I could cite a bunch of statistics for you about how persecuted believers are around the world (more people died for faith in Christ in the 20th century than all other centuries combined), or how people in the United States are actually becoming more religious, but less Christian (true story, by the way- we are a nation of heretics, properly speaking).
It occurs to me, though, that adherence is less of a problem than the actual message people attribute to Christ. The more I talk to people or read articles, the more I think that people have rejected a caricature of Christ, not Christ Himself. Sometimes this confusion comes from Christians themselves; whether in creed or in life, sometimes our message confuses the message of the gospel.
I recall a time shortly after I was converted to Christ when a close friend asked me how he could have what I had discovered in Christ. I told him he needed to swear less. I still blush about that, but it’s more understandable that you might think. I had only sworn for about six months of my life (I was a very nice unbeliever), and one of the first things God “cleaned up” in me was my language. I still struggled with it, but “you need to swear less” was more or less the gospel to me.
Fortunately, that didn’t last. What God teaches us in His Word is that we all have sinned against His righteousness, so we are naturally alienated from Him. If nothing changes, our eternity will be in hell. The good news of the gospel is that God did something about that sin, and that message is worth living for, dying for, and proclaiming to precious, eternal human souls wherever they live, starting with our own homes.
In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Wade
PS- I am thankful for your support of Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary (flbc.edu), both individually and as a congregation. Abiding Savior has been a friend to me for years, and a big part of Living Word’s life and history, where I served as a pastor and learned to be a pastor. You should also know that I want you to attend, or encourage others to attend, FLBC after high school. I’ve met only a handful of people who regret doing so, but hundreds who wish they had. Start here. Go anywhere. Grounded in God’s Word.
