revelation” is more than a mere expose on myself, it really is human nature. When we allow God to judge through His Word and we accept that judgement as righteous and good, then only can we be truly free in heart and mind. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from our sin, and gives in exchange, the gift of a clean conscience. This regeneration affects our everyday life by which our faith shines into the darkness of this world.
A conscience formed by the Word of God is of utmost necessity, because our conscience can be defiled as we are warned of in Titus 1:15, “Unto the pure all things are pure; but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.” A defiled conscience is a dangerous thing because it easily misconstrues evil for good, and good for evil. When violence is taught as the antidote for evil, and evil is interpreted as anything contrary to the religion presented, a defiled conscience can quickly immerse the proponents of this religion into a bloodbath.
Islam is one such religion. Terrorist entities such as the Taliban, Hamas, Isis, Hezbollah, Boko Haran, etc. are various organizations of terror whose roots can be traced to one central religion, Islam. The teachings of the Muslim holy book, the Q`aran, command the death of all infidels, which interpreted in the mind of a devout Muslim includes all that are not of the Islamic faith. This is not to say that all Muslims are violent or dangerous. To do so would be a gross injustice. But if we deny the fact that the teachings of the Q’aran are at the root of Islamic terrorist groups, we do so to our own hurt.
Perhaps those speaking of reeducating the “dangerous” MAGA crowd would do well to redirect such efforts. Particularly by those whose conscience has been rightly informed through the reading of God’s Word. The Truth of Christ cleansing the heart and mind of an extremist is the most effective weapon available against terrorism. God bless the Christian missionaries ministering to the Islamic people, especially those working in countries whose government is in support of terrorism. “God is not willing that any should perish but that all come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Peter 3:9) The heart of God bleeds for the ones partying in the Negev desert as well as for those who violently upset a festival with the resulting mayhem and bloodshed.
And how are we Americans to respond to this newest crisis in the Middle East? I believe we need to allow news from the Negev to serve not only as a warning about the powers of Islamic terrorism, but also a reminder of the degradation all those who depart from God’s Word are capable of degenerating into. When the Bible is rejected, the fear of man fills the gap and fear becomes a means of control while the innocent suffer with the guilty. Back to the Bible is the only sustainable way forward. Will the regressive “Progressives” of America reverse course before it’s too late?
Life Matters!