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Why We Fight
by Jason Lovelace
Key Scripture:
Joshua 1:9
–
Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid,
neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou
goest.
Matthew 28:19-20
–
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto
the end of the world. Amen.
John 3:16-17
–
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not
send his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him
might be saved.
I
John 4:19
–
We love him, because he first loved us.
In the early days of the United States’ involvement in World War II, the Federal
Government of produced a series of movies and films, named Why We Fight.
In these films, the reasons for the USA’s involvement in the Second World War
were spelled out, from Japanese Aggression at Pearl Harbour and in China, to the
Battle of Britain and England’s plight and darkest days, to Nazi Aggression
against the Soviet Union, even chronicling the USA’s foundation to the
then-contemporary view that the United States was a Bastion of Freedom. Though
most of these films were played and displayed for newly-recruited US Servicemen
and woman, the general public at large were also permitted to view them during
the war to keep morale up, and remind the general population of the reasons for
the United States’ entry into the
conflict. Many people around the world, when encountering a Christian ask the
question, “Why?” concerning his or her faith, and why he or she is attempting to
spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This lesson will, in one way and from one
point-of-view, try to answer the question, “Why We Fight” for Jesus Christ.
We Love Jesus Christ!
The first and foremost reason that we live the way we live as Christians is
because of Jesus Christ, and his great love for us! The verse from I John and
John 3.16
say best the way that we feel. Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity,
became flesh, took on human form, and came to this Earth to die in our place, in
my place. He didn’t have to do this, but because of his love for each and every
person that has ever lived on the face of the Earth, Jesus Christ came, gave up
his life, rose the third day, and took away our sins, my sins, so that I can
spend eternity with him!!! When we think of what Jesus has done for us, when I
think of this, personally, I can easily see how unworthy I am, how I so deserved
so much and far worse than having God step out of heaven to take my place on my
cross of crucifixion. I deserved to cry out the words, “My Father, My Father,
why hast thou forsaken me?!?” (see
Matthew 27:46,
Mark 15:34),
I deserved each and every stripe from the scorpion whip that he received, and I
deserved to have the Father turn his back on me in that hour of death. Jesus
Christ, through and because of his great love, did this for me, and for everyone
who chooses to believe. In fact, Jesus did this for EVERYone: the
reason people go to hell and will go to the Lake of Fire
is precisely because they have chosen to reject this gift that Jesus Christ
holds out. It is because of this, this extremely wonderful gift, and Jesus’
execution in my place, and every other Christians’ place, that we go out, and
follow through with the call he has placed on each and every one of our lives.
More is Done Out of Love than Out of Forced Coercion.
There is a story of a wife who’d been married to a tyrant of a husband. This
terrible husband made a daily list of chores for the wife to do, and if she
failed in even one, punishment was waiting for her. This poor wife never was
able to finish the list, and her husband often abused her as a result. Some time
later, her tyrannical husband died, and the woman remarried. Her second husband
deeply loved her, cared for her, and treated her as if she were a precious
treasure. Later, as this woman was looking through some of her old things, she
found a copy of the list of chores that her first husband had given her. To her
great surprise, she found that she was doing everything on the list, and more,
for her second husband. The reason was, her second husband loved her, and she,
in turn, loved him so much that the chores she did for him that the cost was not
counted. Such is the case for Christians. World religions make many demands on
their adherents. Buddhism demands the seven-fold path and the nine-fold way.
