Love is one of the most important doctrines of the Christian faith. The Bible teaches us to love our enemies and to pray for those who spite. It teaches us that people will know that we are Christians by the love we have for each other and for other people. I believe that with all of my heart.
In this day and age, however, it seems that Christians are hiding behind love as an excuse not to have courage. They quote feckless platitudes like, “God is love,” while not wanting to stand up for their faith. It is puzzling and confusing when someone puts a charge that says, “Christians, have courage! Stand up for your beliefs!” Only to be shut down by other Christians who say, “That’s not very loving. People will know us by our love.” No one ever disputes that. That is in the Bible.
“Take courage, all you who love him. Wait for him to break through for you, all who trust in him!” Psalms 31:24 (TPT)
When you use the love you have for people or even for Jesus to not stand up when your faith is being challenged, that is called something else: being a coward. I am not talking about engaging in meaningless mind-numbing debates with someone who only gets their information from social media, but when someone says, “Hey, you’re a Christian and it’s illegal for Christians to set up Nativities.” Uh, no it is not. It is protected by the First Amendment of the United States of America’s Constitution. You cannot come after my faith’s civil rights.
There are Christians, internationally, being beheaded, burned alive, mock crucified, martyred, and everything in the middle by atheists, radical Islam, the occult, and other religions, and they stand up for their faith with courage, we cheer them and hope to meet them in Heaven. However, when someone challenges our rights in America, the greatest country on Earth, we sit back and let it happen.
We let prayer be taken out of school. We let the Bible be removed from school. We let public prayers become mocked. We’ve allowed our Chaplains in the Armed Forces get their rights stripped away. Our only response is we became complacent because we did not want to seem “unloving.”
It is not just love. Grace and mercy are used as excuses for sin. All kinds of things from our religion are used so we can sit back and “pray” that things change.
Readers, faith without works is dead. We do not have to insult, ridicule, libel, lie, or attack, but we must stand up for our beliefs and not hide behind slogans that mean nothing without the power to back them up.
Stand up for yourself and boldly proclaim:
I am a Christian!
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, anime, movie, or novel you would like me to review.