Jesus Wins!

People often talk about "cultural wars”. Google gave me this description,

A "culture war" is a profound social and political conflict between groups with opposing values, beliefs, and lifestyles. It typically manifests as a struggle for dominance over a nation's "public culture"—the symbols, meanings, and laws that define its identity and future.

Often this rhetoric is used to push back against beliefs they disagree with. It’s merely a “cultural war” and why should your way of living be any better than mine, or someone else's. Ironically, the person arguing this way is all but saying, “If you would just believe what I believe, the world would be better!”

Do you hear the hypocrisy? You can’t believe what you believe, but rather, you better believe what they do.

Hypocrisy is all around us. We aren’t surprised by this. We’ve been reminding ourselves recently of verses like these.

The Spirit clearly says that in latter times some people will turn away from the faith. They will pay attention to spirits that deceive and to the teaching of demons. They will be controlled by the pretense of lying, and their own consciences will be seared. (1 Timothy 4:1-2, CEB)

Preach the word. Be ready to do it whether it is convenient or inconvenient. Correct, confront, and encourage with patience and instruction. There will come a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. They will collect teachers who say what they want to hear because they are self-centered. They will turn their back on the truth and turn to myths. 

(2 Timothy 4:2-4, CEB)

The father of lies is hard at work, spreading his message to the world. We are not in a cultural war. We are in a spiritual battle, where darkness is trying to overpower the light.

What is worse, is when we look at the news and hear people respond to events of our day, often it feels like the darkness is winning. If we wrestle with this feeling, what do you think it would have been like for the first disciples to look up at Jesus dead on the cross?

Complete darkness.  

And yet, Jesus did not face His death this way. He tells the disciples not to fight back when they come to arrest Him.  

51 One of those with Jesus reached for his sword. Striking the high priest’s slave, he cut off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put the sword back into its place. All those who use the sword will die by the sword. (Matthew 26, CEB)

Jesus tells His disciple, don’t you know if I wanted to win this way, I could?

53 Or do you think that I’m not able to ask my Father and he will send to me more than twelve battle groups of angels right away? 54 But if I did that, how would the scriptures be fulfilled that say this must happen?” (Matthew 26, CEB)

We are not in a cultural war. We are in a spiritual battle. We are reminded even when it may look or feel like Jesus is losing, He will win!

Blessings,

Pastor Matt