It’s easy to say that you are a Christian when you are around other Christians. Taking a stand for Christ amongst non-believers is a completely different thing.
In the past, it wasn’t all that difficult but, over time, it has become increasingly hard to state Christian beliefs.
At least, that is what many Christians believe. The truth is, it isn’t any more difficult; however, the fallout of stating that you have given your life to Jesus has increased.
Society, in general, either mocks Christians or thinks they are crazy or dangerous. Very few people are ambivalent. They are either for Jesus or against him.
That isn’t surprising. That is what Jesus warned us to expect. He didn’t come to heal relationships but to divide them. He didn’t want us to compromise with non-believers. He wanted us to take a stand no matter what the cost.
He told us that families would be split apart over belief in his saving power. He knew that would happen even before he went to the cross to save us.
God has put it even more plainly. You serve either god or you serve Satan. There is no gray area. There is no in between stand to take.
When you accept Jesus and all that he has for you, it may come at the cost of broken relationships. It may cause other people to walk away and shake their heads in disgust or dismay.
Still, what happens in this lifetime is simply a passing of a second in the time of eternity. Would having an easy life here on earth make up for an eternity in hell?
I don’t think so. I can face whatever this life has and look forward to heaven with my father, God and Jesus, my savior.
For those who compromise, Jesus will look at them on Judgement day and say “I never knew you”. That is because, truly, they will never have actually accepted the truth of what Jesus came to do.
I’ve been looking at a “translation” of the Bible which is not a translation at all. It is one man’s compromise of the Word of God to make money and gain acceptance.
The Passion Translation is not a translation. These set of books (masquerading as the Bible) are what this man has written. He says that Jesus took him to heaven and “downloaded” the translation into his brain. He also says that Jesus gave him the ability to translate originals texts in languages he doesn’t even know.
Even more disturbing, he says that Jesus will take him to heaven again someday soon and give him a new chapter to John. He is the one individual involved in this and he is reaping money hand over fist. He is an apostate and he is swaying people to things that are not true.
No matter how poetic and moving this TPT is, flee from it, Christians. It is not from God, therefore it is from Satan.
Take your stand on the Word of God. Other translations have many Biblical scholars and thousands of man-hours invested in them. They are peer written and peer reviewed. They can’t sneak their false doctrine into something that so many others are involved in.
If you know someone who thinks this is a good translation, set them straight. Let them know that it is a compromise and that it isn’t Christian. Let them know where you stand.
Stand for Christ and his true words, even if they are divisive to some. Just because non-believers are offended, it doesn’t make truth less true. Better you should lose some relationships, keep your spirit safe and, perhaps, point others away from a path that will lead them to hell.
Mark 8:34-38
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.
What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”