Peace? No! A Sword!

Luke 12:49-53 ESV

“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Well, these are words that you don’t hear taught much at all in the gatherings of what is called “church” here in America, if any. This is not the Jesus that most people paint a picture of these days. They paint Jesus as a peacekeeper and as someone who just went around doing good and who everyone loved and admired for his kindness, for his generosity, for his mercy, and for his compassion and his love for the human race. 

But Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:34-38 ESV

So, what’s this all saying? It is saying that when we come to faith in Jesus Christ, if our faith is God-given and God-persuaded, and it is not of our own flesh, our lives are going to change (Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 6:1-23). Our character is going to change. And this is not saying that we will be perfect overnight, but there should be definite evidence of a change of heart and mind away from living in sin and for self to now living for God in holiness and in righteousness, in obedience to his commands (New Covenant).

And that heart, mind, and behavioral change is not going to be well received by some people, including by some within our own families, and even by some within our own church fellowships. For even others who profess faith in Jesus Christ, but who do not necessarily take God and his Word seriously, are not going to be pleased with us if we all of a sudden get very serious about God and about following Jesus Christ with our lives and about obeying his commandments. And they may turn against us and hate us.

For if you take a close and honest look at the American church overall, though not necessarily as applied to everyone who professes Christ as Lord, I believe you should see that not many are fully dedicated to serving Jesus Christ with their lives. The majority appear to be following the ways of the world and marketing techniques and schemes for how to grow their “churches,” most of which are businesses of men being marketed to the people of the world. So there is not much of a distinction between the church and the world here in America.

And if you are not one of those who have blended in with the world and who have immersed themselves in their culture in order to connect with the people of the world, but you are living a holy life, dedicated to the Lord and to his service, you are going to stand out like a “sore thumb.” And you will be going against the flow, and so you will be faced with much rejection and criticism and even persecution because you take God seriously and because you do what he says, although not in absolute perfection.

Especially if you are a servant of the Lord Jesus in taking his gospel message to the ends of the earth, and so you are also one who is refuting the lies, you are not going to be well liked or received by the Christian community here in America overall. But you are not alone. There are other dedicated followers of Christ out there who are experiencing what you are experiencing, and if you can connect with them somehow, it can encourage your heart. For it can be a lonely path following Jesus wholeheartedly when so many people are taking God less seriously.

But you are also not alone, for Jesus was treated the same way, and so were his NT apostles and the prophets before them. And Jesus told us that if we follow him with our lives that we are going to be hated and persecuted like he was. And who were his enemies? They were “church” people. They were his physical brothers, too, and they were leaders and rulers and people of influence in the temple of God and in the synagogues, and they were teachers of the Scriptures. So don’t be surprised if even pastors of churches reject you.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Jn 17:14; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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