Hinduism, while liquid in the number of gods one may worship, still demands its
followers to adhere to a strict code. Islam demands prayer at strictly set times
of the day, in set positions, and has five pillars of faith that one must follow
in order to appease Allah. Even Roman Catholicism demands its believers to
follow rules of confession in order for one to be able to attend mass. Very
rarely is the word “love” found in any of the world religions. Very few
Buddhists truly love Buddha; very few Hindu Followers love Vishnu, Ganeth, or
Kali-Ma; the Qu’Ran rarely, if ever, mentions love, and never does love extend
from Allah to his followers. The Bible, by contrast, speaks clearly and openly
of the love that God has for his people, for his creation. Those who follow God
are the beneficiaries of his love, his blessings, and his salvation. The reason
that many Christians suffer in many countries of the world is precisely because
of the love of God, that he has given them for people, those who are lost. The
reason why missionaries of every stripe, every color, and every culture have
gone out to foreign lands, often leaving home, family, and hearth forever, is
because of the love of Jesus Christ. There is a story from the Napoleonic era
that explains a bit this love that Christians have for Jesus Christ. A surgeon
in Napoleon’s army was working on an Imperial Guardsman that had been shot in
the chest. As this surgeon worked, cutting into the man’s chest in order to get
the bullet, the Guardsman cried out, “Surgeon! If you keep digging, soon you
will see Napoleon!” The love that this Imperial Guardsman had for Napoleon was
deep. In a similar, but greater, way, Christians as well have this deep, abiding
love for Jesus Christ, and, in the face of even certain death, we often will go
forward to do the will of Jesus Christ. You must understand, reader, we do not
go through hard times, difficulties, persecution, separation from family,
friends, loved ones, and all things familiar because God is some despotic
tyrant; Pastors do not take on congregations often hundreds or thousands of
miles from home, go through countless hours of Bible Study in Bible College and
Seminary, and take attack after attack from people and the Enemy because there
is a whip awaiting us at their backs; Christians in general do not walk the way
we walk, take the ridicule we often take, and follow the things that the Bible
says because we fear God’s wrath – rather, we do these things because
we love Him!!!!
Good News! Good News!!!
If you won the $100 million lottery, whom would you tell? If you and your spouse
had been trying for a long time to have a baby, and, on the day that the baby
was born, would you tell someone else, or would you keep that news to yourself?
If you had found the one person – that special man or woman for whom you want to
give your life in marriage – and he had asked you to marry him, or you had asked
her, and she said “Yes!”, who would you tell this good news to? In a similar,
but greater, way Christians carry Good News! We who believe that Jesus is Risen
and Lord have the greatest news that anyone could ever hear: Jesus Christ LIVES,
and he offers his salvation, his love, and God’s forgiveness to all who will
receive! Many who have either experienced something grand, or received some sort
of good news, spare no expense when it comes to sharing the good news we have
received. In one family, the elder son and his wife had successfully delivered
their first grandchild to the son’s family. The parents were called immediately,
and, upon reception of that good news, these parents took an 8-hour drive to be
with that son, his wife, and their new granddaughter. Following the
Battle of Marathon – a stunning Greek victory against an overwhelming
Persian Army – a runner ran nearly 50 kilometers to bring the news of the
victory to the citizens of Athens. In the same way,
Christians have the greatest news that anyone could ever hear: Jesus Christ
Lives! He offers salvation, full and free, to anyone who will receive it! Heaven
is just a prayer away!!! All that one needs do is believe and receive! Because
of this news, we are willing to pay even the ultimate price to see that the
message gets out, and many of our Early Church Predecessors did
pay this price. Of Jesus Apostles, only one lived to a ripe old age, and escaped
execution (though he did spend much time in prison). Every other Apostle
suffered torturous execution of one sort or another. Christians in the Roman Empire alone suffered horribly under the hand of ten
emperors, starting with Nero in the 60s AD, and ending with Diocletian in the
300s AD. Millions were slain in the arenas, were killed by beasts and
gladiators, and were placed on crosses and fiery pyres, praising the Name of
Jesus Christ. The reason is because of the love these martyrs had for Jesus and
for people. Down through the centuries, at the hands of every major religion in
the world, and every political entity in history (save one), Christians have
suffered. The reason is because we want people to know the freedom and salvation
that Jesus offers: this is the Good News!
We Love People!!
Just as Jesus told us that we need to love God with all our hearts, our souls,
our minds, and our strength, he also told us the second greatest commandment:
“Love thy neighbor as thyself.” (see
Mark 12:31).
This means that we are also to love people as we love ourselves, and Jesus
throughout the Gospels makes this so very plain. The story of the Good Samaritan
is an example of the kind of love we Christians need to have for people, even if
we are hated. Samaritans, as the one in the story (see
Luke 10:25-27),
were hated by the Jews yet, when the one in Jesus’ story found a wounded and
robbed Jew, he helped and cared for him, even willing to go into debt to see
this wounded and hurt Jewish man safely kept. In the same way, Christians,
though the world hate us (and Jesus warned us that this would happen [see
John 15:18-21,
16:1-4]) want to see people in heaven. We understand that our struggle isn’t
against those who hate us, persecute us, even kill us, but the Enemy of our
souls (Ephesians
6:12).
