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.

Have You Not Read?

“Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness (Matthew 7:21-23).” According to the Habitat for Humanity website, “In 1984, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn took their first Habitat work trip, the Jimmy Carter Work Project to New York City. Their personal involvement in Habitat’s ministry brought the organization national visibility and sparked interest in Habitat’s work across the nation. HFHI experienced a dramatic increase in the number of new affiliates around the country.” The vision for Habitat for Humanity is “a world where everyone has a decent place to live.” Given the fact that the organization now builds homes in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Central Asia, the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada and the United States, there is no doubt that Jimmy Carter’s influence and celebrity has resulted in the organization having a global impact.  I do not know President Carter’s motives for getting involved with Habitat for Humanity, but would not be surprised if he felt he was doing the Lord’s work. There are many that would say that it is the Lord’s work and I no doubt believe many people helped through this organization are thanking God. But then there are things that make you wonder if a man like President Carter even knows the Lord at all.

President Carter was being interviewed when he was asked, “Would Jesus approve Gay Marriage?” His reply was, “I believe He would. I don’t have any verse in scripture, but I believe He would approve Gay Marriage.” President Carter claims to be a born again Christian and he may be, but I seriously question his faith when I hear statements like this. Earlier in this interview he stated that he teaches Sunday school every chance he gets at his home church. Therefore, I have to assume that he is familiar with the scriptures when Jesus said, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh' (Matthew 19:4-5)?” Now, I am not trying to talk about Gay Marriage again. That is a dead horse that no longer needs to be kicked. God is clear that marriage is between a man and a woman, as Jesus clearly states. However, what I would like to ask President Carter is the same question Jesus put forth; “Have you not read?” President Carter admits he has no scripture to support his statement and, in my opinion, intentionally omits the words Jesus did say in order to make it seem like Jesus would support something He clearly does not. Unfortunately, many so-called Christians support things that the Bible clearly doesn’t support because they do not read the Bible. Sadly, other Christians still don’t believe the Bible when they do read it because they are more inclined to interpret scripture from the world’s point of view rather than interpret the world from God’s point of view. President Carter may have done things in the name of the Lord, like Habitat for Humanity, but if a statement like this is evidence of what is in his heart, I fear that the day will come when he hears the Lord say to him, “I never knew you.” Read the scriptures.