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- Oct 26, 2007
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- 12,539
And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now. 1 Corinthians 4:12-13 NKJV
The apostles became models for the early church in a culture that didn’t want to hear the grace-centered Gospel that they were heralding. As a result, they were reviled, persecuted, and slandered. In Christlike fashion, they responded with blessing, endurance, and entreatment.
In Luke 23:34, Jesus uttered these words about the ones who hung Him on the cross: “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
You too live in a culture that is growing more and more hostile toward the Gospel and those who proclaim it. What is your first instinct when someone mocks your faith or slanders your for what you believe? Is it one of self-defense? Or is it love for people who don’t know any better?
In reality, their hearts are riddled sin. They are unable to turn the other cheek, but you have been called to do just that. The next time you face hostility for your faith, endure it, even going so far as to wish the other person well. It might just soften his heart.
Prayers: Lord, in our highly polarized culture, I often try to out-argue people who don’t agree with Christianity. Infuse me instead with love for my enemies.
The apostles became models for the early church in a culture that didn’t want to hear the grace-centered Gospel that they were heralding. As a result, they were reviled, persecuted, and slandered. In Christlike fashion, they responded with blessing, endurance, and entreatment.
In Luke 23:34, Jesus uttered these words about the ones who hung Him on the cross: “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
You too live in a culture that is growing more and more hostile toward the Gospel and those who proclaim it. What is your first instinct when someone mocks your faith or slanders your for what you believe? Is it one of self-defense? Or is it love for people who don’t know any better?
In reality, their hearts are riddled sin. They are unable to turn the other cheek, but you have been called to do just that. The next time you face hostility for your faith, endure it, even going so far as to wish the other person well. It might just soften his heart.
Prayers: Lord, in our highly polarized culture, I often try to out-argue people who don’t agree with Christianity. Infuse me instead with love for my enemies.