We understand that when those who hate Jesus Christ, who hate everything about
God, and who hate everything about the Bible and Christianity hurt or kill
Christians that they really don’t know what they are doing nor who they are
working for; just as Jesus forgave those who crucified him, so we, when we are
persecuted and killed, do the same (see
Luke 23:34).
Because we love people and want to see them in heaven, we fight the fight of
faith ,and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.
The “Other” Place Will Be Horrible…but Heaven Will Be Glorious!!!
Anyone who is a Christian does not want anyone to go to hell, nor the Lake of Fire. For someone to wish this is the
worst kind of hatred. It is always amazing to this writer how blithely and
casually people curse others in this way, both on TV and in the movies. The
phrase “Go to hell!” is the worst of curses. There will be no escape from
hell, and the Lake
of Fire is forever. Much
contrary to contemporary thought and popular culture, hell will not be a place
of partying, fun, and every desire fulfilled. Jesus Christ spoke on hell more
than any other subject. Here are a few of the ways that Jesus describes hell in
the Bible:
It is because of this place, and its horrible bleakness that we, Christians,
warn and want people to know of its reality. We do not
want ANYONE to go there! Heaven, on the other hand, will be a
glorious place, where God in person will be, and where crying, sadness, sin,
evil, and the devil and his angels will not be!!! We Christians want everyone to
go to heaven! We go out, live and preach the gospel, spreading the Good News of
Jesus Christ, because we want no one to go to hell, and everyone to go to
heaven. This is why Jesus Christ came, died, and rose again: so that we all
could have the opportunity to go to heaven, and enter forever into the Joy of
the LORD!!!
Christians Aren’t Perfect, but We are Forgiven!
Maybe you’ve heard that phrase before, but whether you have or haven’t, it is
true: Christians are still people, still prone to make mistakes, still open to
temptation and failure. The Good News of this is that Jesus Christ is waiting to
forgive if we sin (I
John 1.9),
and to help us make amends if we make a mistake. Christians often have divisions
and disunity on some things. This is why there are so many and sundry
denominations in the Church
of Jesus Christ. Most of these divisions
have to do with doctrine, interpretation of the Scriptures, and ideas about
theology; we remain united in the fact that…
-
Every person on the face of the Earth has a hunger, a desire, and a need for
Jesus Christ…
-
Jesus Christ is God, and the Second Person of the Trinity, and that he is
risen and lives today, interceding for those who believe on him.
-
That Jesus Christ was born of the virgin, Mary, lived and walked on Earth
for 33-1/2 years, lived a sinless life, and was crucified, rising again on
the third day…
-
We view the Bible as God’s Holy, Inspired, Inerrant, written Word, and that
everything in the Bible is relevant for today, just as it was when it was
written and put together, culminating 1700 years ago.
-
The Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit), the Third Person of the Trinity (see I
John 5.7), is active in each and every true Christian and Follower of
Jesus Christ. He is God, and that he is here to testify and glorify Jesus
Christ, and to teach his followers how to live, guiding them in their daily
lives.
-
Jesus Christ is coming again! Though there may be division on how, when, and
what way Jesus Second Advent will be, we agree that he will come; that those
who are alive at that time and have rejected him will face judgment; that he
will reward those who have trusted him as Saviour and LORD; and that he will
eternally reign, and that we will reign with him.
Along with this list of beliefs, Christians also want people to look to Jesus
Christ first. People – even Christians – are flawed, and open to failure.
Temptation abounds, and often Christians do give in, though we know we don’t
have to. Because of this, we Christians want people to look to Christ first. We
want newcomers to the faith to read the Bible, study, pray, and draw close to
Jesus Christ. Yes, there are many people and leaders in the Church of Jesus
Christ, who have lived great lives, and are living them now. They should be
looked at in the light of Jesus Christ, with Him as the guiding example. As the
heading of this point states, Christians are just sinners who have been forgiven
(Romans
3.10.
