Christians, Are You Ready for This?
(Reading time: 2 minutes. Published in 2014)
I read an email from someone who participates in online groups where people share insights from their Bible studies. She wrote that in two groups, several people have begun posting disgusting and vile language, indecent pictures and ridicule for what the group members post. Two guys responded to a recent Bible insight by writing they’d have sex with Jesus.
My experience isn’t nearly that bad, but my Christian website is hit every few minutes by hackers around the world trying to break into it. These hackers aren’t necessarily anti-Christian – maybe they are, I haven’t asked them – but their activity reflects the increasing lawlessness and disrespect in the world.
These are two rather minor examples of what’s developing. We live in a corrupt and decaying world (Rom. 8:21; 2 Pet. 1:4), and those who belong to this world system are becoming increasingly intolerant of Christians and what we stand for. I see evidence of this in crude humor and spiritually-biased remarks by reporters on national news, hostile comments posted on online articles, legal action against churches and Christian-owned businesses, and TV commercials that essentially are soft pornography. While “tolerance” used to mean allowing others to believe what they want, now it requires everyone to reject beliefs in the existence of absolute truth and only one God. Our culture is deteriorating spiritually and pressure on Christian, biblical beliefs is increasing.
Are you prepared to be openly criticized, ridiculed, harassed and even confronted face-to-face in public for your Christian beliefs? If not, I suggest you begin strengthening yourself spiritually by reading your Bible, praying daily and learning to recognize God’s voice. The spiritual conflict is escalating and most Christians are not ready.
People who belong to this world system are becoming increasingly intolerant of Christians and what we stand for.