Are you TAKING FOR GRANTED your Christianity?

Are you TAKING FOR GRANTED your Christianity?

It’s just so sad to note that many people who confess to be Christians, TAKE FOR GRANTED their being as a Christian. Some are, sadly (and sorry for the word), Christians by name. They don't really profess it. Their actions and sometimes, their words, do not match their Christian confession. Remember the rabbis in Jesus’ days? They proclaim that they are people of God, but what did they do? They facilitated the crucifixion of Jesus, their Savior.

The rabbis and some Christians today have something in common. They harden their hearts; knowing and seeing the truth yet rejecting it. They preferred to be deceived by the father of lies. They are being misled by what Satan offers – wealth or money, fame or name, power or dominion, name all worldly pleasures and treasures. Does this ring a bell? Yea, these were used by Satan to tempt Jesus while He was alone. And we know how and what Jesus responded to these alluring temptations. So as Christians whose name is rooted in Jesus CHRIST and whose name means ‘followers of CHRIST’, how should we respond when we face temptations?

Indeed, being a Christian doesn’t guarantee a very good and comfortable life here on earth. To be a true Christian is to be persecuted. To be persecuted means to “suffer because of beliefs” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) through “extremely bad treatment” (MacMillan Dictionary) such that “the persecutor, pursues (us)…with malevolent intentions, cruelty, and hatefulness” (Kapsambelis, 2010). Jesus had warned us of this. He said in John 15:20, “Do you remember what I told you? 'A slave is not greater than the master.' Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you” (New Living Translation, 2007).

But praise God! These persecutions make us more than conquerors through Jesus, our Savior, who loves us (Roman 8:37, New International Version, 1984). These persecutions give us more blessings and wraps us more peace (Matthew 5:10-12, Curtis, 2002). Moreover, Romans 5:3-4 reassures us that “we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (New International Version, 1984).

Curtis, D. B. 2002. Blessed are the persecuted. Retrieved September 14, 2010, fromhttp://www.bereanbiblechurch.org/transcripts/som/5_10-12.htm

Kapsambelis, V. (2010). Persecution. Retrieved September 14, 2010, fromhttp://www.answers.com/topic/persecution

MacMillan Dictionary. (2010). Persecution. Retrieved September 14, 2010, fromhttp://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/persecution

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2010). Persecuting. Retrieved September 14, 2010, fromhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persecuting

New International Version. (1984). Romans 8:37. Retrieved September 14, 2010, fromhttp://bible.cc/romans/8-37.htm

New International Version. (1984). Romans 5. Retrieved September 14, 2010, fromhttp://niv.scripturetext.com/romans/5-3.htm

New Living Translation. (2007). John 15:20. Retrieved September 14, 2010, fromhttp://bible.cc/john/15-20.htm