Being part of the church is wonderful. Though it is fallen (and it is fallen). Though we have to deal with error and politics and gossip. Though there are many in it who would bring in pagan ideas. Though at times we have to walk out, for there is too much error in the teaching.
It is wonderful because it is owned by Christ. If you will, it is the kingdom of God in this world. For that the world hates it. And for that the prophets of old yearned to be part of it.
17The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” 18He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. 20Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
21At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 22All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
23Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
We do need to keep our eyes on Jesus. He is the prize. There is an opposition. I’m quoting from a long thread at Vox Popoli below: the message we have, in these fallen times, to our friends who are pagans is that the time is short. In Christ we will preeach. The laternative in this endgame is Islam, and they kill.
And care not a whit about your outrage and hashtags.
“That martial spirit lingered on for a long time. It was still present in the 17th and 18th centuries. It started to disappear in the 19th century. The First World War was the end of the road.
In recent times Europeans have been militarily successful against non-Europeans because the Europeans have had overwhelming material and technological superiority. Wimps with guns can defeat brave men with spears. In the 20th century Europeans have suffered defeats even with technological superiority.”
You do realize this timeline tracks pretty much exactly to the decline of Christianity, correlating to the contrary argument rather than your own?
As observed by others, paganism and atheism existed for thousands of years and never achieved as much as Christianity, or even Islam, have. And in the future, out beyond 2050, the global population will continue to be little more than a arm-wrestling match between Islam and Christianity.
There are only two sides in this war; one side has shown unreliably for its entire history and reliably for the last 200 years that it can tolerate nonconformists – the other will kill you, always has, always will; pagan, atheist or Jew; they are going to put you in the ground.
We know that we are but the creation. But we know that we have a loving and righteous God. And this allows us to be gentle with those in error, recalling that we are also fallen, and without the completed work of Christ we will share their fate.
I see three conclusions.
That there will be no enemies in Christ. Christ can sort out our theological errors.
That the pagans, Muslims included, shall be prayed for, that they repent and kneel to Christ, for the sake of their souls.
And that those who would force their ideologies to be worshipped instead of Christ shall be confronted, mocked, scorned and fought: by memes, by teaching and by force. For there is still a duty to defend, to protect, and preserve.