Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head."Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans 12: 14-21 (ESV)
The headline blared, "Jesus Is Not a Politically Correct Wimp." It was a headline designed to draw readers and generate amens from people who fancy themselves Christian but are far more interested in the Babylon our world is than their heavenly citizenship. The article, appearing on Charisma News, is yet another example of Christians with microphones who really need to shut up and read their Bible more before ever speaking again. The author, Bryan Fischer, is the director of Issue Analysis for Government and Public Policy at the American Family Association and "Christian" talk-radio personality. Here are the lowlights from this article:
"One of the perpetual myths well-intentioned Christians indulge in is that if we are just nice enough, winsome enough and persuasive enough, everybody will love us and eventually agree with us."
Fischer sets the stage for his diatribe by creating what is known as a strawman argument. I have never heard any Christian use this rationale as the basis for their faith. We are supposed to nice according to our key verses. We are supposed to bless those who would seek to curse us. We are supposed to be winsome and persuasive according to the Bible:
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, - 1Peter 3: 15 (ESV)
I guess Peter, who asked to be crucified upside down was a wimp according to Mr. Fischer. We are not supposed to be angry and confrontational but rather gentle and respectful. I might add here that our goal is not to have everyone love us. The Bible says the opposite. They will hate us as they hated Christ. We are not seeking people to "agree with us." We are to represent Christ and preach the Gospel. God does the drawing. God does the saving. We need to get over ourselves. Continuing in the article:
"By believing this lie, we have neutered ourselves in the public arena. Rather than winning others to our side, we have earned only their dismissive contempt. Rather than respecting us, they now feel free to punish us by shutting us up and shutting us down, and sending us off to re-education camps if we won't cooperate."
It is not because we believe this made up lie that we are neutered in the public arena. No beloved. We have earned the contempt of the world because of people like Bryan Fischer. People who brazenly say that they represent Jesus Christ but publicly have stated that hospitals should not be forced to care for people who cannot afford to pay. Someone who has advocated that in order to emigrate to this country, you should be forced to convert to Christianity. An equal opportunity hater, Fischer has said that all women are unfit for public office and military service and were designed to be ruled over by men. From the more bizarre side, in 2010 he blamed a grizzly bear attack in Yellowstone on America turning their back on God. I could go one, believe me, but let's get back to the article:
"But we do not serve a domesticated king. We serve the Lion of Judah, who is not, any more than Aslan was, a tame lion."
This is what happens when people use the Bible for their political agenda instead of trying to listen and understand what God is actually saying. Jesus Christ came to us as a lamb, not a lion. He was the spotless lamb. Our final sacrifice that has ushered in this period of grace. Yes He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah but that is a reference to when He comes again.
And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals." - Revelation 5: 5 (ESV)
Perhaps Mr. Fischer has been too busy studying the attack patterns of bears to realize that Revelation is a prophetic book. It is filled with things that have yet to come. He also seems to forget that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Not a hate monger spitting at the very people He wants to save. Let us never lose sight beloved that the very people Mr. Fischer is advocating we rail against are the same people God loves and wants to save. Fischer would continue:
"It's time to be done with the "nicer than Jesus" mentality. It never has worked, and it never will work. It only fools us into thinking we are being Christ-like when in reality we are only being wimps."
It has never worked for what? Has no one been saved? Does heaven not rejoice when one sinner repents? What Mr. Fischer actually is upset about is that the unsaved act like they are not saved! That Babylon acts like Babylon! In his mind, and the minds of so many who agree, if the people in the world would just behave better and accept what the Bible says, despite that it is utter foolishness to them, then God would somehow relent the coming judgment? The problem the unsaved face is the same problem we once faced and it is not behavioral. It is relational. They need Jesus Christ and sometimes we are the only chance they have to hear His Gospel. Unfortunately, Mr. Fischer seems to think it would be better for us to "get up in their grill" and smack them in the mouth. That of course will save absolutely no one. He sadly continued:
"Jesus had no hesitation about speaking truth to political power. The Pharisees and the Sadducees were the politicians of Jesus' day. They passed laws that controlled the details of the ordinary, daily lives of everyone who lived in Israel. They could arrest people for violating those laws, detain them, put them on trial, flog them, and even persuade the Romans to put them to death."
