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Faith, Religion, Spirituality
Is Free Speech Important?
Jul 30, 2021 15:34:12   #
Zemirah Loc: Sojourner En Route...
 
Free speech laws in Western nations have supported Christians in spreading the gospel throughout the world. Free speech is a special gift that is underappreciated by all of us, for historically, during most of the 2,000 years of church history, the church has had to survive without freedom of speech.

Opposition to free speech began early in the history of the church. Shortly after the church was birthed, to preach in the name of Jesus was considered forbidden speech; it was hate speech that carried the penalty of imprisonment and sometimes even death.

In Acts 4, it is recorded that Peter and John performed a miracle in the name of Jesus. but the authorities were not pleased. For this the two were arrested. When asked to defend themselves, Peter boldly proclaimed that the miracle was performed in the name of “Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified… for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:10, 12).

No political correctness here. “By your agreement, you let Jesus be crucified, and if you don’t believe in Him, you have no salvation!”

When Peter and John were threatened and warned to no longer speak in the name of Jesus, they answered, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (verses 19-20). Take it or leave it — your threats will not keep us from preaching the gospel!

The martyrs who went before us have shown that it is not necessary to have free speech in order to be faithful. Richard Wurmbrand, in "Tortured for Christ," wrote about parents who taught their children the Christian faith. “If it was discovered that they taught their children about Christ, their children were taken away from them for life — with no visitation rights.” [1]

Of course, our speech must be with grace seasoned with salt. Free speech does not mean that we speak self-righteously to our nation or that judgement originates from within ourselves, for it is God who will judge, as we are not free from our own weaknesses and sins. We give reason for the hope within us with respect, meekness, and fear (1st Peter 3:15).

One of my heroes is the sixteenth-century Reformer Hugh Latimer. When asked to preach in front of King Henry VIII, he struggled with exactly what to say for Henry had the reputation of chopping off the heads of his enemies, including two of his wives.

Through the strengthening of the Holy Spirit, Latimer boldly declared God’s Word, and although Henry spared his life, Henry’s daughter, Queen Mary (Bloody Mary), had him burned at the stake in Oxford. As he was dying amid the flames, he called out to Bishop Ridley, who was also consigned to the flames with him, and is quoted as saying, “Master Ridley, play the man; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.” [2]

The secret of boldness? Fear God more than the flames. Fear Him more than your reputation. Let us be done with fainthearted, tepid leadership. Ours is the day to “play the man” with bold, uncompromising truth and love, risking it all for God.

We can expect that our views, because they differ from those of the thought police, will be boycotted, shamed, and outed, but we will not be silenced. We will endure the shame, the harassment, the ridicule, and the penalties.

We will be heard, for it is God who enables us to stand, and we pray that the church will, with one voice, be true to God's written word.


Notes:

[1] Richard Wurmbrand, Tortured for Christ: The 50th Anniversary Edition (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2017), 151-152.

[2] As cited in Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs (London: Seeley, Burnside, and Seeley, 1847), 126.

Excerpted with permission from "We Will Not Be Silenced" by Erwin W. Lutzer, pastor emeritus of The Moody Church in Chicago, where he served as the senior pastor for 36 years.

Reply
Jul 31, 2021 20:50:22   #
Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall
 
Zemirah wrote:
Free speech laws in Western nations have supported Christians in spreading the gospel throughout the world. Free speech is a special gift that is underappreciated by all of us, for historically, during most of the 2,000 years of church history, the church has had to survive without freedom of speech.

Opposition to free speech began early in the history of the church. Shortly after the church was birthed, to preach in the name of Jesus was considered forbidden speech; it was hate speech that carried the penalty of imprisonment and sometimes even death.

In Acts 4, it is recorded that Peter and John performed a miracle in the name of Jesus. but the authorities were not pleased. For this the two were arrested. When asked to defend themselves, Peter boldly proclaimed that the miracle was performed in the name of “Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified… for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:10, 12).

No political correctness here. “By your agreement, you let Jesus be crucified, and if you don’t believe in Him, you have no salvation!”

When Peter and John were threatened and warned to no longer speak in the name of Jesus, they answered, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (verses 19-20). Take it or leave it — your threats will not keep us from preaching the gospel!

The martyrs who went before us have shown that it is not necessary to have free speech in order to be faithful. Richard Wurmbrand, in "Tortured for Christ," wrote about parents who taught their children the Christian faith. “If it was discovered that they taught their children about Christ, their children were taken away from them for life — with no visitation rights.” [1]

Of course, our speech must be with grace seasoned with salt. Free speech does not mean that we speak self-righteously to our nation or that judgement originates from within ourselves, for it is God who will judge, as we are not free from our own weaknesses and sins. We give reason for the hope within us with respect, meekness, and fear (1st Peter 3:15).

One of my heroes is the sixteenth-century Reformer Hugh Latimer. When asked to preach in front of King Henry VIII, he struggled with exactly what to say for Henry had the reputation of chopping off the heads of his enemies, including two of his wives.

Through the strengthening of the Holy Spirit, Latimer boldly declared God’s Word, and although Henry spared his life, Henry’s daughter, Queen Mary (Bloody Mary), had him burned at the stake in Oxford. As he was dying amid the flames, he called out to Bishop Ridley, who was also consigned to the flames with him, and is quoted as saying, “Master Ridley, play the man; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.” [2]

The secret of boldness? Fear God more than the flames. Fear Him more than your reputation. Let us be done with fainthearted, tepid leadership. Ours is the day to “play the man” with bold, uncompromising truth and love, risking it all for God.

We can expect that our views, because they differ from those of the thought police, will be boycotted, shamed, and outed, but we will not be silenced. We will endure the shame, the harassment, the ridicule, and the penalties.

