Active Duty for Christ

We are at war. When Satan invaded the Garden of Eden to attack Adam and Eve, he launched a war that continues to this very day and will continue until the second coming of Christ, and even then he will be released at the end of Christ’s thousand year reign to deceive the nations once again (Revelation 20:7-10). But until he is thrown in the lake of fire and brimstone, the war will continue. The soldier of  Christ is called to endure and suffer as God’s will is advanced against the tactics and schemes of the Devil. Yes, Satan is a defeated enemy and doesn’t do anything the Lord doesn’t allow, but he is still a formidable foe who ages war against Christian missions, prayer, and the genuine proclamation of the gospel around the world. His goal is to keep people in the dark and away from the good news of the gospel. His goal is to keep people’s lives so messed up they simply don’t have time to think about eternity or the things of God. One must understand that Satan’s warfare is waged in the invisible realm, however it often becomes visible in the form of false religions, cults, starving children, terrorism, homosexuality, sex slavery abortion, child abuse, video games, etc…

Please do not be deceived, the problems in America are no worse than they were in the days of Paul and Timothy. The Roman Empire was guilty of some extreme atrocities, to include homosexuality, abortion, and pedophilia. Did Paul not tell us that “in the last days difficult times will come” (2 Timothy 3:1)? Paul was referring to his time and ours, the “last days” began at Pentecost and will continue until the second coming of Christ. So as it occurred in the first century, so it does today. Sinful people will be sinful and crooked. We shouldn’t be surprised that sinful people abort babies, or murder each other, or have affairs, or that Islamic terrorists blow people up and cut off heads. We shouldn’t be surprised because Satan still “roams about on the earth and walks around on it” (Job 1:7).

While imprisoned in Rome and suffering for righteousness sake, Paul gave Timothy some vital instructions about how to endure and respond through wicked and immoral times. He didn’t say to retaliate, to seek revenge, to publicly rebuke, or to seek political retribution. The moral issues of our day are certainly bad, but the answer is held in the gospel, not in the entangling of ourselves with the divisive issues of the day. Paul told Timothy “no soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4). Translation, if certain affairs are counterproductive to a Christian soldier’s singular mission of making disciples and proclaiming the gospel, then it has become distracting and unproductive. That is why Christians must be cautious and use discretion when responding to the moral issues of the day. They will always be before us, but sometimes there is only once chance to reach a  person’s soul and to demonstrate love.

The warfare of the Christian soldier requires the same concentration as that of the military soldier. Time is short and God’s mission must be our priority.

Rice Christians

Every believer who shares their faith has been guilty of offering a non-believer an insufficient version of the gospel. As a compromise we offer people and others our form of the “American gospel” which promises that God will bless their life, make them happy, forgive your sins, and grant them a ticket into heaven. In most instances we do this by having our willing participant recite the sinner’s prayer. With our carnal minds we seek to pat ourselves on the back and congratulate ourselves for “bringing another person into the kingdom,” while most likely overstepping our boundaries as His disciples and pressuring a person to make a decision without fully explaining the costs of becoming a follower of Christ. In a sense we offer them only what Jesus can provide them, without telling them He demands their life and their full devotion. What we do is share an “insufficient gospel” that doesn’t address their depravity and sinful nature. We fail to confront them about their sin, the reason Jesus went to the cross. Confronting a person about their sin requires what the world labels as “judging,” but what the Bible calls a universal fact (Romans 3:23).

On the day after Jesus fed the 5,000 near the Sea of Galilee, the people came looking for Him and this is what He said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled” (John 6:26). As the one who searches the hearts and minds of people (Revelation 2:23) Jesus knew all they wanted was more physical food. Their desire to follow and seek out Jesus was superficial and was not based upon true belief, but was self-serving.

There is a phrase used in various parts of the world called “Rice Christians.” It’s a phrase used to describe false converts who were offered material possessions and incentives in conjunction with Jesus, but when the possessions were taken away or the incentives were removed, these “Rice Christians” reverted back to their previous religions. They were never regenerated by the Holy Spirit, thus they never became committed disciples. This was the case with the people who sought out Jesus the morning after He fed them.

