I was listening to a speaker recently who said that he is so confident that the Christian faith is true – not because of physical evidence that he had researched but because nobody in their right might would create such a belief system thinking people would be attracted to it. In our Gospel reading we have the calling of the 12 Disciples – they were not coerced to follow Jesus but willingly followed because they believed in Jesus. They their jobs – their family – their security – in much the same way Abraham left everything behind to follow God. But look what Jesus sold them as to what to expect: See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles.
In our Gospel reading Jesus says the world will hate you because of me – that your enemies will be members of your own household – that he has not come to bring peace but a sword. Is this how you would promote something that you wanted people to join? So what is the selling point?
A while ago one of our readings had many of Jesus’ disciples turning away from him because they found the going too tough. So when Jesus asks his 12 Disciples if they too would like to leave, Peter stands up and answers on their behalf. Lord – to whom shall we go? YOU have the words of eternal life. That’s the sales pitch – eternal life. St Paul found a similar situation in his life when he went from a highly respected Pharisee with a huge future ahead of him to becoming a prisoner in chains because he had become a Christian. And yet Paul never complained. In fact he said – whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ – Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. And it is that faith that means so much for us that the enemies of God do not want us to have – the enemy being Satan and his legion of demons.
But no matter what happens to us they cannot take away what we have in Christ which Paul tells us in our second reading: Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand. And it is this peace with God – this justification by faith – this assurance we have of eternal life that makes our Christian faith so precious despite the hostilities aimed at us because of our faith. And Jesus himself promises us in John’s Gospel – I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
Suffering for the faith is challenging so we must keep our eye on the prize, as the saying goes – and remember what we are giving up if we reject Christ as our Lord. That’s what kept St Paul strengthened to keep going on when he tells the Philippian church: I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. So the suffering was not an issue for him – in fact he says – I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. And so Paul not only tolerates his suffering but he rejoices in them because he knows that he is on the right path which is the reason there is so much opposition to the path he is on. And in fact he says it strengthens his faith as he says: We boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
It is really sad seeing the decline of the Christian faith. We have a census this year so it will be interesting to see how many people declare themselves to be Christian. The last census fell below 50% for the first time. But this decline should not worry us about our salvation but it does worry us about how many have given up the free gift of God. You may have experienced hostility because of your faith. Some even experience hostility from those closest to them. Jesus said this would happen in today’s Gospel reading:
Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But it’s the promise that keeps us going as Jesus says: But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
It is easy to become disheartened when we look at the physical state of the church. Declining numbers – budgets getting harder to meet – divisions. But again, this is all part of what the Bible says will happen and has been happening since the very first church. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians states in the very first chapter: I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. Divisions in the church are not new!
The writer to the Hebrews also faced the challenge of believers deserting the church: In Chapter 10 the writer says: And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. The encouragement behind this urging – the Day approaching – specifically the Day of Judgement.
We have a real battle before us but again the bible reminds us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. So as my opening reference stated – the speaker was not discouraged by what he saw happening in the church but encouraged because it affirms everything that the bible says would happen. The Golden Age to come is not in this world but in the world to come which John saw in his Revelation: Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
It’s those last words – “these words are trustworthy and true” that you can rely on as the book of Acts states in Chapter 4: There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among us by which we must be saved. That name – Jesus Christ our Lord.
