A World without Christianity

 

As Christians, we're called to change the world! Believers have been changing the world for 2,000 years and will continue to do so.”

Have you ever put this together? Why is it that refugees usually flee to “Christian” countries? They flee to nations with a Christian heritage, nations whose government and worldview still have some foundation of a Christian worldview that greatly influences them.

  Frequently, Christianity is denounced as being violent, hateful, and hostile to human flourishing. Christ-followers are accused of being part of the religion of the oppressor class. We are told to shut up and “check our privilege” and “do the work” to repudiate Christianity’s toxic legacy. Yet, what would our world be like without Christianity?

  Our world would be crueler. Prior to Christianity care and compassion to the needy was regarded as foolish. At a time when many in the Greco-Roman world suffered misery and brutality, early Christians and churches offered care. Orphans were given refuge and education. Widows found aid. The destitute were given food. By the 4^th century, after Constantine became emperor, the church became the first organized institution of public welfare. The Council of Nicaea (325 AD) ordered that a hospital should be built in every town where there was a Christian cathedral. Christians pioneered the establishment of hospitals, orphanages, leprosariums, and hospices for the dying.
  Christ-followers were responsible for a wide range of social advances, including prison reform, care of the mentally ill, factory reform, rescuing women and children from sexual abuse.
  The missionary movement of the 19^th century affected healthcare and philanthropy globally. Missionaries opened the first hospitals, clinics and pioneered medical education in primitive cultures. Those endeavors resulted in longer life expectancies and lower infant mortality rates. In the poorest areas of the world where help is most desperately needed, today you’ll find missionary doctors and church-sponsored volunteers. Many of those missionaries will stay for life.
  If there is a huge famine, natural disaster or reports of genocide, most people in other cultures are unconcerned. As a Chinese proverb says, “the tears of strangers are only water.” Countries with a Christian foundation rush in to help. They do this because of the influence of Christianity.
  Injustice would be even more prevalent. The Bible teaches that God places a conscience in the heart of every human being and His moral law applies to both governors and the governed. These biblical truths have been the foundation for the “rule of law” and the regard for human dignity and freedom. They’ve inspired resistance to tyranny. They’re a defense against the excessive totalitarian claims of an all-powerful state. Throughout history you’ll find that it was Christians who were willing to challenge abuse and do the hard work for reform. Individual freedom and rights are most prevalent where Christianity has had the greatest impact.
  The world would be less free. Those of us in the West often take freedom for granted. The idea that every human is of equal dignity and should be afforded liberty isn’t part of most cultures.
  Greco-Roman society had no concept that every human life has intrinsic value and dignity. The Roman Empire was made up of around seventy million people—ten million of whom were slaves. Most societies through history have been built on slavery. Christianity is the only major religion to mount a comprehensive attack on the institution of slavery.
  The conviction that every human is made in God’s image stood in stark contradiction to the culture of the ancient world. The Bible’s teaching that “in Christ we are all one, whether slave or free” (Galatians 3:28) was revolutionary. For free people and slaves to share the Lord’s Supper as fellow church members was scandalous.
  Chrysostom (c. 347–407), who served as a pastor in Constantinople told the wealthy to buy slaves, teach them a trade, and set them free, telling them that when Christ came, He annulled slavery. Gregory of Nyssa (335–395) wrote the first comprehensive critique of slavery, attacking it for its violation of the free nature of those made in God’s image. The conviction that every human is Imago Dei was antithetical in the ancient world. By the 11^th century slavery in Christendom had, effectively, ended.
  But because of greed the transatlantic slave trade brought back the horror of slavery on a more terrible scale. It was Bible-believing Christians like William Wilberforce and so many others who worked tirelessly for its abolition. Britain abolished the slave trade in 1807 and slavery in 1833.
  Yet as the world loses more and more Christian influence, there are more slaves in the world than ever before. An estimated 27.6 million are victims of sex trafficking and forced labor. Yet, again, it is Christians who lead the way in opposing slavery and human trafficking internationally. The areas of the world where slavery is still condoned by the state also are areas opposed to Christianity. It still exists in some Islamic countries. Nearly two million Uighurs are incarcerated by the Chinese Communist party and subject to slave labor. Ongoing abuses associated with the caste system in India are one of the greatest human rights violations in history.
  Our world would be less educated. From the beginning of Christianity, education has been a priority. Christ-followers believe all human beings should learn of God’s works and ways. That means that they must be literate and should be able to read the Bible in their own languages.
  The earliest colleges and universities were founded by Christians. Harvard, Princeton and Yale all owe their origins to the gospel. It was Christians who pioneered female education in many nations. When you look at the scars of female oppression—whether child-marriage, prostitution, sex trafficking, domestic violence, genital cutting, or so-called honor killing—all are more likely when girls are denied education. Living standards are raised when people are given an education. Across the centuries and across the world, Christ-followers have devoted themselves to their neighbors’ good.
  Christianity’s various endeavors—in healthcare, philanthropy, education, and everyday work—have been driven by the biblical conviction that humans, created in God’s image, should all have opportunity to flourish.
  Does the world really want the vacating of Christianity? The outcome may be a monster that can’t be put back in the box.

