Jesus. The real Jesus, as defined in the Bible, is offensive to a lost world.

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. (John 3:19-20)

Jesus-in-you is increasingly offensive to a lost world.

Lost people are offended that you believe what God defines as sin, in His Bible, to be sin (and wrong).

For the truth is, they are offended that the One who created them should rule over them in any way.

In fact, their rebellion goes so deep, that some, go so far as to refuse God, who formed them in their mother’s womb, and created them male and female (Gen 5:2) to even define whether they are male or female.

Let’s see this cultural phenomenon as what it is. Rebellion against God.

But, Christian, we were all rebellious in our sins. We’ve all gone our own way before we yielded to God’s better way.

We’ve all thought we could find our own peace, and create our own joy, only to find we came up miserably short.

But by God’s amazing grace, before it was too late, and we died lost in our sin, we found hope in surrender to the One who not only created us, but loves us with an unending love.

We found salvation, in Christ the Lord, and His ways to better than our ways ever were. (Isa 55:8-9)

When we look at this lost world, may we remember we are but witnesses of God’s amazing goodness. We are but beggars telling other beggars where we have found bread.

Though we are saddened by what we are seeing, may we not lose our love or our hope for the lost to be found.

May God help us to see them as He sees them. May He give us a love for those enslaved to sin (but not just love) but also a desire to see them walk in the freedom we know.

But, may we never cloak the way to freedom by compromising truth. Let’s speak it. May God’s words not depart from our mouths (Isa 59:21).

Let’s remember we are the light of the world. The time is short. The consequences are huge.

God tells us, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. “(Matt 5:11-16)

May the lost be found!
May God be glorified!

Saturdaymorningthoughts

I’ll be back in Philippians Monday. Join us!

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