Faith: Purity in the Midst of Corruption

Psalm 119:9

"How can a young 

man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word."

        The Edict of Toleration finally ended the horrid persecutions of early Christians under the rule of Rome. For the first time, the church experienced good benefits and better treatment from the state. This calls for a celebration, right? Wrong. Persecution did kill a lot of Christians and spilled a lot of innocent blood but it also brought with it martyrs and apologists. When it ended, a different group of people crept into the church.  What at first appeared to be a blessing was actually an obscure cancer that at first invaded slowly until it grew and corrupted the church. 

          I learned that under the Edict of Toleration, many politically ambitious people who were not interested with religion, and still in the practice of paganism joined the church. This mixture led to the corruption of the church within. Because of the interference of the state, church leaders, who were themselves half-hearted to the cause of Christ, compromised with paganistic practices. Distortions of the teachings the Bible taught became more prevalent and persecution inside the church dominated. Instead of brotherly love, brethren were killing each other because of wounded pride and inability to focus on what really is important. In this light, I learn that persecution is inevitable. No matter how hard we try to stop it, it will surely happen. God's word warned us in advance and it also called us to stay pure even in the midst of corruption. 

             How does this look in my personal life? This shows that I have to accept trials and persecutions in life and see them as necessary evil that God uses for greater purposes. This also means that in order to stay pure, I must not be a half-hearted follower with ulterior motives, but rather stay connected to the Word of Truth that will daily cleanse me from corruption that may threaten and creep in.    

Faith: Trusting God's Timing

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,"
                           Galatians 4:4

       God causes things to happen at exactly the right time. This is not new to me, but this week's lecture made me look at that truth in a new light - in the light of Christ's coming here on earth. At just the right time, Jesus Christ came into the world. The time of his incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection is the time of completeness. This particular time completed God's promises in the Old Testament. It was not a day early or a day late. It was the perfect time. 
     But I couldn't help but think of the people before Christ who were greatly anticipating his coming; and I imagine their anticipation turning into anxiety, their longing into desperation, their wait into worry, and their faith into fear. 
     This is the direction of my thinking because oftentimes, I also do the same whenever I am told to wait and things seem to be taking too long. And when impatience gets hold of me, I try to figure everything out by myself. But God has His own timetable. He knows what He is doing and when the proper, exact time comes, He will set things in motion. 
     I learn that I can never exercise my faith when I try to figure out everything. The best thing for me to do is to say "God, I can't figure this out, so I'm going to trust You." Trusting God may sometimes mean not knowing how He will work things out, but after surrender, peace and comfort comes so I can be comfortable in spite of not knowing. God is never late, and never too early. And His Word assures me that He makes all things beautiful in His time.          

         

Faith: Triumphant Over Torture

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." Matthew 5:11

          There's a kind of flower that blooms in the desert and when squeezed, it gives off a beautiful smell. The more it is squeezed the more it gives off its pleasant smell. This is the illustration that comes to mind when I think of the Christian church being persecuted.
          This week, I learned that as the early church suffered great persecution, she also contributed greatly to the formation of the most powerful movement the world has ever imagined. 
         When I hear the word "persecution," ugly pictures come to mind. Peter crucified upside down. James stabbed with a sword. Jude beaten to death with a club. Matthew burned and stoned. Simon being sawed in half. Thomas stabbed with a spear. Nathaniel flayed alive. Polycarp burned at the stake. Justin Martyr executed. Ignatius fed to wild beasts. A woman in Indonesia with her face burned. A Saudi Arabian pastor receiving death threats. A Syrian Christian teacher raped and beaten. A Nigerian Christian family massacred. An Algerian Christian man disowned by his family. And the list goes on and on. 
         Ugly pictures of death, violence, gore, despair, sorrow. But I learned this week that behind the hideousness of the persecution of Christians, is a beauty that no one can ever mar, a fragrance no one can ever withhold, a radiance no one can ever smother, a life no one can ever kill. I learn that there is triumph even in torture, there is life even in death, there is hope even in despair.
         Applying this to my life means enduring even in the midst of persecutions. The squeezing, crushing, pounding, breaking and shattering of my Christian life produces a fragrance and a beauty that will lead others to the sovereign God. As James pointed out, I have to consider joy the various trials that comes my way for the good God has good purposes for allowing them.     
          

Faith: Confidence in Facing Death

 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you” 
              John 15:18-19

        Most people endure life, go through hardships and torture just to extend their stay here on earth. These people find their life here on earth so precious that they are willing to sacrifice pain and suffering as long as in the end, they get to live. This shows that they can't deny life and all it offers because these are all they have and they know deep inside their hearts that they cant take these things with them when they depart this world. Death for them means separation from all the things that matter. They belong to the world and the world in return love them as its own. I learned that this mindset is totally opposite to what Christians believe and should live. We've been chosen out of the world and we do not belong to it so it is not surprising when the world is hostile to us. 
                As a follower of Christ, I must live my life here on earth experiencing every moment with Him. But sin has a way of distracting and tempting me away from Him that's why when I think of death, it becomes joy and relief because then I will be with Him enjoying His presence, finally free from all interruptions. Death is not separation from everything that matters. Death is the final vehicle that would bring Christians to what matters the most – Christ. 
                This confidence is what Ignatius and Polycarp were holding on to when they were asked to deny Christ and refused to do so. They chose death instead because they knew that beyond that is their reward. They knew with confidence that the torture will only last for an hour or two, but joy in the glory of Christ will be enjoyed throughout eternity. I am challenged to have the same kind of confidence in my faith when facing death.