Our Life of Ease

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Living int he United States has provided us with more liberties and freedoms than one can possibly imagine. It is easy to forget there is a whole world out there that doesn’t enjoy those same freedoms. Speaking as a citizen, I enjoy the free exchange of ideas with people of different opinions. I enjoy leaving my house at all hours to go do whatever my heart desires, with a little to no sense of danger. Life in the United States is envied by the people of the world, even when times are “tough”.

As a Christian living in the United States, I have enjoyed the same safe feeling no matter where I go. Even when I talk to a complete stranger about Jesus, I don’t feel like I’m in any danger. Of course, Christians over react when we can’t say prayer in school or they take down the 10 commandments from a courthouse. They are on the radio stating how there is persecution going on against Christians in the US. I dare say that the idea of Christian persecution has not been seen in the US in my lifetime. That is not to say that it won’t happen one day. Persecution is not defined as people protesting against you or disagreeing with you, it is when someone finds out you are a Christian and has the right to kill you. That is what millions of Christians endure daily around the world. Most of the people dying for the faith are first generation Christians. These are people who knew what would happen if they converted, but did it because they are convinced beyond measure that the Gospel is true. The love of Christ was so evident that they truly died to self and took up their cross.

In the US there are denominations with churches literally across the street from one another, yet they don’t even associate with each other. This is absurd! If the government was endorsing the killing of Christians, you would see all of these walls fall down. It’s because we have it so easy in this country that we turn our nose up at other believers saying, “oh they don’t hold to this or we believe that”. Paul warned us of this attitude when he said:

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 1Cor 1:13

I would say that the right attitude to have is, “Where there are saved people, saved people should fellowship”. If a Church preaches the gospel and people are being save, then I think fellowship is in order, even if there are differences of opinion on nonessential matters. Common goals like reaching the lost would be so much more effective if the lost actually saw churches working together. If persecution comes to the US it would surely be a sad day, but I dare say it would be the day where we see the man made divisions crumble and God be glorified. Why should we wait until something like that happens?

In closing, I would like to ask those of us who live a life of luxury compared to our brethren abroad, to pray daily that God may deliver them. Pray for the people persecuting them, that they would be like Saul, who Jesus Himself rebuked. Pray for American Christians, that we don’t forget to die to self and that Christ is certainly not divided. Pray that we don’t credit ourselves with this time of peace we enjoy, and that we take advantage of it by witnessing the grace of the living God to every person who will lend their ear. May the Church of believers throughout the world grow and God be glorified by the unity we show as believers. -Amen!