Ramblings from Retirement: Do you live an easy chair faith?

Ramblings from Retirement: Do you live an easy chair faith?
By Lee Hemen (Retired Pastor)
November 7, 2020

“Give me liberty, or give me death!” is a quotation attributed to Patrick Henry from a speech he made to the Second Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775, at St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia. Henry is credited with having swung the balance in convincing the convention to pass a resolution delivering Virginian troops for the Revolutionary War. Henry knew that freedom often demands our personal sacrifice. However what many American Christians have conveniently forgotten is that our freedom was bought with a price and maintaining it can require a sacrifice from each of us as well.

Jesus related to his disciples that a time would come when a “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household! (Matthew 10:21-25 NIV)” Many Christians throughout the world today know exactly what this means but those of us who live safe and comfortable lives here have no idea what this could actually mean. Here in America we have forgotten that as His servants we are not above our Master Jesus who suffered and died for us.

While I do not believe in conspiracies nor do I put much stock in a lot of what is taught today about “the end times” we as believers would do well to begin to teach that our faith demands personal sacrifice. We have lived lives of peace and safety far too long and have fallen asleep in the comfort of our easy chair faith. The evidence of this is the number of articles I have read lately that have called us to live “peacefully” rather than stand tall and sacrificial in our faith. A weak-willed namby-pamby limp wristed faith is easy but will not win our Nation or our world to Christ.

Perhaps we need to remember an early Christian young man named Stephen who willingly faced an angry mob and witnessed about his faith. The result was that “When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices; they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:54-60 NIV)” Stephen died for his faith; are you willing to do so as well? You had better be. We live in a world that is increasingly antagonistic to Christ and we no longer can live an easy chair faith.

Jesus related “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33 NIV)”
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This article is copyrighted © 2020 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.

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