Christians and Freedoms
Martin Niemoller wrote,
“When they came for the Communists, I did not stand up, because I was not a Communist. When they came for the Jews, I did not stand up, because I was not Jewish. When they came for the Catholics, I did not stand up, because I was not a Catholic. When they came for me, there was no one left to stand up.” Martin Niemoller.
What I am about to say might not be to the liking of some of my Christian readers. Still I feel it must be said.
Jesus gave Christians the divine commission he stated,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.
Prior to Him sending his disciples on another “missions trip” he said to them,
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16.
If we as Christians are acting in accordance with the wishes of Jesus we will be shrewd (astute) in all our dealings with people. We will be innocent or as one translation of the bible puts it, “harmless” as doves.
We need to be like this in order to effectively reach the world for Christ.
Jesus also made it clear we are to show love to all people. When asked,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40.
Jesus however did not stop there He said,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:43-45.
That to me means loving even those we disagree with.
I would go one step further in modern society and say we should stand up for the rights of not only Christians but those we disagree with.
History has shown us that dictators and repressive regimes when they start to repress people they pick first of all on groups that are least liked in society. They then work their way up to anyone who opposes them.
Above I quoted Martin Niemoller an Anti-Nazi an opponent of Hitler who wrote,
“When they came for the Communists, I did not stand up, because I was not a Communist. When they came for the Jews, I did not stand up, because I was not Jewish. When they came for the Catholics, I did not stand up, because I was not a Catholic. When they came for me, there was no one left to stand up.” Martin Niemoller.
As Christians living in a secular society as we have here in the western nations we must stand up for the rights of all people to live as they wish and express themselves as they wish provided it brings no harm to anyone, even our enemies.
When Jesus said, love God, you neighbour, and even your enemy he was in effect saying love everyone.
Today there is a hot button issue in the church. Things many Christians see as sin, as doing things contrary to the will of God. But then I’m certain Jesus, and the apostles living in the Roman empire seen many things that were not pleasing to God. Yet they didn’t demonstrate and try and restrict or take away the rights of other groups. They couldn’t.
My point here is not whether something or some one is sinful or not. Everyone sins be they the Pope, an evangelist, pastor, or person sitting in the pew.
My point is we must be showing love for our fellow human beings. That at times may mean standing up for someone else’s rights and freedoms whether we agree with them or not.
Martin Luther King jr said,
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
In showing love and supporting someone’s right to do as they wish provided they are not hurting anyone builds bridges.
There are a lot of things Christians do not like. I’m sure the apostle Paul did not like the many pagan things he seen in the cities he visited but he never spoke against them. In fact he ministered to them in such away that in Athens he was invited by the philosophers to speak to them at the Areopagus.
Peter sat down and had dialogue with non-jews something not considered right at the time.
Jesus himself sat down with a group that were the pariahs of his day, tax collectors. Matthew’s gospel recording,
“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples.
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:10-13.
Jesus may not have agreed with the actions of tax collectors nor did Paul agree with the actions and lifestyle of many he would have met in Athens. But they respected the freedom the Roman empire gave all people to do and act as they wished.
Not only that they used those freedoms to present the love of God to them.
This is what we as Christians should do.
This is what true Christians do.
Please think about it.
Martin Niemoller wrote,
“When they came for the Communists, I did not stand up, because I was not a Communist. When they came for the Jews, I did not stand up, because I was not Jewish. When they came for the Catholics, I did not stand up, because I was not a Catholic. When they came for me, there was no one left to stand up.” Martin Niemoller.
What I am about to say might not be to the liking of some of my Christian readers. Still I feel it must be said.
Jesus gave Christians the divine commission he stated,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.
Prior to Him sending his disciples on another “missions trip” he said to them,
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16.
If we as Christians are acting in accordance with the wishes of Jesus we will be shrewd (astute) in all our dealings with people. We will be innocent or as one translation of the bible puts it, “harmless” as doves.
We need to be like this in order to effectively reach the world for Christ.
Jesus also made it clear we are to show love to all people. When asked,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40.
Jesus however did not stop there He said,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:43-45.
That to me means loving even those we disagree with.
I would go one step further in modern society and say we should stand up for the rights of not only Christians but those we disagree with.
History has shown us that dictators and repressive regimes when they start to repress people they pick first of all on groups that are least liked in society. They then work their way up to anyone who opposes them.
Above I quoted Martin Niemoller an Anti-Nazi an opponent of Hitler who wrote,
“When they came for the Communists, I did not stand up, because I was not a Communist. When they came for the Jews, I did not stand up, because I was not Jewish. When they came for the Catholics, I did not stand up, because I was not a Catholic. When they came for me, there was no one left to stand up.” Martin Niemoller.
As Christians living in a secular society as we have here in the western nations we must stand up for the rights of all people to live as they wish and express themselves as they wish provided it brings no harm to anyone, even our enemies.
When Jesus said, love God, you neighbour, and even your enemy he was in effect saying love everyone.
Today there is a hot button issue in the church. Things many Christians see as sin, as doing things contrary to the will of God. But then I’m certain Jesus, and the apostles living in the Roman empire seen many things that were not pleasing to God. Yet they didn’t demonstrate and try and restrict or take away the rights of other groups. They couldn’t.
My point here is not whether something or some one is sinful or not. Everyone sins be they the Pope, an evangelist, pastor, or person sitting in the pew.
My point is we must be showing love for our fellow human beings. That at times may mean standing up for someone else’s rights and freedoms whether we agree with them or not.
Martin Luther King jr said,
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
In showing love and supporting someone’s right to do as they wish provided they are not hurting anyone builds bridges.
There are a lot of things Christians do not like. I’m sure the apostle Paul did not like the many pagan things he seen in the cities he visited but he never spoke against them. In fact he ministered to them in such away that in Athens he was invited by the philosophers to speak to them at the Areopagus.
Peter sat down and had dialogue with non-jews something not considered right at the time.
Jesus himself sat down with a group that were the pariahs of his day, tax collectors. Matthew’s gospel recording,
“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples.
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:10-13.
Jesus may not have agreed with the actions of tax collectors nor did Paul agree with the actions and lifestyle of many he would have met in Athens. But they respected the freedom the Roman empire gave all people to do and act as they wished.
Not only that they used those freedoms to present the love of God to them.
This is what we as Christians should do.
This is what true Christians do.
Please think about it.
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