It’s In the opening chapter of the Letter of James, in talking about the trials we face, James says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).
What does wisdom have to do with trials?
God gives us wisdom to trust in him in the face of trials.When we’re in trials, the onus isn’t on us to figure it all out on our own, to understand all that’s going on.
We aren’t called to have the answer for all of our trials and struggles. We are to consider and to count it joy when we are in trials because of the work that God is doing. But seeing his purposes, seeing God in the struggles, for that, we do need wisdom.
There are numerous Proverbs that talk about God granting wisdom. Proverbs 2:6 says “The Lord gives wisdom.” He points us to his promises, his goodness, his salvation. He can point us to the hope that is found in the gospel and grant a peace that surpasses all understanding.
James continues in verse 6: But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
I used to live in Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes. The water and waves are constantly changing, even through the course of a day. Sometimes the waters can be very calm and still. On a day when there’s no wind, it’s incredible how still the water is. It’s like a mirror. Other times the water is really choppy. And the imagery of waves that James is using: to be walking in doubt, constantly varying and changing. One moment walking in faith, the next moment doubting God’s goodness, or his plan, or his existence. The winds of situations blowing us too and fro, totally out of control in our faith, totally depending on conditions instead of cultivating an internal relationship and pursuit of God.
AND WE SEE PART OF THE PROBLEM IN VERSES 7 AND 8:
FOR THAT PERSON MUST NOT SUPPOSE THAT HE WILL RECEIVE ANYTHING FROM THE LORD; HE IS A DOUBLE-MINDED MAN, UNSTABLE IN ALL HIS WAYS.
James says that the person who’s doubting is like a wave of the sea, and here that person is called double-minded. Trusting God, not trusting God. Trusting God, not trusting God. Trust, no trust, trust, no trust.
We are following God or we are not. If we keep jumping between trust and doubt, we can’t expect to grow in wisdom or an insights of our situations.
The point isn’t that the slightest feeling of doubt ever means that God is not going to respond or be there. But if doubting and failing to trust God is a way of life, and just part of our outlook whenever things aren’t going exactly as we want them to go, there’s no blessing in that. And through a trial, there can be ebbs and flows of emotion. We might thrash at first, but when we’ve had some time, to know that God is at work. Trusting in God needs to be our general disposition
So when we face trials, we are able to turn to God to seek wisdom, through faith without doubting. When we turn to God in doubt, then we are doubting his goodness. Again, God’s purpose is not to give us a life totally free from any difficulty. We will have that one day, but he is growing us in holiness until that time.
This actual trust is what separates the men from the boys, when it comes to faith. K.A. Richardson talks about how there is no middle ground between faith and unbelief. We aren’t called to be double minded but to be single minded and totally focused on God.
We trust God in struggles and that trust is part of what helps us grow in faith.
But our overall disposition when we come to God needs to be to trust him. Not to be wishy washy, one week trusting in God, but keeping him on a short leash if we don’t get the immediate result we want, or the answer we want, to the relief we want. But even in spite of confusion, even when things don’t make sense, to keep on turning to God and looking to God.
Maybe you’re in a tough place with work right now. Your boss doesn’t seem to appreciate you. You’re overdue for a promotion, but it’s where God has you now. In that trial, in that period of frustration, to turn to God.
Trials are opportunities where we can grow with God or turn from God. Trials are situations where we can grow in holiness or fall into sin, depending on the choices we make.
Turning to God in wisdom of how to live, and wisdom of how to approach life, and the wisdom to recognize that God is good, always. And while trials and seasons are not always what we want, they are always intended for good.
We need to be intentional about staying in faith, not being moved by the current of life. Not being double minded, playing both sides with God, but having a steadfast trust in what God is doing in our life.
Originally published December 5, 2016
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Being born again is another word for the doctrine of “regeneration.” It is a supernatural work that God does within a person who comes to faith. All Christians are born again because all Christians have experienced regeneration. There’s no such thing as an unregenerate Christian. That’s not a Christian!
Being born again is about coming to Christ, turning away from sin, and trusting in Jesus as your Lord and savior. And when we come to him, there is grace. There is forgiveness for our sins.
