With Friends Like That

There is a famous saying that goes, “With friends like that, who needs enemies?” It is an expression "indicating that one's close associates prove more adversarial than one's opponents." Nowhere is this expression more appropriate than within the Christian church. It is difficult enough dealing with non-Christians who run the gamut of opposition. They can be your run of the mill unbeliever who just isn't sure about there being a God at all or in Jesus, specifically, all the way to the hostile atheist who is antagonistic and aggressive in their opposition to the Christian faith. But, it seems that there is nothing worse than fellow Christians who say and do things that undermine the exact message we try to proclaim. For example, there are so-called born again Christians like the former U.S. President Jimmy Carter who is quoted as saying, "Homosexuality was well known in the ancient world, well before Christ was born, and Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things --he never said that gay people should be condemned." This prompted someone to reply with, "This is what a real Christian sounds like." I couldn't help but respond with. "Jesus didn't talk about homosexuality. He talked about truth. "Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate (Matthew 19:4-6).” Why talk about all the different sexual sins when you can just affirm the one proper relationship between two people; marriage between a man and a woman? Besides, "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son (John 3:18)." Why condemn homosexuality when these people who practice the sin are already condemned for not believing in Jesus Christ?" It is statements like those of Jimmy Carter that undermine the Gospel message and make it even more difficult to preach the truth. Why would anybody feel the need to turn from their unbelief in Jesus Christ, expressed through sins like homosexuality and others, if the very ambassadors that Christ sent into the world are undermining His message? The saddest part is that Jimmy Carter believes he is proclaiming a message of love. When, in fact, he is doing the exact opposite by encouraging people to stay in their sin rather than encouraging them to turn from their sin and receive Jesus' offer of life and forgiveness He has already provided for them.

Unfortunately, Christians undermining the very faith they proclaim is nothing new. In 2 Timothy 2, Paul talked about Hymenaeus and Philetus who he said "have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some (2 Timothy 2:18)." Earlier in his first letter to Timothy, Paul encouraged Timothy regarding him "holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith (1 Timothy 1:19)." He said this in regards again to Hymenaeus and a third person, Alexander. This is probably the same Alexander, the metal worker, who Paul said, "did me a great deal of harm (2 Timothy 4:14)." Worst of all is what Paul described in 2 Corinthians 11 regarding what he said were false apostles. "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. "And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)." When you have so-called Christians like Jimmy Carter encouraging sin by not telling the truth, it is more damaging to the Gospel than just a difference of opinion. Not only do unbelievers use it as evidence to cement their place in eternal darkness, but you also run the risk of destroying the faith of some, shipwrecking the faith of others, doing a great deal of harm to Christians, and giving the impression that you are not a Christian at all, but rather a deceitful worker masquerading as an apostle of Christ. In an age where people would rather feel good than be told the truth, deviating from the truth of God's word is what people want in order to avoid the harsh reality of sin and its eternal consequences. Ultimately, we should probably be encouraged. It is clear that enemies of the Gospel have always been inside the church. Yet, despite this unfortunate fact, the Gospel has continued to spread and people have continued to turn to faith in Jesus Christ. If there were disciples who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16), denied knowing Him after He was arrested (Luke 22:54-62), and no longer followed Him because they were offended by what He said (John 6:61-66), why should we be surprised if His disciples today act as if they are His enemies? Thankfully, just like in the past, God gets His message of love, forgiveness, and life out to the masses even when His own disciples work against Him.