In these days of unparalleled prosperity and easy living it is almost unthinkable any more that as Christians we must accept trials, adversity, and attacks on our faith. When things are going so well in a material way why does the Bible repeatedly speak of suffering as a way of life? In Romans 8:17 it speaks about this: if so be that we suffer with him. Also in I Peter 5:10: But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that YE HAVE SUFFERED A WHILE . . .
Our natural inclination is to evade suffering. We prefer the painless brand of Christianity. How can we escape these divine reminders?
There are several ways that can be listed from recent events in our lives:
1. BE POSITIVE
Surely no one will criticize us for our views if we make all our remarks on a given issue of the supporting variety. If our leaders tell us that we don’t have to believe Genesis literally because, after all, it is only a poem. No historical value, only literary! We avoid conflict and suffering by accepting such statements. Can’t we trust our seminary-trained leaders?
2. DON’T BE NEGATIVE
We avoid conflict by refraining from contending for the faith. To contend for the faith is to don the armor of God and recognize that we do not fight against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers. When the Christian warrior had the discernment to identify a given teaching, such as evolution, as a threat to the church and its evangelistic outreach, and he rises up to object he is called negative! Is it possible that promoters of atheistic evolution are “angels of light” even though they are in the church? The Bible teaches that Satan comes disguised as an “angel of light.”
3. DON’T SOW DISCORD
When we object to the ruling of the clergy on the Calvin Board of Trustees that the 3 profs, who were alleged to be teaching secular humanism, may continue on the faculty, we are labeled as sowing discord. If we bring our complaint, pain results.
4. DON’T SAFEGUARD OUR CHILDREN
If we do, and allege that the college where our children are educated is departing from the faith and becoming secular, we are branded as trouble-makers. Please do not stand in the way of progress!
5. VOTE WITH THE MAJORITY
When 90-95% of the world believes in evolution and ridicules creation, it will cause pain and conflict if we side with the minority. But history has shown that on crucial issues the MINORITY HAS BEEN RIGHT. Think of the two spies in Israel who were outvoted (but long survived the other voters).
Mr. Peter Sluis lives at 27 Deerfield Rd., Wykoff, NJ 07481.