But here’s a point that people too often miss. It needs to be a genuine faith in what Jesus has done. And the validation of that sincerity will manifest itself in a life that is transformed by the gospel. And if there is no change in your life, if there is no fruit, if there is no greater love for God, no appreciation for the work of Christ, no recognition of the cost of sins for which Jesus went to the cross, then for the sake of your own soul, you need to do some sincere soul searching into whether or not you actually believe.
There are so many things that we like to tie to regeneration. For some, they want to look at baptism. Baptism doesn’t confer regeneration to you. Baptism doesn’t make you born again if you don’t have faith. Baptism doesn’t mean anything if you don’t believe in the triune God in whose name you were baptized.
Some people like to tie it to their family. Mom and dad are Christians, or were Christians. “That’s how I was raised.” That’s a wonderful blessing. But that doesn’t mean you’ve been born again. The faith has to be your own. To
For others, it might be the Sinner’s Prayer. “I asked Jesus into my heart.”
But did you believe it? Did you place your trust in him? If there’s never been any evidence in your life that Jesus is in your heart, is he really? Don’t go through life thinking “I said this prayer one time,” or “I got baptized one time,” and that that’s all that matters if you’re living a faithless life.
This isn’t meant to undermine the justifying work that Christ did on the cross. How we are justified by Christ. And what a glorious promise that is. But that presupposes faith. This isn’t meant to undermine the work that God does in our lives, he does work in our lives through his Spirt but we have to have had faith in him to have the Spirit. We’ll talk about the in June. All of those things are still true.
But this is to say that a person who never did have faith still isn’t saved. And empty words don’t change that. And water doesn’t change that. The only thing that can change that is recognizing your inability to live up to a God who is absolutely perfect and holy. And that while you could not live up to it, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for you (Romans 5:8).
Jesus said “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” It’s the regeneration of God in our souls.
It’s not some inconsequential change. It is a monumental miraculous work of almighty God.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)
Nothing existed and God spoke the universe into being by the power of his words.
But when it comes to being born again, the regeneration that God works in us, God takes a person who is dead in sin, God takes a person who is opposed to him, who does not trust him, and he makes us alive. He gives us a new life, a new birth.
Originally published September 5, 2017
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22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
Prayer
Our heavenly Father,
You are sovereign over creation, over all that has happened, and all that will happen.
It says in your Word:
8 “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, 9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ 11 calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.
Lord God, you work all things according to the council of your will. May we rejoice in that .Nothing happens that is outside of your sovereignty. Nothing happens that you have not allowed. You have declared the end from the beginning. You have eternally known of your gospel for our salvation. You are sovereign over our lives. All of the good and the bad that happens is within your perfect will. All of our successes and failures you know. The days of our lives you know the number of. Lord, may we trust in that and in you. May we honor you, may we follow you, may we know you. Lord, on this weekend as we celebrate our independence, we do thank you for the freedoms we enjoy in our nation.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Introduction
We’re resuming in the Gospel of John this morning. And we begin another speech from Jesus. Just to remind us of where we’ve been in John. We looked at Jesus feeding a multitude of thousands of people with five loaves of bread and two fish.
Today, Jesus will interact with many who were in that crowd, who saw that miraculous sign, who ate that bread. They ultimately missed the real significance of what Jesus had done. We’ll see that this week, and in the following passage where Jesus says that he is the bread of life.
For our passage this week, it’s a microcosm of a major issue within American Christianity today.
And so I begin with a question.
If you’re a follower of Jesus, why are you a follower of Jesus?
And with that, we’ll jump into our passage. The first few verses set the scene for the conversation which follows. When Jesus feeds the multitudes, that story ends with the crowd wanting to make Jesus their king, Jesus withdrawing up the mountain, and the disciples setting sail in the sea. The crowd knows that Jesus hadn’t left with the disciples.
Verse 22: On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.
The crowd had not seen Jesus walk on water, nor is there any indication they were aware that had happened. It’s morning and the crowd is looking for Jesus. Quite possibly they still harbor the hope of making him their king and leader.
Verse 23, other boats start to come to where the multitudes are: Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
Tiberias was on the other side of the lake and a group of boats had come over and that appears to be the means through which some of the crowd were able to rejoin Jesus.