We will be heard, for it is God who enables us to stand, and we pray that the church will, with one voice, be true to God's written word.


Notes:

[1] Richard Wurmbrand, Tortured for Christ: The 50th Anniversary Edition (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2017), 151-152.

[2] As cited in Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs (London: Seeley, Burnside, and Seeley, 1847), 126.

Excerpted with permission from "We Will Not Be Silenced" by Erwin W. Lutzer, pastor emeritus of The Moody Church in Chicago, where he served as the senior pastor for 36 years.
Free speech laws in Western nations have supported... (show quote)


If one cannot proclaim one's faith while facing adversity, one has no business with that faith anyway...

Reply
Jul 31, 2021 23:01:34   #
Zemirah Loc: Sojourner En Route...
 
A faith one is unwilling to defend is no faith at all, for their is no day when sincere believers do not face their Adversary, of whom Jesus said,...

"Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!"
(John 8:43-45)

Christians are all called to defend their faith. Every Christian will be required by God to do so at some point in their life. 1st Peter 3:15:

“Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”

There are five things to remember when interacting with those seeking truth and those rejecting truth.

1. Not everyone who makes objections to Christianity cares about your response.

Put simply, some people just love an argument. In dealing with non-believers who just want to put Christians down, answer their questions or counter their objections, but do so briefly. When they continuously belittle you or your faith that means it’s time to drop the conversation.

However, if a non-believer genuinely wants to know about Christianity, then it’s important to go in depth and give them as much wisdom as they will abide. This is the person on whom you want to focus. This is the person that’s open enough to take what you have to say seriously.

2. Be mature

Even if the person you’re talking to is immature, don’t conform to that behavior. Ponder questions or objections before you answer them, thus giving the wisest answers possible. Otherwise, people won’t take you - or your core beliefs - seriously.

3. Steer clear of the jargon of Churchiosity.

Our Christian friends understand what we mean when we say "gospel", “grace” or "sin." However, many non-believers, non-churched people may not know what those words mean, or think they know what they mean and use them out of context. Keep it simple, and use language that everyone understands.

4. Understand why you’re defending your faith

There are good reasons why we need to defend our faith. The first and most obvious one is that the Bible says so. (1 Peter 3-5)

Another reason is to help people see what Christians authentically believe. People often have stereotyped all Christians, sight unseen... assuming them to be uneducated, judgmental, closed minded, ignorant and/or hypocritical.

Exhibiting your faith as biblically sound and grounded in God's written word reveals their objections to be with the Author and Finisher, the Alpha and Omega of the Christian faith, rather than with all His followers.

Defending your faith can also strengthen your faith in God, as the indwelling Holy Spirit brings His words to your mind. It’s often difficult for people to publicly surrender their life to Jesus Christ, and observing the unshakable faith and assurance of those who have long since done so glorifies God.

5. Remember always the two most important commandments according to Jesus are loving God and loving people (Matthew 22:36-40).

As the Holy Spirit emphasizes God’s love for His created ones through those witnessing in response to questions and criticisms of Christianity, He is powerfully enabled to bring people into a relationship with Him.



Canuckus Deploracus wrote:
If one cannot proclaim one's faith while facing adversity, one has no business with that faith anyway...

Reply
 
 
Aug 1, 2021 13:27:42   #
Rose42
 
Zemirah wrote:
A faith one is unwilling to defend is no faith at all, for their is no day when sincere believers do not face their Adversary, of whom Jesus said,...

"Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!"
(John 8:43-45)

Christians are all called to defend their faith. Every Christian will be required by God to do so at some point in their life. 1st Peter 3:15:

“Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”

There are five things to remember when interacting with those seeking truth and those rejecting truth.

1. Not everyone who makes objections to Christianity cares about your response.

Put simply, some people just love an argument. In dealing with non-believers who just want to put Christians down, answer their questions or counter their objections, but do so briefly. When they continuously belittle you or your faith that means it’s time to drop the conversation.

However, if a non-believer genuinely wants to know about Christianity, then it’s important to go in depth and give them as much wisdom as they will abide. This is the person on whom you want to focus. This is the person that’s open enough to take what you have to say seriously.

2. Be mature

Even if the person you’re talking to is immature, don’t conform to that behavior. Ponder questions or objections before you answer them, thus giving the wisest answers possible. Otherwise, people won’t take you - or your core beliefs - seriously.

3. Steer clear of the jargon of Churchiosity.

Our Christian friends understand what we mean when we say "gospel", “grace” or "sin." However, many non-believers, non-churched people may not know what those words mean, or think they know what they mean and use them out of context. Keep it simple, and use language that everyone understands.

4. Understand why you’re defending your faith

There are good reasons why we need to defend our faith. The first and most obvious one is that the Bible says so. (1 Peter 3-5)

Another reason is to help people see what Christians authentically believe. People often have stereotyped all Christians, sight unseen... assuming them to be uneducated, judgmental, closed minded, ignorant and/or hypocritical.

Exhibiting your faith as biblically sound and grounded in God's written word reveals their objections to be with the Author and Finisher, the Alpha and Omega of the Christian faith, rather than with all His followers.

Defending your faith can also strengthen your faith in God, as the indwelling Holy Spirit brings His words to your mind. It’s often difficult for people to publicly surrender their life to Jesus Christ, and observing the unshakable faith and assurance of those who have long since done so glorifies God.

5. Remember always the two most important commandments according to Jesus are loving God and loving people (Matthew 22:36-40).

As the Holy Spirit emphasizes God’s love for His created ones through those witnessing in response to questions and criticisms of Christianity, He is powerfully enabled to bring people into a relationship with Him.
A faith one is unwilling to defend is no faith at ... (show quote)


Great reminder. Thank you

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