Living Out the Gospel: Blessing Persecutors
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If we say that we are people who believe what we've got in the first 11 chapters and then live in a manner that is opposed to their teaching we bring that very doctrine that we claim to glory in into disrepute. The glory of God and of the great salvation is in a sense in our hands. [00:03:37]
If we talk learnedly about justification, sanctification, and glorification but still live like everybody else, well, you can see the inevitable reaction in the lives of men and women in their whole reaction to the gospel. But not only that, these things are so interrelated and intertwined. [00:04:29]
God has always granted his greatest blessings to those who have been obedient to his Commandments, to his instructions, the instructions of the Gospel as well as the law in the Old Testament. So if we really are concerned about our own happiness and our own enjoyment of the blessings of Salvation, this is the high road. [00:05:30]
That's how the gospel spread in the early Church in the early centuries. It was Christian people manifesting the Christian Life in their daily life and occupations. It was that that conquered the ancient world. Often they were not allowed to preach and especially in great meetings. [00:06:33]
A mere theoretical Christianity is useless. It's generally useless to the person himself. It is certainly quite useless as regards those that are outside. And indeed, I go further, a theoretical Christianity is a contradiction in terms, for the whole object of Salvation is to do something to us. [00:07:29]
No man can possibly live in the way that we are instructed to live here unless he is born again, unless he's got the life of God in his soul, unless he is the possessor of a new nature. There is no greater heresy, and it's been very common in this Century, than the heresy of thinking that you can get Christian conduct. [00:09:49]
Christian people are persecuted in some shape or form. Why? Simply because they're Christians. The world doesn't realize it, but it's paying a great tribute to us. The world can give you proof that you are a Christian in a true sense by persecuting you. It only persecutes the true Christian. [00:18:30]
The literal meaning of the word translated bless is speak them good, speak them good. It really comes to this: pray for them, speak them good even to God. Ask God to deal with them and to be merciful to them, do them good in the highest way that you know of, which is to pray for. [00:21:47]
Our attitude to persecution must be positive. Now, it's a very difficult thing, this. There is nothing that is more trying to us, perhaps, than the endurance of persecution. But it tests our profession, it tests the reality of our Christianity in a most thorough manner. [00:26:06]
You must start by reminding yourself of God's real reaction to you. You see, you are now in the position of other people and how you react to them. Right, start by reminding yourself of how God reacted to you and what God has done to you. You're a Christian now, all right, but remember what you once were. [00:30:35]
As a Christian and in this Christian way of thinking, you look at the persecutor and you draw the vital distinction between the sin of which he is guilty and The Sinner who is guilty of it. Now, there is nothing to be said for the sin. The sin is wrong. It is always wrong to persecute. [00:36:03]
You will see them as the victim of the devil and as people who are going to hell, and you'll be sorry for them. And you don't even stop at that. You see, the next step is you will desire their salvation. You'll say, what a tragedy they are still as I once was. Thank God I've been delivered. [00:40:00]
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If we talk learnedly about justification, sanctification, and glorification but still live like everybody else, well, you can see the inevitable reaction in the lives of men and women in their whole reaction to the gospel. But not only that, these things are so interrelated and intertwined. [00:04:29]
God has always granted his greatest blessings to those who have been obedient to his Commandments, to his instructions, the instructions of the Gospel as well as the law in the Old Testament. So if we really are concerned about our own happiness and our own enjoyment of the blessings of Salvation, this is the high road. [00:05:30]
That's how the gospel spread in the early Church in the early centuries. It was Christian people manifesting the Christian Life in their daily life and occupations. It was that that conquered the ancient world. Often they were not allowed to preach and especially in great meetings. [00:06:33]
A mere theoretical Christianity is useless. It's generally useless to the person himself. It is certainly quite useless as regards those that are outside. And indeed, I go further, a theoretical Christianity is a contradiction in terms, for the whole object of Salvation is to do something to us. [00:07:29]
No man can possibly live in the way that we are instructed to live here unless he is born again, unless he's got the life of God in his soul, unless he is the possessor of a new nature. There is no greater heresy, and it's been very common in this Century, than the heresy of thinking that you can get Christian conduct. [00:09:49]
Christian people are persecuted in some shape or form. Why? Simply because they're Christians. The world doesn't realize it, but it's paying a great tribute to us. The world can give you proof that you are a Christian in a true sense by persecuting you. It only persecutes the true Christian. [00:18:30]
The literal meaning of the word translated bless is speak them good, speak them good. It really comes to this: pray for them, speak them good even to God. Ask God to deal with them and to be merciful to them, do them good in the highest way that you know of, which is to pray for. [00:21:47]
Our attitude to persecution must be positive. Now, it's a very difficult thing, this. There is nothing that is more trying to us, perhaps, than the endurance of persecution. But it tests our profession, it tests the reality of our Christianity in a most thorough manner. [00:26:06]
You must start by reminding yourself of God's real reaction to you. You see, you are now in the position of other people and how you react to them. Right, start by reminding yourself of how God reacted to you and what God has done to you. You're a Christian now, all right, but remember what you once were. [00:30:35]
As a Christian and in this Christian way of thinking, you look at the persecutor and you draw the vital distinction between the sin of which he is guilty and The Sinner who is guilty of it. Now, there is nothing to be said for the sin. The sin is wrong. It is always wrong to persecute. [00:36:03]
You will see them as the victim of the devil and as people who are going to hell, and you'll be sorry for them. And you don't even stop at that. You see, the next step is you will desire their salvation. You'll say, what a tragedy they are still as I once was. Thank God I've been delivered. [00:40:00]
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