Matthew 10:22 (NIV) – You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. – When Christ said everyone will hate his followers, I wonder if he meant our government also. I know all about the U.S. constitution and freedom of religion, and don’t want to sound like a conspiracy theorist here. But Christian principals and those of “the world” are very different and it’s clear that our government leans more toward the principals of the world everyday, and doesn’t have any interest at all in Christianity, and I think it will eventually persecute those that do. That’s why Matthew 10:22 encourages us to stand firm to the end. I hope I’m wrong, but I think that in the future (it could be next week or a thousand years from now) things for Christians in the U.S. will get so rough that many will fall away thinking there are so few left that it won’t really matter. If we start thinking like this it’s time to remember Noah from old testament times. Out of the entire population of the earth at that time only Noah found favor in the eyes of God (Genesis 6:8). The story of Noah is fine, but many want to know how to find favor with God today. The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 5:1 (NIV) – (Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,) What could be simpler? God doesn’t demand that we do some great and difficult thing to gain his favor. Just simple faith in his son Jesus is all he asks. He wants us to accept Jesus and his sacrifice because that is the only thing he will accept for the forgiveness of our sins. It is not possible for us to save ourselves by our own works. If it was there wouldn’t have been the need for God to send his son to do it. What About Jesus?
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