Thread: Should Christians Stand and Defend the Faith Against An Anti-Christian World?
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Should Christians Stand and Defend the Faith Against An Anti-Christian World?
Posted : 17 Dec, 2011 05:37 PM
Question: "How should Christians stand up for their faith in such an anti-Christian world?"
Answer: As Christians, the two things we can do to stand up for Christ are to live according to His Word and grow our own knowledge of Him. Christ said, �let your light shine before men�� (Matthew 5:16). This means that we should live and act in a way that supports the Gospel. We should also arm ourselves with knowledge, both of the Gospel (Ephesians 6:10-17) and of the world around us. 1 Peter 3:15 says: �But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.� All we can do is live and teach as Christ would and let Him take care of the rest.
Critics of Christianity have become more and more vocal recently. This is partly because there are many people who do not believe in God or understand the truth about Him at all. Yet, the apparent swell in anti-Christians is also due to perception. As with many topics, those who truly despise Christianity are the loudest and most vocal of the non-believers. The vast majority of those who do not believe don�t really care enough to bother believers. The few angry, vocal, bitter unbelievers make enough noise to seem more numerous than they are.
The typical insult from the non-religious crowd is to refer to believers as �ignorant,� �stupid,� �brainwashed,� or otherwise suggest that those who have faith are less intelligent than those who do not. When a Christian puts up a good fight by standing up intelligently for his faith, the terms change to �bigot,� �extremist,� or �zealot.� When people who know that believer is kind and loving hear this, the loud-mouthed atheist starts to look like the fool that he or she is (Psalm 53:1). Most non-believers have not had personal reasons to see Christians negatively, but they sometimes hear so much from the loud anti-Christians that they just assume it is so. They need examples of Christ-like living to see the truth.
Of course, when someone claiming to be a Christian says or does something that is not Christlike, the angry, loud crowd is there to point them out as a typical religious hypocrite. This is something we have been warned to expect (Romans 1:28-30; Matthew 5:11). The best thing to do is to point out a passage of the Bible that speaks against what the person did. For example, a murderer is violating Exodus 20:13. Point out that just because a person says they are a Christian, and even if they think they are a Christian, does not mean that they are. Matthew 7:16,20 tell us that true Christians will be known by their actions, not merely by their profession. And, remind them that absolutely no one lives without sinning at all (Romans 3:23).
The important thing to remember is that no one, no matter how persuasive, can force anyone to believe anything they don�t want to believe. No matter what the evidence, no matter what the argument, people will believe what they want to believe (Luke 12:54-56). This is true for both sides, since the angry antiChristian types are some of the least tolerant people around. But conviction is not a Christian�s job. The Holy Spirit convicts people (John 14:16-17), and they choose whether or not to believe. What we can do is present ourselves in a way that is as Christ-like as possible. Most of the �beating up� that Christianity endures involves actions that are not in line with Biblical teachings, or arguments that are deliberately twisted. It is sad that there are many atheists who have read the entire Bible, word for word, looking for ammunition to throw at Christians, and that there are many Christians who have hardly read the Bible at all.
It�s hard for the angry crowd to accuse a Christian of being a hateful, cruel bigot when that person demonstrates a life of kindness, humility, and compassion. When a Christian can discuss, debate or debunk secular arguments accurately, the label of �ignorant� no longer fits. A Christian who has read the arguments of the secular crowd, and can politely point out their flaws, helps to deflate the stereotype pushed by the vocal atheists. Knowledge is the weapon, and it is invincible when we let Christ direct us in how to use it.
Should Christians Stand and Defend the Faith Against An Anti-Christian World?
Posted : 17 Dec, 2011 11:19 PM
"Christianity" is merely a term used to mask the greatest darkness the World has ever seen.
You dare to run into a nation, [Iraq and Libya (recently)]set up an oligarchy favorable to your system of Babylonomics, fiat currency and corporate fraud, and you think that people, the true Children of God, should not be telling others, that "this is that hypocrite Jesus spoke of; this is that antichrist which is trying to steal the world, in the Name of Christ"..?
The word "ANTI" in the Greek does not mean "AGAINST CHRIST!" It means "INSTEAD OF CHRIST"! You are preaching a false gospel to mask the illusion of this religion's crimes against the World.
Should Christians Stand and Defend the Faith Against An Anti-Christian World?
Posted : 18 Dec, 2011 12:56 PM
What Causes a Critical Spirit?
1. Negativeness - A bad attitude and a negative view of life. A person may have unconfessed sin in their life (Rom. 2:1), or may harbor unforgiveness or bitterness toward someone who may have offended them (Heb. 12:15).
2. Insecurity - Criticism is often a subconscious means to �elevate one�s own self image.� By putting others down, they are inwardly trying to feel more important or that �they know more.� Jealousy toward the spiritual victories of others is often the cause of criticism and belittling comments. Popular ministers of the Gospel are often the target of such tactics.
3. Immaturity - Believers must always keep their focus upon Christ and His Word, not man, who will often fail (Heb. 12:2). The young or immature believer who has not progressed very far in their own faith, remain overly dependent upon the faith of those within the body of Christ. Unfortunately, when they begin to notice the flaws in their brethren, subconsciously, this becomes a threat to their own sense of victory. Criticism becomes a reaction of disappointment, because their expectations in others have been crushed.
4. An Unrenewed Mind - Put-downs, making-fun-of, criticism, sarcasm are the world�s ways of reacting to the faults of people. However, as Christians we don�t behave this way. Our thinking and attitude should be renewed by the Word of God, which teaches us to bear the infirmities of the weak, to love, and show compassion and encouragement (Rom. 12:2).
5. The Devil - As we may realize, the Devil specializes in influencing obsessive behavior. He may use any or all of the above channels, or other techniques, to influence a complaining or critical attitude to stir up turmoil and strife within the body of Christ (Eph. 6:12). We must be on guard that none of us would be used as a tool of the Devil to bring harassment or discouragement upon our brothers or sisters through continual criticism, as the Bible warns us not to �give place� to the Devil (Eph. 4:27). Remember that Satan is specifically called �the accuser of the brethren� (Rev. 12:10). Are you an accuser of the brethren? - The Bible says that the reason that we are to come together as a church is, not to criticize, but to �exhort� (encourage) one another (Hebrews 10:25). �Cursing the darkness� won�t change anything, but we must light a candle and �expose the light� of God�s Word. By sharing the truth of God�s Word, and encouraging people to live in its truth, people will change. Love and encouragement is a �motivational force.�
