Skip Steward

“This culture has turned on God, eliminated His Word. The Bible and the gospel are an enemy. The leaders of this nation have no interest in God or in His Word, and they are basically running this country right into hell as fast as they can. The only thing that’s going to stop this is not a group of feminized men who think God just wants to give them what they want so they can be happy. What this world needs is not sensitive men; it needs strong men. We live in a world of compromise, more than compromise. You could barely call it compromise because there’s nothing left of that which is good. So what are they compromising with?” — John MacArthur

I can’t tell you precisely what’s going to come in the future against us, but it’s going to come and it’s going to escalate. For how long? I don’t know. And in what forms? I’m not sure. Persecution is going to come against you as an individual, if it doesn’t already come, because you’re an outspoken Christian.  Finding Security in This Troubled World — John MacArthur // May 12, 2013 Let me give you one final and very important reality. If you want to secure yourself in the midst of persecution, have a pure conscience, a pure conscience. And this is in verse 16. “Keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.” You know, it’s kind of like people will try to make you feel bad, make you feel guilty. But if your conscience is clear, they can’t succeed. I always go back to 1 Corinthians...2 Corinthians where the critics had just shredded Paul’s reputation in the Corinthian church, and I believe they were demonic and they were very successful with supernatural power. And Paul writes a letter and basically says, “I have a clear conscience,” “I have a clear conscience.” Horrible things have been said about me; lies have been propagated about me. I have a clear conscience. My conscience is not accusing me. That is the ultimate earthly court in the life of an individual. Romans 2 says, “Conscience is a device that either excuses you or accuses you.” It either validates your behavior as consistent with truth, or invalidates it as inconsistent with truth. Live with a clear conscience so that your conscience doesn’t condemn you. And when it doesn’t condemn you, you can take whatever comes and you can be calm, at ease, at peace, and even experience joy.  And when your enemies see that in you, when they come at you and slander you and revile your good behavior in Christ, they end up feeling shameful. This is like heaping coals of fire on your enemies’ heads.If there’s sin in your life, you’re not going to have a clear conscience, and you’re not going to be at ease before God when trouble comes and persecution comes. You’re going to be like David in Psalm 32 who had so much guilt that he was in agony. His life juices dried up at physical results, fears and anxieties. But if your conscience is pure, if your conscience surveys your life and finds nothing by which to condemn you, then when persecution comes, and you respond with trust, and faith, and peace, and joy, and hope, your enemies will be ashamed. So in the end, verse 17, “If it comes, if this suffering comes, if this persecution comes, it is better if God should will it that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong,” right? Basic. If it’s going to come, let it be for doing what is right. We’re right back to where we started. I can’t tell you precisely what’s going to come in the future against us, but it’s going to come and it’s going to escalate. For how long? I don’t know. And in what forms? I’m not sure. Persecution is going to come against you as an individual, if it doesn’t already come, because you’re an outspoken Christian. Here you are in the world, an alien and a stranger, and your task is not just to survive, your task is not somehow to defeat the enemy, your task is to win the enemy to your side. You do that by keeping your behavior honest and excellent. You do that by being a shining light in the world so that men can see your good works and glorify your father in heaven. You do that by proclaiming the gospel and loving your persecutors and showing kindness to them. You do that by doing good, having a passion for goodness, being willing to suffer, focusing on Christ, looking to eternal glory and keeping your conscience pure. If we live our lives like that in the face of this, we will be at ease in comfort and confidence in the midst of the worst that comes, whatever it is.

God has designed human government to protect those who do good and to punish those who do evil. You’re not voting for persons. You’re voting for coalitions. So, your question is this—which party, which coalition... will uphold God’s design for government? — John MacArthur

A good life is hard to harm. Don’t get bitter. Don’t get defensive. Don’t get self-protective. Don’t get angry because things are impinging on your freedoms and on your possessions and on your comfort. Just keep doing what is good. Finding Security in This Troubled World — John MacArthur // May 12, 2013 How do we secure ourselves in this kind of world? Let’s go to chapter 3, verse 13 now, and Peter gives us some very, very practical instruction from verse 13 down through verse 17, very practical instruction. You’re not going to hear anything that’s new, but I hope I’m going to put you in touch with some things that are renewed in your thinking, cause I’m watching Christians become anxious, fearful, afraid, angry, irritated, hostile and I’m telling you, if you’re that way now, you’re going to have a problem down the road a few years when the persecution escalates. So here’s the heart of our serenity. Here’s the heart of our comfort. Here’s the heart of our confidence. Here’s the heart of our hope. Here’s the hope of our peace in the midst of persecution as it escalates. Here is where we find our security. Here are attitudes necessary to fortify us and to enable us in the midst of all of this to keep on extending the gospel. I agree, there are plenty of things to alarm us at a pace that we’ve never seen before and at an exposure level that’s never even been imagined. We need to hear what Peter says. Let me give you several things. How do we secure ourselves and maintain our comfort, our peace, and our position as the only light the world has in this era, the only light of the gospel? How do we do that? Number one, Peter says you need a passion for goodness, you need a passion for goodness. As the persecution escalates, Peter says, verse 13, “Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?” “Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?” This is the first line of defense against persecution, against evil aggression. It’s just an axiomatic idea. This is not some profound heavenly doctrine. This is just axiomatic, proverbial, a self-evident truth. People have a hard time hurting those that are good. It’s difficult. It’s unusual for folks who are hostile to mistreat people who are passionate about doing good. The world is slow to hurt people who are a benefit to society, who are helpful, compassionate, kind, caring, merciful. Peter says start there. A good life is hard to harm. Don’t get bitter. Don’t get defensive. Don’t get self-protective. Don’t get angry because things are impinging on your freedoms and on your possessions and on your comfort. Just keep doing what is good. And that’s in a very broad sense. Keep doing what is good. Maybe I can add a little light to what that is by reading you 1 Thessalonians 5:15, “See that no one repays evil with evil.” All right, they’re doing evil to you, don’t give it back. What do you do? Always seek after that which is good, both for one another, believers, and for all people. Just find the path of goodness. It’s very hard for people to harm you, to do evil to you. The word “to harm” comes from that Greek root which means evil. It’s hard for people to do evil to those folks who literally become passionate, they become zealous for goodness. Start there in your life. Don’t let the persecution, don’t let the hostility, don’t let the anti-Christian attitude, don’t let the terrible overwhelming, overpowering corruption that’s happening in our world direct you toward vengeance, animosity, hostility, don’t return evil for evil. Let your passion be what is good.

Our personal holiness sets us apart as strangers and aliens. We began to suffer as strangers and aliens because we’re strangers and aliens, and in the midst of it, he says honor Christ the Lord as holy, keep your eyes on him. Don’t look at the Syrian army. Keep your eyes on him. Don’t fear the Syrian army. Keep your eyes on him. Do not compromise in the face of the Syrian army. Keep your eyes on him. And then he says, oh, by the way, there’s going to be an explanation required, and your tendency will be implied here. Your tendency will be to explain your personal holiness in the least offensive manner possible so that you can reduce the likelihood of more suffering. — Voddie Baucham