By David Ettinger
No Relief in Sight
Circumstances for Christians have been tough for almost 2,000 years.
The world is hostile to God, Christ, and His people. There is nothing new about this. Animosity toward Christians has surfaced in various ways, ranging from simple sneers to outright massacres. This is as true today as it was at the birth of the Church.
Though heinous acts of Christian persecution are occurring in Asia, Africa, and some parts of South America, a question arises if anti-Christian maltreatment in the West can be labeled as persecution. In other words, is fining an American baker thousands of dollars for refusing to bake a cake for a gay marriage ceremony the same as beheading a Christian for his faith?
No, but what is occurring in the West is the repression of Christianity, and this comes in the form of punishing believers for taking biblical stands; governmentally mandated laws which defy biblical values; and the eradication of all things Christian from the national consciousness.
Though many Western Christians pray for revival, I believe the time for revival has passed, that God is preparing to pour out His wrath upon a sinful world which has spurned His holy decrees with reckless and disdainful abandon. Therefore, circumstances for Christians will get worse.
The Key Passage
To validate this assertion, I call your attention to 2 Corinthians 4:3-4: “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”
In this passage, Paul is defending himself against the charges of false teachers that the Gospel he preaches is ineffective, harsh, and difficult to comprehend – that it is being “hid,” or “veiled,” from human comprehension.
Paul argues that the Gospel message – that Christ died on the cross to atone for humanity’s sin – is perfectly understandable to all with a heart to listen. If it is veiled, it is veiled to those who are unwilling to accept it.
First, these unbelievers deny the Gospel, and then Satan comes along and deepens their denial. This partnership of flat-out willful denial of the Gospel and Satan’s abetting of this denial has led to the complete darkening of the minds of unregenerate humanity.
What This Means
Apart from Satan, unbelievers may deny the Gospel, but would not necessarily be hostile toward it. However, when the poison of Satan is poured into unbelief, the human mindset is drastically altered.
The average unbelieving man or woman is transformed from mere Gospel-shunner to full-fledged Christian-hater. They take offense at the claims of Christianity, referring to believers as “bigoted,” “hateful,” “ignorant,” and “despicable.”
Friends and relatives may not have described you in such terms, but they do indeed think it about other Christians. I have had conversations with friends and siblings who freely decry Christians in such terms.
I reply, “You know, all these things you have just said describe me. I’m one of them. Am I bigoted, hateful, ignorant, and despicable?” Some hemming and hawing ensues, followed by a reply along the lines of, “Well, I’m not really talking about you. You’re not like them.”
It doesn’t make sense, does it? And yet, it does if you consider that Satan – “the god of this age” – has blinded the minds of unbelievers. He has blinded the minds of unbelievers to the truth of “the gospel of the glory of Christ.”
You can talk for hours about the wonderful things Christ has done for the human race, but, once Satan has entered the mix, the blind simply can’t understand.
No Revival Coming
And this is one major reason why circumstances for Christians will get worse. There will be no national revival. Clear, concise, and loving sharing of the Gospel will not penetrate the mind that has been darkened by Satan.
The Gospel is still light, but its light is often dimmed from the minds of those who have fallen prey to Satan’s intentions. They will continue to see sin as the norm and biblical virtue as the domain of fools. Therefore, anti-Christian activity, sentiment, and legislation will continue to the increase.
(Note: I don’t believe this verse is saying that these people cannot be saved. Rather, I believe verse 3 – in speaking of those who are perishing – seems to imply that there are those who are not going to turn to God … not that they can’t turn to God; they are those whom God in His omniscience knows won’t turn to him. Otherwise, so long as people breathe, they can be saved.)
However, there is good news. As the world descends further into darkness, God still saves individuals. I was a scoffer who came to faith at age 28. Though I did not accept the Gospel, it appears as if Satan had not yet “gotten” to me. There are millions of others who are in a similar position; i.e., their minds are still capable of receiving “the light of the gospel.”
So keep sharing the Gospel and fighting the good fight. The West is beyond repair, but individuals – perhaps some you love most in the world – are very much repairable. The Gospel is light, and God has appointed many to receive it!
David Ettinger is a writer/editor at Zion’s Hope, Inc., and has written for Zion’s Fire magazine since its inception in 1990.
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