A little birdie has sent me this wonderful comment to the left made by a gentleman (it is not my job, nor my place to shame people so he will remain anonymous) and it’s unsurprising. I really wanted to be done after my last post before the holidays, but that unfortunately can’t happen. This is meant to be a post of encouragement and warning at the same time. Christ told us “If the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hated you” (Jn 15:18, ESV) There is coming a time, soon, where this man’s sentiments will be the prevailing zeitgeist against all professing, true Christians. Anyone who professes salvation in Christ, being led by the Spirit, will be persecuted.

Now, I have heard the issues you all are having in your respective organizations, and I hear your anxiety and frustrations. I am not here to tell you it is going to be easy. Our King, while incarnate on this earth even told us it wouldn’t be easy. There will be many that think they can speak for our King, they can’t. There are many more that think they know what we as Christians are supposed to do, say and how we are to act (as you all have seen). They DON’T know this. What then do we say in response? What is our riposte to their unbelief?

The Lord has put everyone with a religious exemption using their faith in the Spirit and salvation through Christ on a pedestal for persecution and humiliation. Let this be your ministry just as I write to you now. Peter told us “Have no fear of them or be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to ANYONE [HR, Supervisor, vile coworker included] who asks you for the reason for the hope that in in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect“

So what answer do we give? What defense is our hope?

WE GIVE THE GOSPEL

I know some of you may feel pressured to lie or to finagle your way out of it. Stand firm on your foundations! Peter also told us “That those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander” Likewise Paul said he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Rom 1:16). We must realize we are coming to a point, and some of you are starting to feel the pressure, where we must stand for our King or the very mere mortal existence we have. Christ put it plainly that if we are ashamed of Him on Earth, He “will be ashamed of them when He comes in his father’s glory with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).

Like it or not, when you decided to use your credentials as a servant of Heaven as an excuse (while valid) not to take this vaccine, God had a plan for you. That plan did not involve lying about your vaccine status when solicited rather, that plan was for you to spread the Gospel of our King.

If people want to jest or act like they know our faith, let them; however, give them a taste of what our faith is, in love. It’s not faith in men, politicians, corporations or science, it’s faith in an eternal God and Lord of creation, who came as a man to sacrifice himself as the final payment for our fallibility, that that God could finally spend eternity with his Creation once again.

The world will treat you differently, as an outcast, that I will promise. However, our Savior said it best, “Take Heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33, ESV)

The time is near, stand for Heaven. Soli Deo Gloria.