Fresh Mannaby Pastor Tim BurtI recently received a call from a friend who is a fairly new Christian. He was feeling discouraged and confused. He never said much to anyone about his faith because he was just beginning to learn what it means to live for Christ. But he did have a Bible on his desk at work.At first, no one seemed to care. Then, little by little, the comments started coming.“What’s that for?” someone scoffed.“You’re not one of those religious people, are you?” another smirked.The mocking became more persistent. A coworker started cracking jokes about Bible-thumpers, and others joined in. Eventually, someone complained about him having a Bible in the office, suggesting it was "offensive." He was told he should keep his religion private.He called me and asked, “Why are people so bothered by my faith? I didn’t even say anything. I just had a Bible on my desk!”His experience is not unique. It happens in workplaces, schools, families, and even among so-called friends. Jesus told us this would happen:“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” – John 15:18 (NIV)The truth is, many reject Jesus because the gospel calls them to repentance. The world loves darkness rather than light (John 3:19-20), and when light exposes sin, people react with hostility.Jesus made it clear that His followers would be treated the same way He was.John 15:19, NIV says, “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” The world embraces sin, so when we live by God’s truth, it offends people who don’t want to change.Atheists resist God’s authority. God’s existence is clear through creation, but many choose to reject Him to avoid surrendering their lives. Many claim Christianity is forced on them, but in reality, they resist it because they don’t want to be accountable to God. Romans 1:18-20, NIV, says, “People suppress the truth by their wickedness… so that people are without excuse.”False religions oppose Christ. Many nations and cultures follow false gods and view Christianity as a threat. In Matthew 24:9, NLT Jesus warned, “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.”In some places, believers face arrest, violence, and even death simply for professing faith in Christ.False Christianity misleads many. Some believe religion, good works, or rituals can save them, but the Bible is clear: Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” This is telling us that Jesus alone paved our way to Heaven. It was impossible for us to do so He did it for us. Therefore, it is a gift and it's not something we can boast about. Religious systems outside of God never take care of the sin issue and there is no plan of redemption. Thisis telling us that Jesus alone paved our way to Heaven. It was impossible for us to do so He did it for us. Therefore, it is a gift and it's not something we can boast about. Religious systems outside of God never take care of the sin issue and there is no plan of redemption. False salvation teaches we have to work until we become worthy of salvation (Heaven) and we all know that is impossible. Sin is man's downfall and no one is capable of living sinless. Only Jesus was sinless and so He became the sacrifice for our sin!Social and cultural pressure to conform is strong. Even in the places were Christianity is welcome, there is still the constant bombardment of sinful influences who either persecute Christianity or work toward pressuring Christians to compromise their faith. Television and media is just an example of flooding what we see with sexual immorality and perversion. If you don't watch it or partake of drunkenness, drugs, or sex, you are perceived as weird or a religious kook. Romans 12:2, NIV says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Christians are often labeled intolerant when in truth, it is the world that is intolerant of us holding to biblical truth of salvation through Christ, and living by the standard God sets for our lives.Persecution is inevitable—but so is God’s reward. Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 3:12, NIV, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”But Jesus gives us hope, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10, NIV) Even when the world rejects us, God sees our faithfulness and promises reward.Will you stand firm today? Paul boldly declared, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16, NIV) No matter how much pressure we face, we must continue living and modeling our faith as well as sharing the truth trusting that God will work through us. It is our God-given purpose and destiny above all things! Can you say Amen!In my next devotion... What it means to suffer for Christ? We’ll explore what suffering for Christ truly means—and how we are called to love even those who persecute us.In His love,Pastor Tim Burt
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