Can we help you spiritually? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Finishing Well

The race is not always to the swift but to him who keeps on running.

One of the heroes in Christian History is William Wilberforce. As a young man, Wilberforce was very discouraged one night in the early 1790s after another defeat in his 10 year battle against the slave trade in England. Tired and frustrated, he opened his Bible and began to leaf through it. A small piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor. It was a letter written by John Wesley shortly before his death. Wilberforce read it again: “Unless the divine power has raised you up... I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that (abominable practice of slavery), which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? Oh, be not weary of well-doing. Go on in the name of God, and in the power of His might.”

  The slave trade ended because one British politician persevered and committed nearly his entire life to see it end. It took forty years and didn’t end until one month after his death. His lifelong perseverance brought about a radical spiritual and societal change.

  Perseverance is to be a trait of all Christ-followers. The Apostle Paul persevered. Near the end of his life he wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

  Yet, many Christians don’t persevere. Nearly every day we learn of another professing Christian, sometimes a very famous one, that’s become disillusioned and jettisoned their faith. Why? How does someone walk away from what at one time they so strongly affirmed that they believed?

  They had unrealistic expectations about God and Christianity. C.S. Lewis referred to this as the “problem of pain.” There’s an erroneous belief, sometimes taught by well-meaning Christians, that God will protect His children and their lives will essentially be pain-free.

  Such teaching flies in the face of the clear teaching of Scripture. The book of Job is right in the middle of the Bible. No one suffered as much as Job. Yet, he was one of the godliest, faithful men in all of the Bible. Beginning in Genesis all the way to the book of Revelation, there’s account after account, even promises of suffering, trials and unbelievable pain.

  God never promises us a pain-free life. The Bible promises something much more powerful, God’s grace to persevere through the worst pain (2 Cor. 12:9) and that all pain for the believer is temporary (2 Cor. 4:16-18).

  While some Christians, because of suffering or disillusionment, abandon their faith. What’s more common is a kind of passive Christianity. Often this is a believer who at one time had a vibrant faith but now are just going through the motions. They may still go church or call themselves a Christian, but something happened, perhaps a struggling marriage or wayward child. While they never say, they no longer “trust” God, they’ve become overwhelmed by pain and sadly, Satan has sidelined them.  

  God rarely conforms His plan to our wishes, which is a good thing. Better than that, we have a Savior who understands all of our sufferings because Jesus has suffered more acutely than any of us ever will.

  They feel betrayed by the Church or a Christian they admired. There are no words for the horror of a spiritual leader molesting or abusing someone under their care. Yet, we know that the poison of a lost world has too often contaminated the church. Then, spiritual leaders can be absorbed with their agenda and self-glory, not God’s. Some manipulate or use those whom they’re responsible for to promote themselves. Narcissism and empire-building is not just a secular world problem. It’s why James warns those in leadership or teaching positions of their greater accountability, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (3:1). Probably, the greatest betrayal takes place in the home with a parent who claims to be one thing at church, yet lives a double-life. While we all sin and none are perfect, such duplicity and betrayal leave deep, lifelong scars.

  The solution is to look to a Savior who was betrayed and murdered, yet trusted God. He understands the depth of betrayal that none of us can begin to comprehend. We must as the writer of Hebrews urged us to do, “Look to Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-3) who will never fail or disappoint us.

  They are covering personal sin. Each one of us is designed by God and made in His image, Imago Dei. We were never designed though to live with guilt or a pained conscience. As a result, one has to do something with guilt because the shame and pain can become unbearable. So, like our first parents, we cover ourselves with fig leaves. Some cover guilt with the fig leaf of bitterness or anger. Blaming others, continually focusing on them and how they have been wronged. It helps keeps us from having to look at the darkness within our own hearts. Others will abandon a Bible-believing church that teaches about sin and personal responsibility, yet keep some veneer of spirituality by being part of a church where, as Scripture describes it, their ears are “tickled” (2 Tim. 4:3). Sometimes they will even go to counseling to rid themselves of guilt and “repressive biblical truth.”

  The only true hope and cure is confession and forgiveness. Jesus died for all of our sin. Nothing surprises Him. He longs to forgive and free us from guilt. He’s the Good Shepherd searching for the lost lamb (Matt. 18:12-14).

  What’s the key to being able to endure? You can’t…on your own. We foolishly believe that we’re strong and sufficient in ourselves. We’re not. The key is to rely totally on Jesus. Paul gives us the prescription of perseverance and spiritual success, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). We plug into His power by regularly reading God’s Word, honestly praying and crying out for His strength, surrounding ourselves with other believers who pray, support and encourage us. And we must focus on our eternal future, the finish line. As Esther Kerr Rusthoi powerfully wrote as part of a hymn many years ago:

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,
Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Harriet Tubman: A True Christian Hero

“The good and the great are only separated by the 

willingness to sacrifice.”   Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

  Remember the commercial, “What have you got in your wallet?” Okay, I’ll confess. The favorite face I like to have inside my wallet is Benjamin Franklin. Unfortunately, he’s not there very often and leaves too quickly. When you hand him over at McDonald’s to be replaced by some of his lesser friends, the clerk will probably give you a look of disdain as she marks him up to make sure he’s for real.