Verse 25, the crowd is reunited with Jesus and they address him. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
Jesus responds to the crowd but he doesn’t answer their question. Nor does he tell them of his most recent miracle when he walked on water and calmed the storm. Certainly those would have been incredibly impressive events for the crowd to learn about. But they’ve just experienced Jesus feeding them, and Jesus has a rebuke for the real motivation of this crowd.
Verse 26. Jesus says to the crowd: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
How can Jesus say that? The people had been highly impressed by Jesus multiplying the bread and the fish.
John 6:14: When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
And in the following verse, Jesus withdraws because he knows they want to make him king. Following Jesus is not about merely liking Jesus. It’s not about merely being impressed with the things Jesus says or does. It’s about being a follower of him. The bread was not about bread. The signs that Jesus did pointed beyond themselves. And the feeding of the multitudes in their hunger pointed to Jesus as being the one who feeds a world that is starving in sin. The people came to Jesus because a physical need had been met and Jesus says that is the reason why they’re seeking him.
They weren’t seeking Jesus to find out if he’s really the promised the Messiah, they’re not seeking Jesus to hear his teachings and learn from him. They’re coming to Jesus because he satisfied a need.
And that was a blessing. But the issue is if they want to make their loyalty and devotion to Christ contingent upon him continuing to fulfill their needs. That’s a temptation of the world. That’s a temptation for why many come to Christ.
Jesus gives the parable of the sower. A sower sows his seed. Some fall on the path and is eaten by the birds. Some fall between the rocks, grows a little bit but ultimately withers because it does not have sufficient water. Some seed falls among the thorns and does not have sufficient space to grow. And then you have the seed which falls in the good soil and grows and flourishes.
When Jesus explains the parable, he tells of how the seed is the Word of God. For some, they’re led astray. For others, they don’t have strong roots and fall away in times of difficulty. For others, they don’t have roots and the cares and pursuits of the world distract them.
Finally, Jesus says of the fourth group in Luke 8:15:
15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
Jesus knows that many of these people are not in good soil and are more enamored with the spectacle than the savior. They’re more focused on what Jesus does than who he is. They’re more interested in what he can do to meet their physical needs than their spiritual needs. Why are you a follower of Jesus?
There are all sorts of reasons why people turn to Jesus, look to religion. For some, it’s because of a health crisis; for others, it’s a health problem. For some it’s despair. And God uses that. And God meets us where we are.
But if we turn to Jesus just because we’re in difficult circumstances but don’t have beliefs about Christ which are grounded in the reality of who he is. If we come to Christ and are not rooted in the truth of what he did, we will be led astray.
Jesus is the savior of the world who came into a starving world to provide the eternal nourishment that humanity needed. That was the true point of Jesus feeding the multitudes. He’ll say that specifically next week when he tells them: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
(John 6:35)
Jesus had fed them but they missed the point of it. The feeding of the multitude was a sign which pointed beyond itself to who Jesus was and it pointed to the ultimate sustenance of the human soul which Jesus brings.
Why are you a follower of Jesus? It’s a serious question to ask yourself. To examine your heart.
You are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
Worshipping the gifts over the giver.
There is a modern-day temptation of the prosperity gospel movement.
If you’re not familiar with that term. The prosperity gospel is a movement that has its origins in America about a century ago and came to greater prominence after the Second World War. It has largely grown out of Pentecostalism and the Word of Faith movement.
It is the idea that it is always the will of God for genuine believers to be materially blessed and physically healthy. It’s essentially preoccupied with material blessings.
You are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
I’m not saying that this first century audience had a 20th and 21st century notion of a health and wealth gospel. But they’re drawn to Jesus because of him fulfilling a physical need. There are elements of what they believe which are picked up in the prosperity gospel movement.
It’s not the only place where we find this attitude in the New Testament.
Paul addresses a similar issue within the church at Philippi. Philippians 3:19-20:
18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
They’re not looking to take up their cross and follow him. They’re not looking to die to themselves and their sinful ways. They’re there because of a free meal. The theology that looks merely at the material blessings of God has many problems.
First, it’s not the gospel.
The gospel is the message of Christ crucified and his redemption of sinful people for the glory of God. He died to save souls. The purpose of life is knowing and enjoying Jesus Christ forever. The purpose of life does not revolve around material blessings.