Meeting  a person’s physical or emotional needs will never make him or her commit to Christ. The fullness of the gospel must be presented, including the cost of losing everything to gain “ALL.”

Evangelism is not completed until a new believer becomes a disciple. 

Willing to Suffer Shame

How many people are truly willing to suffer shame for sharing and teaching about Christ? Not many in the American church I’m afraid. Even more, how many people would rejoice for being arrested and imprisoned for teaching about Christ? Even fewer I suspect. Not only are pastors preaching prosperity, happiness, and comfort, but millions of American Christians are biblically illiterate. First, there is a disparity between luxurious and comfortable suburban churches and an environment that trains a person to suffer for Christ. If all a Christian knows is self-centered, self-help preaching and superficial fellowship centered about social activities void of the word of God, then they will be extremely unprepared when persecution comes calling. Unfortunately too many Christians are pursuing career, hobbies, sports, and self at the neglect of knowing and suffering for Christ.

Consider a military Soldier for a moment. What would happen if the soldier arrived at basic training, was ushered into a comfortable seat and then given a 45 minute pep talk? What would happen if they reviewed the field manuals on how to fight a war, had another motivating speaker, graduated, and were then sent off to war without ever having been tested and tried? Is this how we train our war fighters who will engage in physical war? No, not even close. Military training is challenging, tough, hard, and involves a certain level of suffering. Its designed to prepare the soldier to defeat the enemy during military combat. Is spiritual training any different? No, a soldier of the cross is willing and yielded to encounter whatever the Lord brings into their life as they are prepared, refined, and tested for spiritual warfare. This is how they learn to put on the Armor of God.

The point is that comfort and ease are counterproductive to having the mindset that is willing to suffer for Christ. It was following Pentecost that the disciples began to experience the effects of their bold faith and preaching, and in Acts 5:12-42, the disciples were arrested and put on trial. Following their release and the command to not speak in the name of Jesus ever again, the disciples departed “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Christ” (Acts 5:41).

The disciples didn’t complain, they didn’t grumble, they didn’t plead to their governmental officials for help, they rejoiced! They viewed their suffering for Christ as a blessing. These men were commissioned and were on a mission. When a person has surrendered themselves to Christ they expect and then prepare themselves to suffer shame for His name. 

On Alert

In the military, personnel are often put “on alert” in preparation for pending deployments or when a threat is imminent or possible. Most Americans have heard of the DEFCON system to alert military forces of potential threats and most might remember the threat level being at DEFCON 3 immediately following September 11, 2001, which simply meant that military personnel were to be “on alert” above their normal level.

Being “on alert” means to be watchful, to be ready, to stay awake, and to be vigilant. Christians are to be vigilant about their faith, to include the rapture of the church and the second coming of Christ. When speaking to His disciples Jesus commanded them “…to be on alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42). As Christians we are to observe the events that will unfold in this world as signs of His second coming, not to be afraid, but to be watchful and expectant that the end is near. Being on alert is the posture in which a soldier of the cross is to be in. Jesus said that we can expect false messiahs, false religions, wars, rumors of wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes, and a whole lot more. These things should not surprise a soldier of the cross who is “on alert.” Being in a state of preparation means understanding the orders of our General, Jesus Christ, while becoming more and more like Him each day. There is no better preparation than that. He increases and we decrease. He is exalted and we are humbled. He has already led by example and now commands His disciples to follow. He has suffered and now we are to share in His sufferings (1 Peter 4:13).

Perhaps most concerning of all is what will happen to those who are asleep and not alert to the events leading up to Christ’s second coming. For the unsaved who have rejected Jesus’ final payment for their sins or for the “evil servant” who has gone bad, they have been warned with the words of Matthew 24:50, 51. Jesus said “the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces…” Translation, they will spend eternity in hell apart from the presence of the One in which they rejected and failed to be “on alert” for.

The solution is to live everyday expectant of our Lord’s return and “on alert” as the general signs of His coming continue to unfold right before our eyes.