The Modern Christian

They watch filth on television and become angry when you rebuke them for it. You see, in their mind the filth is not so bad after all they are under grace and God knows they sin, or so they justify in their own minds that God is not displeased with it.

I am always astonished when a believer is rebuked for coming against sin, by other believers.

Today's Christians divorce and remarry as often as they change their clothes or their cars and become angry when you rebuke them for it. Those who do not divorce even defend those who do it.

The modern Christian watches their finances diligently to be able to have enough money into their old age and for their pleasures but have little to no concern about filth that enters their home.

When you rebuke the modern Christian for sin in their lives they defend it claiming they are under grace appearing to have no conscience concerning the very things that deeply offend God.

These are very difficult times for authentic born again believers who dwell in households full of ungodly "Christians" who never seem to be angry with sin but are always angry with the believers that dwell there for standing against that sin.

I know many people in this state, the state of continual grief about the goings on in their homes while everyone around them judge them as mean spirited or too staunch because of their hatred of that sin. Sin is serious with God, even if man is not concerned about it.

Psalm 5:4-6
"4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;
No evil dwells with You.
5 The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes;
You hate all who do iniquity.
6 You destroy those who speak falsehood;
The Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit."

It is common for there to be a household of several believers, none of whom are defending righteousness except that one who is the odd man out. The one others judges as usurping and harsh. The sin is never judged as evil but the believer is judged as so merely for standing against the sin.

Matthew 10:21-23 "…21 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone on account of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Truly I tell you, you will not reach all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.…"

Luke 12:50-54
"51 Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division;
52 for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.
53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

We expect the non-believers to come against the believers for rebuking their sin, but in our day we have "Christians" coming against other Christians. Those being maligned and rebuked in the harshest ways are the ones who stand against sin and by their own brethren.

Luke 6:25-26 "…25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers treated the false prophets in the same way. "

The wicked man who does not concern themselves with God's heart will gossip against those who care deeply about the heart of God.

Those who gossip will make judgments about things they know nothing about passing these fantasies onto others who will believe them. The gossiper often is the one accusing others of gossip.

It is not gossip to share a story with a close friend of something that happened to us personally. It is however gossip to see something from a distance, make a determination about what we think it might mean and pass it on to others as fact.

The rebellious Christian always has lots of gossip to pass on about those who love Christ. Because they cannot tolerate the one who desires to live for Christ they will interpret things about them in ways that are not true at all. They are justified in their own minds in doing this wicked thing because they choose to convince themselves the person they despise is evil.

I know many of you have encountered these false accusations. When you consider the nature of the gossip you can trace it back to certain people who have a mindset to destroy you. These people are being used of the devil to harm your witness and to destroy your faith.

These people do not have to affect our walk. We can treat them with the respect and kindness they never showed us to destroy the works of the devil.

Luke 6:27-36
27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.
30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.
31 Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.
32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.
35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.
36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

We are never to seek revenge on our enemies, however there is no sin in asking God to defend and avenge you.

Romans 12:18-19 "…18 If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” "

When we have to be in company with someone who treats us disrespectfully we must never become like them in our responses. However, if we have opportunity to remove ourselves and avoid them we have God's permission to do so.

Proverbs 4:13-15…13 Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life. 14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. 15 Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.…"

Psalm 1:1
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers."

Proverbs 1:20-33
"20 Wisdom shouts in the street,
She lifts her voice in the square;
21 At the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:
22 “How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded?
And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools hate knowledge?
23 “Turn to my reproof,
Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 “Because I called and you refused,
I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
25 And you neglected all my counsel
And did not want my reproof;
26 I will also laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your dread comes,
27 When your dread comes like a storm
And your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently but they will not find me,
29 Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord.
30 “They would not accept my counsel,
They spurned all my reproof.
31 “So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way
And be satiated with their own devices.
32 “For the waywardness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 “But he who listens to me shall live securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

God defends and upholds those who love Him, also He does not turn a blind eye to those who mock believers for their desire to live for Christ.

Never be discouraged by the attacks of the enemy, that is the devil. God has a purpose, that purpose is to strengthen us in His ways while helping us resist the temptation to respond in ways that are vengeful.