"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake." --- Jesus in Matthew 24:9
A couple of days ago I posted comments under the title, "It's Not Really About Christmas, But About the One At the Center of It!" Also included in those comments was a suggestion to look at "Jesus Meets the Committee!"
Jesus, Who is the absolute Authority on all matters pertaining to humans, their activities, relationships and future destiny, foretold how it would be in the final stages of human history as we are now experiencing it. After all, among other things, He is our Creator -- so why wouldn't He be the absolute Authority on all things that have to do with the members of the human race?
Specifically He said the time would come when those who faithfully identify with Him would be hated among all nations -- note that He did not say "except for..." -- He said "ALL" nations! By the way, do you suppose the United States is a part of the group?
In fact, Jesus said this thing will become so intense that those who kill Christians will believe they are doing service for God Whom they claim to represent! Oh, you can verify that by looking at John 15:18 - 16:3.
Of course there is a way to avoid this hatred and hostility which Jesus so vividly predicted and is now coming to pass just as He said.
All you have to do is to back off from insisting that Jesus is God revealed in human form -- that He sacrificed His life for all the sins of the entire human race to make total forgiveness possible -- that He literally was resurrected from the dead -- that He is the only way to be forgiven, accepted and looked upon favorably by Almighty God -- and that He is coming back to this world at some point in the future and will take complete control and rule it with true righteousness and justice (this means that all world governments will be terminated as we now know them!).
Now, now -- don't get upset with me -- just examine His statements for yourself where He makes reference to His return to earth -- if you want to deny that and try to make Him out to be a liar, that's your stupidity, not mine!
Further you simply say that His absolute demands upon all of us humans don't really mean anything (see Matthew 18:3; Luke 13:3; John 3:3; John 6:53). And you also say that His absolute claims concerning Himself don't really mean anything either (see John 6:35, 48, 51; 8:12, 58; 10:9, 11; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1).
It's really very easy and you won't upset people as you clearly establish your "demotion" of Jesus and reduce Him to the same level as other professed "deities" such as Vishnu, Shiva, Allah, Buddha, and a whole hoard of others -- Jesus becomes just "one of the boys" in a world of a gigantic religious buffet -- just pick and choose a deity (or more than one -- safety in numbers you know!) to your liking with the understanding that they all hold equal ranking -- none is superior to any other!
And don't think you will be blazing a new path by your "demotion" of the Son of God -- others have already beat you to that -- you are just moving through their dust! Among that group professing to be "Christian" are theologians, seminary professors, church leaders, pastors, teachers, and laity in church pews who have been doing this for quite some time -- it has just gained a bit more momentum in recent years!
However bear in mind that such a choice is a deadly one for anyone professing to be a "Christian" -- those demands and claims by Jesus to which previous reference has been made really do not allow for such an option, unless one wants to spend eternity in a devil's Hell!
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. --- 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10
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