Dear Friend,
Have you noticed how we seem to naturally turn to the negative aspects when a religion is discussed? People usually put down others' beliefs, or focus on the faults of the religion. Allow me to illustrate my point. People typically don't talk about the dedicated prayer emphasis when the Catholics are discussed, or the strong outreach endeavors of the Jehovah's Witnesses. When the Baptists are discussed, it's usually not to focus on how they follow the Biblical model of baptism, and when the Adventists are brought up, usually one will say something about their following the "old Jewish laws", "legalists", or even call them a cult and not Christian.
As I hear these accusations, there are two things that come to mind for me. First, I have to remember that my human nature naturally wants to put down others so that I can feel superior, so I need to recognize that when other's put down my religion, it's nothing to take personally, but it's a natural thing that us humans just do. Secondly, the Bible instructs us to "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3:15. So how do we answer when someone comes up to us and asks us a question, or says something that puts down our religion?
The first thing to remember is that most people are simply repeating something that they have heard, and when they ask us it's an opportunity to clear up misconceptions. This is what I have found to be the case the majority of the time. So when someone comes and tells me something, I have to remind myself that this is a great opportunity to explain the Bible to them. Most people have open minds, and usually after showing just a couple of Bible verses they will tell me that they are glad we talked and it makes sense what we find in the Bible, and not what they have heard.
Other times people simply want to continue what humans have done since Cain, and that is to ridicule and try to stop those who want to follow the truth and obey God. Either way, the verse we read above in 1 Peter applies to each of us when people ask us about our faith, our beliefs in Jesus and what the Bible says. It not only tells us to answer, but how to answer them; in gentleness and respect.
Over the next few weeks we'll look at some of the more common misconceptions people have about the Bible, and we'll look at Bible verses that clearly explain the truth if one studies it with an open mind. Over the past several years I have heard a lot of replies when I tell someone that I am a Christian, and also when I tell people I'm an Adventist. At first I was very taken back by what people would say, and felt almost ashamed of myself. But as I have studied the Bible, and researched out the basis for my faith and my beliefs, my confidence in Bible doctrine has grown steadily. As I have found out from the Bible and from history, it's always been a minority on the side of right, and the majority has always been wrong. From the time of Noah and the flood (only eight were saved), to the time of Abraham, the time of Christ when all the religious leaders and the majority of the people were shouting crucify Him, and all through the Dark Ages, it was always the minority that followed the principles of the Bible. We see that being part of the few is not the exception but the rule when it comes to being on the side of right.
One final thing to keep in mind is a statement that Jesus made. Remember how He talked about those that were seeking heaven and He said it was like a person searching for pearls? Jesus made an interesting statement, and here it is: "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." Matthew 7:6. In other words, you will find those that want to trample your testimony and destroy your beliefs, and then, once they've destroyed your faith, instead of being your friend, they will turn and tear you to pieces. So, when we offer a reason for our beliefs, there will always be people who will be used by Satan to try to destroy our faith and our beliefs. And sometimes we have to just be quiet and not allow our pearl of great price to be run through the ground.
Alright, I'll look forward to looking at some of these issues in our next Pastor's Corner.
Have an awesome week! I'm praying for you!
Mark
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