23). While we do have Heroes, both in the Bible and in real life, again, we
believe that they ought to be looked at in the light of Jesus Christ, and always
viewed secondly to Jesus Christ.
Not All Christians Fight.
There will undoubtedly be those in the faith who totally disagree with this
lesson. This writer knows also that there are people who call themselves
“Christian” who act totally opposite. There are Christians that have chosen to
sit out this fight for the faith, who have chosen to stay on the sidelines, and
remain inactive (see
Matthew 22:14).
There are some religions that call themselves Christian which are not due to
adding to or taking away from Jesus Christ and Who He Is (the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Watchtower Society [Jehovah’s Witnesses], Roman
Catholicism, the Unity Church, and the Church of Sunhyung Mun just to name a
few). Please understand that the differences to the world, and maybe even to
you, reader, may be miniscule, but to Bible Believing Christians like this
writer who make their stand on Jesus Christ and His written Word, the
differences are like the distance between the Grand Canyon in Arizona, the USA.
To take away from Jesus Christ is to demean his deity. To add to what Jesus has
already set down in the Bible is to take away from his truth, and the fact that
he died on Calvary becomes something less-than.
The Bible even states that there are many who will come in his name who will
work to deceive and take people away from him (see Matthew24:24-26;
Matthew 26:32,
41-46). The Lord Jesus also said that if you know the truth, it will set you
free (John
8.32,
36), and that those who try to deceive will have their works manifest and easy
to see what they are about (see
Matthew 7:15-27).
Don’t be tricked into believing a counterfeit faith that is really fools gold in
comparison to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion – Won’t You Join Us?
Now that you know why we fight in this world for Jesus Christ, why we love him,
and why we want to serve him with every ounce of our beings, why not come and
join us? Perhaps you have encountered Christians and want what we have. Perhaps
you have ridiculed a Christian time and time and time again, only to see this
person, after every instance, love you anyway, and carry on with you with
undeniable patience and love. Maybe you have seen the false Christians or are
trapped in a religion where there is no hope of heaven, no real peace, and are
faced with a list of impossible works to do before you are even considered
lucky enough to get into heaven. The good news is that Jesus Christ, right now,
waits to have you join him, and join us in spreading the Good News. He waits to
forgive, and not to condemn (it is the devil who condemns), to accept you into
his kingdom, and to make you a brand-new creature in his eyes. Jesus Christ is
extending his hand to you today, to embrace you, to erase (yes, to
ERASE) your sins, and to welcome you home. Jesus says in his written
word that anyone who comes to him he will in no way cast out, and you can have a
Friend, a Companion who will never betray you, never deceive you, never leave
you, and never, ever forsake you! Won'’ you accept him today, reader? Until you
do, you are the same as a passenger on an airplane that is going down, and you
have no parachute. Your sins have placed you on a course that is like a plane on
course to crash into a mountain. There are parachutes there, but in order to be
saved, you have to strap that `chute on and jump out of the plane! It is the
same with Jesus Christ! He offers a way for you to escape wrath, never see the
insides of hell or the Lake of Fire,
and enter into the most glorious place forever, and spend eternity with Jesus
Christ. Won’t you accept him today? He is only a prayer away! Let’s pray…
Prayer
– We pray today, Father, to you, in Jesus’ Name, that those who read this lesson
will understand why it is that we fight for you; why we take it on one cheek and
turn the other; why we walk the way we do in spite of the ridicule; and why we
are willing to put our lives on the line for something that seems to illogical.
We pray today, LORD, that you will help those who read this lesson to better
understand why we do the things we do. We don’t do these things for you simply
because we want to go to heaven, or because we fear hell, or because of this or
that other reward, but that we do what we do because we love you first, and we
love people second. We pray Father that many will come to Salvation through your
Son’s Matchless Name through this lesson and the others that have been posted
here. Help us, LORD, myself included, to remember to not only speak the Word but
also to live the Word! We bless thee and we praise thee today, LORD, and we pray
this all in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Verse to Remember
We love him, because he first loved us.
– I
John 4:19
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