God sent his only son to die for our sins (John 3:16). Jesus not only came to set us free (Galatians 5:1) but he also came to bring a sword (Matthew 10:34). This sword was not intended to strike down our fellow man because we are to be gentle as doves (Matthew 10:16). However, this sword speaks to the division that the word, the truth, would cause. The Pharisees and Sadducees saw Jesus as a threat because he brought the truth which helped point out their intentions. They were religious, holding onto traditions and practices that honored themselves and not the one true God. Therefore they had to remove the threat that challenged their authority. Religious people killed Jesus. What do you think the religious people of today will do to you?
Fans vs Followers
Two blind men hear that Jesus, followed by a multitude of people, is passing by (Matthew 20:29). They begin to cry out his name because they know that he can heal them. As they shout, members of the multitude warn them to be quiet. It does not appear that they are fond of these blind men interrupting their experience.
The multitude appear more like fans then followers. What I mean is, a follower of Christ understands that we are to help people find Christ. We are to spread the good word. If we run into someone that needs salvation or healing we point them to Jesus. However, members of the multitude were annoyed at the notion that someone else needed Jesus’ attention. They were selfish. This is because they did not have a relationship with God. Sure, they understood that Jesus could heal. Sure, they probably understood the commandments of God. They probably could tell you every fun fact there is to know about Jesus, but the fact of the matter is, they didn’t know Jesus.
How do you determine if you are a fan or follower? Look at your fruit. Does faith or fear move you? Do you have a relationship with God? You see, this walk is not about praising God and digging into the word on Sunday. It’s about what happens everyday. What kind of relationship can you build with someone if you only see them once a week?
Which are you?
- A fan can quote scripture, a follower will live scripture
- A fan can tell you about love, a follower will show you love
- A fan will skip scripture because it makes them feel uncomfortable, a follower will hide God’s word in their hearts
- A fan will count you out because they believe you will never change, a follower will pray for you without ceasing
- A fan will read about healing but turn to the world for its solution, a follower will speak against an ailment in Jesus’ name
- A fan will call a bible believing Christian an extremist, a follower will expect to be called an extremist
The Word vs The World
As believers we are to keep God’s word in our heart (Proverbs 7:3). This is most likely doable for a religious person until the word runs into the culture of the world. A religious person may use certain terms as to why they have decided to omit certain verses of the Bible. ‘Legalistic’ is one of those terms used as justification to simply do as one pleases.
The Bible is clear on how we should conduct ourselves as Christians. We should not commit fornication (1 Corinthians 7:1-2) however a religious person may say, God would not want me to be miserable. There is a verse that tells us not to have any other gods before the one true God (Exodus 20:3) however some worship themselves or some political leader like the president. You see, a religious person will often have the appearance of a follower of Christ until it’s time to follow Christ.
The Social Club
Look at the modern day church. We are getting to the point where our churches are requiring a vaccination for entry. Remember the word vs world? Why is the church following the world instead of following the word? The doors should be open to those needing healing or seeking salvation. Instead the church is looking like the multitude, quieting the people looking to get to know Jesus, or only granting entry to people if they meet certain criteria. Sounds more like a social club then church.
Can you imagine anything more religious then the body of Christ saying the following?
- You can’t come into our church because you have a hat on
- We don’t like ripped jeans at our church
- Perhaps you have come to the wrong place because you are not dressed appropriately
- At our church we want to make sure you are vaccinated before entry
- Your giving determines how close you can sit to the front row
These social clubs are great for entertainment, bringing in the most popular secular (yes this is a thing) and non-secular artists to the stage. These social clubs have a form of godliness but they move like the world. They move to the beat of the culture. They would rather be friends of the world, making sure to not do anything to offend the world. James 4:4 talks about how friendship with the world is enmity with God.
Faith will be criminal
We are seeing the rise of an Antichrist system that looks very similar to the system that will introduce the mark of the beast. Yet, some fail to see the similarities between vaccination passports and the beast system. There will be followers that stand up and try to alert the people. Will the church or the religious people of our time label them as extremist? Will they attempt to silence the people who choose to live by faith like they did with John? The answer is yes.
We live in a day where walking by faith can cost you everything. Think of the disciples that were persecuted or lost their lives. Now think about the believers of the present that will be persecuted. The religious ones will have no problem handing you over to the persecutor. You don’t believe it will happen? I urge you to study the bible.
They killed Jesus because the truth made them uncomfortable. His mere presence was a threat. They hated Jesus so understand they will hate you.