Secondly, prosperity theology teaches things that are not Biblical.
It undermines the doctrine of suffering. The Bible does not hide from suffering. Prosperity theology believes that it is never the will of God for a person to be sick, to die from cancer, to struggle with depression.
The Bible teaches that the Christian life does involve suffering. God uses it and works all things together for good for those who love him. Romans 8:28.
God uses suffering to work his purposes. Story of Joseph. We referenced it last week. Joseph is betrayed by his brothers, but through that betrayal, it brings Joseph into Egypt which allows him to be in a position years later to save his family during a time of famine.
But we also see God’s providence and goodness through that evil.
Genesis 50:20: As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
God uses suffering to sanctify and perfect his people. James 1:2-4: 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Notice that James says to count it all joy WHEN not IF you meet trials of various kinds.
To quote my professor D.A. Carson, if you’re not suffering, just keep living.
Romans 5:3-4: we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope
God uses suffering so that we can have a positive influence on others.
Wonderful passage. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
God uses suffering to remind us that our ultimate need is in him. 2 Corinthians 1:8-9: 8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.
And we could talk for hours on many more passages. God allows suffering. In his sovereign will, God allows it. It is talked about constantly in the Bible and especially in the New Testament.
And you have televangelists and authors of popular Christian books who say the opposite of that. They’re teaching an idea that is not Biblical. Yes, God does ultimately promise healing, in heaven. But there is no promise given in the Bible that all true believers or faithful Christians will always experience healing in this life.
Third problem with prosperity theology. It turns God into your genie.
God does not primarily exist to fulfill to give you everything you want. A lot of times the things we want are not good.
If you have a child and just gave them everything they ever wanted, would that be loving? Of course not. Because a lot of things kids want aren’t good for them. Prosperity theology views giving not primarily as a way of giving back part of what God has given for the purposes of his kingdom, but as a way to receive material blessings back as a result of your generosity. Prosperity theology views prayer as a way to force God to give you what you desire. Prosperity theology believes that faith is rewarded by leading to prosperity.
Fourth, while turning God into a genie and believing in a theology where good things happen if you’re good enough or have enough faith, what that essentially teaches a person is that they’re in control of their own lives and destiny.
Not Biblical. The Bible teaches that God is sovereign.
Fifth, prosperity theology actually distracts us from true riches.
Ironically, God actually wants to give us so much more than what prosperity theology focuses on. But if we just focus on this world, on materialism, on what’s physical, we lose sight of that.
Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing.
Sixth, prosperity theology distorts the teachings of scripture and takes the Bible out of context
It cherry picks the Bible.
We’re going through the Gospel of John. Prosperity gospel preaching churches don’t go verse by verse through books. Because they have a theological belief system that is not supported by the whole of scriptures and so they pick and choose what fits their system.
You don’t have great scholars or theologians of prosperity theology. Because honest reading of the Bible tears it down.
Seventh issue with prosperity theology is that it relies heavily on special revelations from God.
I know I’m hammering on this topic this morning. But it’s a highly influential, unbiblical movement that influences Christians here in America and across the world.
Many of the best-selling Christian books are written by prosperity teachers and preachers who do not teach or preach the Word but preach a worldly message. Many, I would say most, televangelists fall into this camp.
Our world eats up prosperity theology because it tells us that it’s all about us. It co-opts the gospel and replaces it with worldliness.
You are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
Why are you a follower of Jesus? Is it because he is the way, the truth and the life? Is it because he is glorious? Is it because he’s worthy? Is it because he’s the savior of the world? Is it because of the gospel. That you were dead in your sins and that the only way to redemption was through his life, and death and because of the shedding of his blood?
I’m hoping that I’m preaching to the choir on this. For those of us who love the Word of God, who have reverence for the scriptures, the prosperity gospel must be seen as a counterfeit gospel.
But here’s my challenge. Because while we might not buy into a health and wealth gospel, we have so many blessings in our country that there can still be a temptation into falling into the trap of thinking that we’re good and that our lives should be good. We should have good families. We should have happy marriages. We deserve to not really suffer.
It’s a constant temptation. But the Bible makes no such promises.
