Why Are We Losing Ground?

1 Peter 5:5-11 (NKJV): Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” ⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. ⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. ¹⁰ But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. ¹¹ To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

It seems that we may be losing ground when it comes to be an influence in The World. Why? Because we are screaming injustice every time there is a wrong committed against us. And I am not saying that we shouldn’t speak up, it’s the approach we take in trying to correct. the injustice.

We have seen Christian groups who react in the same ways as The World when they are reacting to some injustice. They are screaming, talking and acting in the same ways. They are seeking vengeance either physically or verbally. When we look at passages like today’s passage, it seems that we need to react in a more humble way.

We hear, “You know you’re supposed to turn the other cheek”. What they are trying to say is that we to be silent. That we should take what they dish out to us. That is not what The Word is teaching us though.

On the other side, we see “Believers” raising picket signs that say things like, “God Hates …” (Fill in the blanks here. Basically it is against certain groups of people.) God did not say He hated people, He said He hated their sins. In fact, He loved us to the point of Death, so that we can be reconciled to Him through Jesus.

Romans 5:6-11 (NKJV): For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. ¹⁰ For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. ¹¹ And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

So, how should we react when we feel like we have been unjustly accused or treated? I think of the Greatest Example we had. Jesus, who knew no sin, was beaten and crucified for our sins, yet He did not cry out “Injustice!” When he talked to people about their wrongs, He usually addressed The Leaders of the synagogues (for a lot of us, the synagogues is like churches for us. They are basically the assembly where people met and fellowshipped) about their error in teachings (Matthew 21) When Jesus healed people, He would tell them to “Sin no more” (John 5:14; 8:11). He wasn’t necessarily saying that their sin put them into their sickness, He was bringing complete healing to them. He wanted not just the physical nature to be healed but the Spiritual as well. When he was in front of Pilate, who was part of The World, for his trial and asked about His accusations, He mostly remained quiet. He did say things like, “It is true what you say” (John 18:38; Matthew 27:11-14).

What it appears that we should be doing when it comes to injustices, is that we should be setting examples. We shouldn’t be carrying on like The World does. Instead, let’s pray and ask for direction on how to handle the injustices cause. Let’s seek direction from Our Lord. Let’s not be so quick to react, like The World. Let’s make a difference by being an example ourselves.