Confession I am not a good Christian Purity 903

To see today's photo, go to mt4christ.org or follow me, M.t. Clark, at Facebook or Twitter. Good morning. Today's photo of a sidewalk pathway lined with park benches and street lamps on the shore of the Oswego River under the COVID of darkness and the light of a full moon comes to us from yours truly as I captured the scene during my night walk around the west side of Oswego, New York back on November 9th. Well, it's Thursday again, and as is my habit, I share a picture of a pathway as an encouragement to anyone reading or hearing this message to get on or to stay on the path of Christian discipleship. But I do it with a warning that if you should choose to pick up your cross and follow Jesus, you will be condemned or persecuted for your faith. Good news, right? Um, you would think that when we choose to turn from our sinful, selfish, or worldly ways, that our family, friends, and acquaintances would who acquaintances would applaud our decision to get right with God. But if you think that, you haven't read or listened to the Word of God that tells us quite a different story. Jesus warned his disciples in John 15:18-20, the world hates you. You know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember The word that I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:12, Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 4:12-13, Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to you which is to try you, as some strange thing that happened to you. But rejoice to the extent that you partake in Christ's sufferings, that when his glory is revealed you may also be glad with exceeding joy. So it shouldn't be surprising when you lose relationships after you come to faith in Christ. Following Jesus divides us from the world. Even family ties will be torn apart by the gospel that leads us to faith in Christ in repentance. Christ said in Matthew 10:21-22, now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated for— by all for my name's sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved. So this reveals that the world really is under the sway of the evil one, that we will have to endure in our faith even if it costs us the good opinion of others. Now that we know that we will be persecuted for our faith, and that Christ also commanded that we love our enemies and love our neighbors as ourselves, that we wouldn't, you know, you would think that we wouldn't do or say anything to provoke persecution. After all, Paul said in Romans 8:12-18, "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." So you would think that we should walk humbly before men and not say or do anything to offend anyone, right? So how did meek and mild Jesus address those who disagreed with him? What did Paul say when faced with opposition? How about Peter, who told us to take persecution joyfully? Jesus said in Matthew 23:33, Serpents, brood of vipers, how can you escape the condemnation of hell? He also said in John 44, You are of your father the devil, And the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. Rather than turning the other cheek, when Paul was hit by the order of the high priest Ananias, he said, God will strike you, you whitewashed wall, for you sit to judge me according to the law and you And do you command me to be struck contrary to the law? And Peter said to Simon, who wanted the Holy Spirit bad enough to pay for it, said, your money perish with you because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money. You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore, for this is your wickedness. And pray God, if perhaps that thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity. I point these passages out to not encourage open rebuke to our unsaved contemporaries, but would like to discourage the character of the silent, peaceful Christian that dare not say anything that may offend anyone. I am hypersensitive to this issue today because in an exchange with someone from my past yesterday that was admittedly a little contentious, um, I was told that I was not a good Christian and that I was a hypocrite. This person would claim to be Christian as well, I am sure, although they would perhaps openly admit to being of the non-practicing sect of Christianity for most of the year. Although, if I were a betting man, I might put money against it. They may actually visit a church at a Christmas service this month, but I doubt it. So why does this— why does someone who doesn't have a robust and rich relationship evidenced by fruit in their character or practice feel comfortable calling me a hypocrite and not a good Christian? Because they're spiritually blind, of course, but also there also exists this false view that Christians are perfect people— as I pause unperfectly— that never would say anything that would offend anyone regardless of how they live or what they say. Admittedly, I was pointing out a matter in which this condemner was not being responsible in. So they lashed out with what they thought would be the worst thing that they could say about me. I consider my relationship with the Lord and my intention to live out my faith— out my faith authentically to be very important to me. I seek to do the Lord's will in how I live my life and continually repent to be more in line with God's ways. So being sarcastic and unkind in my quote-unquote encouragements to be responsible were definitely not Christ-like. Or were they? Jesus and the apostles didn't always say nice things, so in the spirit of Christ and the apostles, I tried to provoke repentance, I guess. My choice of words were born out of frustration. You see, I have had this encouraging talk before. It's an ongoing thing and proves to get worse, apparently. Previously, I encouraged in general terms without sarcasm and unkind words and was condemned as not a good Christian then too. So when the situation came up again, I was short on patience and wisdom. And by the way things look, I will require much of each in the days, weeks, months, and possibly years until this situation is resolved. Currently, there is no end date to this drama. There is no promise of a good end. There may be sizable negative consequences because of it, so I will have to deal with it, either through legal action or by endurance and letting things resolve themselves, with or without suffering. I will deal with it, eventually, and accept whatever comes. But my issue in this situation is not the highlight here. Our Christian response is. We are to forgive, we are to repent, but, but we don't let the words of others allow us to doubt who we are in Christ. That's the key. Romans 8:1, of course, says, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. So I'm going to live in the Spirit. I need the forgiveness that comes through Jesus Christ alone, and I got it. So forgive me, Lord, for my unwise and unkind words, and help me to do Your will. I am not a good Christian, but the thing is, none of us are good. Romans 3:10-12 says, "As it is written, 'There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside, they have all all together become unprofitable. There is none who does good, no, not one. So don't believe the myth of the good Christian. We are trying to be more like Christ, but there is only one Jesus. Until we see him face to face, we will struggle and fail at times, but nothing will separate us from his love. So take the hits, but keep on walking and talking with God. And to prove I'm not a good Christian, I won't be providing a Bible promise book at the a Bible verse today because I'm out of time. A good Christian would have been able to do that, but not me. Um, but I am going to share, uh, from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Messenger on today's blog, basically with the message of the fruit. So if you want to read about the fruit from Matthew 10:40-42, um, go to M.t. Clark to check out that blog post. And I'm literally out of time, so I'm going to pray and that'll be it. Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Lord, forgive me for what I've done and help me to do better today. Um, lead me in the way I should go. And Lord, we pray for those listening that they won't condemn themselves because they're not good Christians, but will repent and seek to follow you today. Lord, we pray for you to go before us and open our eyes to the things we need to see and the things we need to do. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.