Why are you a follower of Jesus?
The Biblical message is not that we should follow Jesus so that everything will be easy. It’s that when you follow Jesus, you’re taken from death to life. It’s not a promise of ease but it’s a promise that the difficulties have a purpose. It’s not a promise of getting what you want, but it’s a promise of all things working together for your ultimate good.
People wanted to follow Jesus because he took care of a physical need, but Jesus came in order to tend to our spiritual needs.
Final verse of the passage. Jesus has given his rebuke to the crowds. He’s exposed their heart and the real reason they’re following him.
27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
Jesus tells them to work for the food that endures to eternal life and that is the food which Jesus came to bring.
Not only did Jesus come to bring it, but it can come only through Jesus. As the end of the verse reminds us that it is Jesus upon whom God has set his seal. Jesus is the one who has come to bring eternal life to a sinful world. And he offers that life to you today if you believe in him by faith. Know that you are a sinner and that Jesus has come to forgive you of your sins and reconcile you to God.
Why do you believe in Jesus? Why do I believe in Jesus?
Tomorrow will be the fifth anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision which guaranteed the right to marry for same-sex couples.
In the years preceding the decision, state after state after state voted against it. 32 of 33 states where this was voted on, voted no. In 13 of those states, the vote wasn’t even close, with more than 70 percent of people voting to ultimately preserve the traditional American definition of a marriage. The will of the people was ignored and five justices -who are no more virtuous than the rest of us – declared the law by fiat.
Many years ago, the argument for recognizing the legal validity of same-sex marriages and unions was the “what if two people are in a loving relationship for many years and one is in the hospital. Their partner can’t visit them?”
We’re so far beyond that now. A celebrity says something critical of same-sex marriage and there’s a backlash, efforts to boycott and essentially destroy the person. If a business owner doesn’t want to support it, he’s a hateful and bigoted. The conversation has been crushed on this issue. In the popular cultural narrative, the only accepted response is enthusiastic support and affirmation. Dissent is not tolerated.
Last week, the Supreme Court enshrined LGBT rights into federal employment law.
This week, California banned state funded travel to Idaho due to Idaho’s transgender laws. In 2016, the NBA moved their all star game with Charlotte, due to a state law that disallowed transgender people from using the bathroom which corresponded to their selected gender. The World Health Organization, which had viewed gender dysphoria as a mental illness decided it no longer was last May. In several states, transgender identified females (biological males) have dominated women in athletic competitions. And this is all being seen as more and more normative.
This would have been unthinkable a decade ago.
In coming years, I expect the popular culture to have more and more support for the LGBT community. I expect more court decisions to go in favor of the LGBT movement. As I look around and survey our current climate, I see destruction in our cities, statues coming down, calls to defund the police. I see people going after our fundamental institutions. These are attacks on our society, our history, and our system of law and order. But the church is another major institution in our society. The church and our religious tradition is fundamental to our history and worldview.
There have already been attempts to force Christian businesses to go against their moral beliefs and provide services for same-sex weddings. We’ve seen more pressure on Christian adoption agencies to work with LGBT couples. With the latest rulings on employment law, churches and Christian organizations will continue to face opposition for their beliefs.
I do expect the culture to more and more come to be at odds with evangelical Christianity. Instead of coexisting, I think the church and Christian organizations will increasingly become targets of legal action.
I look at those who want to attack our society and institutions and see the LGBT movement more and more coming at odds with evangelical Christianity. Certainly there are members of the LGBT community who want to coexist and can agree to disagree, but as Marxist thought runs prevalent within the radical progressive movement, the LGBT movement will be used to undermine religious liberty while pushing a progressive ideology that runs contrary to the gospel.
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Paul was the greatest missionary who ever lived. When writing to the Philippians, he was in jail. That’s the last place he needs to be! Why would God allow this to happen? Wouldn’t it be better for Paul to be out in the mission field sharing Jesus?
Regardless of what is happening in the world, God is still at work.
In Acts 16, Paul was also imprisoned, yet in that passage, it was because God did not spare Paul from prison that he was able to witness to his jailer.And so it goes throughout the history of the church. Where God has been working in ways that people might not have expected. Powerful empires have tried to crush Christianity.
