Last Monday we celebrated Martin Luther King Day. In Birmingham in 1963, Dr. King had organized racial minorities to demonstrate against the injustice of their “politically correct” segregationist culture and to stand as minorities for their right peaceably to assemble in public places. Many church people joined the police to violently quell the peaceful demonstration. When the police opened the fire hoses and released the attack dogs on the peaceful gathering, what were they thinking? Where was the Christian calling for freedom, justice, and equal treatment under the law? Where were the godly virtues that had made America great? Where was the vision of Dr. King and of the founding fathers who dared to dream of a great nation whose foundation was upon firm reliance upon Divine Providence backed by the truth of the Word of God? Men often feel wronged, slighted, and victimized by social injustice. What happens when the biblical virtues that we have stood for as American citizens have been trampled on and declared “politically incorrect?”
If you answer a fool like a fool, what does that make you? If you recompense evil for evil, you are playing in the devil’s ballpark. However, our Lord whom we follow, when he was suffered wrong did not respond in like manner. Only God defines “rights” and “wrongs” according to the righteous standard of his Word. Many of us have been indoctrinated by our culture and our environment to oppose God’s definition of what is right. However, the laws, rules, and regulations of man do not define righteousness. If the remnant of God’s people of a society do not understand God’s righteousness and stand in the gap against the evil of this world, there will never be enough police to arrest the law breakers. No society can survive and prosper unless godly men act according to God’s righteous standard when the need arises. Therefore, quit ye (conduct yourselves) like men. Be strong in The Lord and in the power of his might. Although the “politically correct” culture of this fallen world stands against the righteous way of our Lord Jesus Christ, he only is the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father but by him. The time has come when those who choose to follow the narrow way through the narrow gate to Jesus Christ are diametrically opposed to the broad way of our politically correct culture. Intimacy with Jesus Christ is the narrow way… to come into his presence and to know his heart.
Most men in our culture do not have a good role model that leads to following Christ. Most men did not have a godly father who modeled the attributes of their Heavenly Father. Therefore to turn against the darkness of the world, we must intentionally, purposefully, and deliberately develop an intimate relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.
To defeat the sin in our lives, we must have a passion in our hearts for that which is righteous in God’s sight… to stand in the midst of the spiritual battle, taking up the shield of faith to extinguish the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Jesus chose twelve of the most unlikely men of the world to be his disciples. He did not choose them for their worldly credentials. He did not choose the wisest, richest or strongest men. He chose lowly fishermen. He could have said that you will be warriors against the evil empire. However, His calling was not for his disciples to battle the adversary, rather, his calling was to be “fishers of men.” The calling of God is in the righteous authority of his son Jesus Christ… we are not defined by what we are against, rather, we are defined by him for whom we stand. We are defined by the righteousness of God in Christ in us. Our battle is not against the evil of this world, rather, our strength is in his righteousness alone. When the darkness of the devil confronts us, our declaration is, “in his strength you cannot pass here.”
Our sovereign lord has commissioned us as ambassadors for Christ. As his emissaries of our our heavenly homeland we have been given “diplomatic immunity” in this foreign land. Our mission and commission is to deliver the message and to be the message, for God has committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
God has called us unto freedom. Our freedom in Christ is freedom from the bondage of the sin of self centered selfishness. O Lord deliver me from the bondage of my earthen vessel, that the light of your spirit may shine forth. Without you we are empty jars of clay… for we have this treasure in an earthen vessel that the excellency of the power may be of you and not of us.
Our greatest test is not whether we rise or fall, for all have sinned and fallen far from the glory of God. Rather, the test is whether we get up when we fall… the test is whether we have the shameless audacity to stand for the one who paid for our sins with the priceless payment of his innocent sinless blood. Only Jesus Christ can balance the scales of God’s judgement. The issue is not whether I’m treated justly in this world. Rather it’s about my following in the footsteps of my Lord… when he was treated unjustly, he said Father forgive them for they know not what they do. Jesus came not into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. Three is no peace in this world… However Jesus said, my peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth give I unto you… let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Therefore, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exaulteth itself against the knowledge of God, take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Finally brethren, whatsoever thing are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
May God richly bless you.
Your brother in Christ,
Michael