  President Jackson is probably the most common face in my wallet. Having been raised in Atlanta, it’s rare for me to go anywhere without at least one Jackson tucked away. It’s called “mug money.” While I live in small town America where muggings are as common as traffic jams, old habits die hard. Add to that, I’m the only male in my family who’s never been mugged…I’d like to keep it that way.

  Too many of us tend to be resistant to change, especially if we’re conservative and the change smells like “political correctness” to us. Personally, I’m very pleased with the recent choice of Harriet Tubman to grace our $20 bills. I’d surmise many who are having such strong visceral reactions to this change don’t know much about either President Andrew Jackson or Harriet Tubman, other than he’s white and she’s black.

  In a day of growing political correctness and sensitivity, there could hardly be a more politically incorrect choice than Harriet Tubman. While she was a former slave, she could easily be the face for the NRA. She was known as the “Black Moses” because of the many slaves she rescued prior to the Civil War. Her rescue missions were very dangerous, so Tubman wisely demanded strict obedience from her escapees. A slave who returned to his master would likely be forced to reveal information which would compromise her mission. If a slave wanted to quit in the midst of a rescue, she’d hold a revolver to his head and ask him to reconsider. Asked whether she’d actually kill a reluctant escapee, she replied, “Yes, if he was weak enough to give out, he’d be weak enough to betray us all and all who had helped us, and do you think I'd let so many die just for one coward man?”

  While she never had to shoot a slave she helped, she did come close with one: “I told the boys to get their guns ready, and shoot him. They'd have done it in a minute; but when he heard that, he jumped right up and went on as well as anybody.”

  A foolish blunder today with our oversaturation of political correctness is the incessant judgment of yesterday’s choices by today’s standards. For example, do we think Harriet Tubman was right to threaten someone’s life? Personally, I can’t make that call. I’m just thankful she never had to make that choice. Yet, let’s not forget many innocent lives were at stake if her missions was discovered.

  The same is true of Andrew Jackson. One of the arguments made for this change is Jackson was a slave holder. But so was nearly everyone else. Do I believe he was correct or it can ever be rationalized? No, but I do believe there are things culturally accepted that even believers never evaluate in light of God’s Word because they’re so engrafted into the culture. Let me share just one example. Smoking today is a cultural taboo, yet not many years ago nearly everyone smoked, including many pastors like Spurgeon.

  As believers, we need to be biblically wise and cognizant that there are no good people, only a great God. We all have blind spots and chinks in our armor, often cultural ones. We must be cautious in judging others, particularly those from history. Yet, we often need to be better at judging ourselves and so thankful for God’s grace that He loves us in spite of our own spiritual blindness. It’s all of grace!

  Harriet Tubman was a Christian and a heroine. Raised in slavery in Maryland, she escaped in 1849. When she first reached the North, she said later, “I looked at my hands to see if I was de same person now I was free. Dere was such a glory ober eberything, de sun came like gold through de trees and ober de fields, and I felt like I was in heaven.” Yet, she was not satisfied with her own freedom and made 19 return trips to the South, helping to deliver at least 300 fellow slaves, boasting “I never lost a passenger.” Her friends and fellow abolitionists claimed the source of her strength came from her faith in God as deliverer and protector of the weak.

  “I always tole God,” she said, “I'm gwine to hole stiddy on you, an' you've got to see me through.” Incensed slave owners offered a $40,000 reward for her capture but she was never apprehended. “I can't die but once” became the motto of her life. With that philosophy she continued on with her mission of deliverance. For eight years, as America moved toward Civil War, she made many dangerous trips back to Maryland, leading slaves north to freedom. On each rescue mission she relied on God to guide and protect her. She gave all the credit to Him, explaining, “‘Twant me, ‘twas the Lord. I always told him, ‘I trusts to you. I don’t know where to go or what to do, but I expect you to lead me,’ and he always did.” No wonder she was known as Moses. Her faith deeply impressed others. Abolitionist Thomas Garrett said of her, “I never met with any person of any color who had more confidence in the voice of God, as spoken direct to her soul.”

  Later, during the Civil War, she served the Union as a scout, spy, cook, and nurse to wounded and sick soldiers. She even led an armed assault on Southern plantations, during which 750 slaves were rescued. In later years, she donated property to be turned into a home for indigent former slaves.

  Harriet Tubman was someone we all can learn from and emulate. She lived out being salt and light before a wicked world. Today there is even more evil that needs resisting. Each time we see her face on our money, may it remind us, as those who’ve been rescued, we, too, have a mission to rescue slaves…slaves of sin. As we grow weary, let’s remember her unflinching courage and unfailing faith in God’s guidance—renewing our efforts to be a “Moses” to the ones God has called us to rescue.  

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