It’s often been true that the church has faced oppression. The blood of the martyrs waters the seeds of the church. And in places where it’s easy, where it’s common to be a Christian, there can be complacency. It’s easy to just assume everyone around us is a Christian. Whereas in other parts of the world, you actually have to take risks to acknowledge Jesus.
None of this is to say that we should want bad things to happen! But to be mindful that in the face of sin and injustice, noting stops God. The gospel is unstoppable.
Sometimes it’s because God does not spare people from the difficulties that people are in positions to evangelize and share the gospel. Sometimes through the wickedness and evil of men, because of God’s immeasurable goodness, he graciously puts them in position to hear the gospel that they don’t even deserve.
A modern example
During the reign of Nicolae Ceausescu, Romanian citizens were facing persecution from the government for transporting Bible across borders, sharing their faith, and even worshipping privately in their own homes.
Virginia Prodan was a Romanian lawyer who defended Christians of these basic human rights. Prodan was a Christian. She had suffered much for her faith. She had been beaten and torutnred. She had been placed under house arrest. One day, when returning to her office, one of her assistants told her a man wanted to speak with her.
The man was a giant, 6’10” which dwarfed the 5 foot tall Prodan.
He pulled out a gun and told her he had come to kill her.
WRITING IN CHRISTIANITY TODAY, SHE SAID: I CONSIDERED THE MAN BEFORE ME. BEHIND THOSE HATE-FILLED EYES WAS A CREATION OF GOD. HE HAD AN IMMORTAL SOUL, AND HE NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LOVE GOD HAS SHOWN IN JESUS CHRIST. AT ONCE EMBOLDENED, I MET MY KILLER’S EYES. “HAVE YOU EVER ASKED YOURSELF: ‘WHY DO I EXIST?’ OR ‘WHY AM I HERE?’ OR ‘WHAT IS THE MEANING OF MY LIFE?’ I ONCE ASKED MYSELF THOSE QUESTIONS.” MY VOICE STAYED CALM AND DID NOT WAVER.
HE SLID HIS GUN BACK INTO THE HOLSTER. I LEANED FORWARD. “YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE GOD PUT YOU HERE, AND HE HAS PUT YOU TO A TEST. WILL YOU ABIDE IN GOD OR IN THE WILL OF A MAN—YOUR BOSS, PRESIDENT CEAUSESCU, WHO REQUIRES YOU TO WORSHIP HIM? GOD HAS GIVEN YOU FREE WILL TO CHOOSE.”
The assassin didn’t kill her that day. He acknowledged that he had needed Jesus in his life. The power of the gospel had penetrated his heart.
But it was because God had not spared Prodan from that persecution that she had been enabled to witness to that man.
And there are other stories we can find in modern times from almost every empire that has cracked down on Christianity, that has persecuted Christians, of the gospel working through the cracks of the walls that empires have built up. The gospel is unstoppable. Because God is unstoppable at achieving his purposes. Even in oppressive regimes that try to totally crush Christianity, the gospel still takes root. The truth finds a way.
In our world, persecution and challenges shouldn’t be a surprise when the gospel is that Jesus came into a fallen world to redeem people to himself. It’s a message that’s offensive because it confronts people with the reality of sin. It points to the narrow way.
In America, we’re often times too comfortable.
If we think that we always need ideal conditions to share the gospel; if we think that the gospel always needs receptive environments to thrive: it doesn’t. Because the spread of the gospel, is not about our abilities and talents and planning. Not suggest this things are irrelevant. God does equip and gift people in different ways.
But even when it seems to be against all odds, it is the power of God through which the gospel reaches people. The gospel is unstoppable.
What does that mean to you?
It makes sense people would be hostile to the gospel. When Jesus came to redeem a world that was dead in sin. A world that was so sinful the it killed its savior.
And it’s not a shortcoming of God that he doesn’t do more to make the way to share the gospel easy. It’s his grace that he came to earth and made the gospel possible to be proclaimed at all. It displays his power and glory that the gospel still goes forth when people try to thwart his work.
People have tried to stop the gospel’s advance. And those people are dead and gone, but the gospel message continues because Jesus lives on.
Originally published February 6, 2018
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