Posted on 03/05/2021 6:11:05 PM PST by daniel1212
During his State of the Church address Wednesday, which replaced his Shepherds’ Conference for men in church leadership that was postponed due to “ongoing litigation" and "threats" from the state, MacArthur urged evangelicals to stop forming alliances with non-Christian groups to promote religious freedom because they don’t need it.
“The Gospel offends the sinner and seeks to break the sinner’s comfort and contentment by bringing him into stark realization of the eternal judgement of God. Evangelicals have become like Peter. They are looking for alliances with Satan that they think somehow can aid the Kingdom,” MacArthur said.
I told our congregation a few weeks ago that I could never really concern myself with religious freedom. I wouldn’t fight for religious freedom because I won’t fight for idolatry. Why would I fight for the devil to have as many false religions as possible and all of them to be available to everyone?” he asked.
The megachurch leader, who has famously challenged local government and state officials over the right of his congregation to have in-person services during the coronavirus pandemic, noted that even with religious freedom Christians have continued to be the target of “the hostility of sinners.”
Well, people would say that’s a terrible thing to say. What about Christianity? Christianity advances whether there is religious freedom or not. And there’ll always be religious freedom for all the lies. Every false religion is going to be free because it’s linked to the kingdom of darkness that operates in the world. And Christians, whatever the label of religious freedom might be in its broadest sense, Christians are always the target even with religious freedom, of the hostility of sinners,” MacArthur said.
“The Apostles turned the world upside down with no help from it. No social action. No alliances. The evil kingdom of darkness hates what God loves and loves everything that God hates, and the kingdom of darkness is never a friend to the light,” he continued. “Even rulers have exchanged the truth of God for a lie. … They function under the liar Satan himself who [is] the liar and father of lies. There is absolutely no reason for us to make any alliance with him,” he said.
Because it's the truth.
The advantage that Christianity has over other religions is it has the actual living God behind it.
“I think we’re about to taste real persecution as the True Church - anybody who follows and puts their faith in Christ alone.”
I think fake Christians will be fine. Those that believe homosexual activities are fine, those that believe abortion is fine. They will not be persecuted. If you are not persecuted, you probably should revisit the Bible and your beliefs.
“Sounds like a nut.”
Yep. My take as well.
Oh no: I was referring to your screen name being fitting in the light of the coming persecution you rightly foretold! And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him. (Acts 28:16)
Thank you.
I hear you bro!
I thought I said something that might have offended you.
Back to the topic, we weren’t promised a rosy existence in this life. I’m ready for whatever comes.
Also... that that was a generation who thought religion was indispensable to social order and stability. They thought religion was essential to nurturing the civic virtues that allow a people to govern themselves. And so to allow that religious voice, that religious influence, to flourish in the American society they did not want the religious wars of European Society to occur here....Regardless of 'denominations'...which were Christian.
But when you look at what those religions practiced in America at that time were you find almost across the board they were Christian just various denominations.. ....not Islam, nor Eastern Religions, etc.etc.
Then you are, by definition, NOT a Christian.
Whatever the beast is, it’s the same demonic source.
Pray for protection and courage.
Yes they will be absolutely fine.
The Andy Stanley and Jen Hatmaker types will be A-Ok!
The rest who stick to the Holy Word of God, we’ll be tested.
Correct
Boy, what a thread. Let the supernatural Kingdom of God show up in might, and I think that will solve a few things.
Paul didn’t think much of Roman Law, but he appealed to Caesar
The Soviet Union’s constitution guarantee freedom of religion. How’d that work out?
Totalitarian governments never allow competition, not matter what “rights” their citizens “officially” have.
And the USA is heading down that road. Religious freedoms—in particular Christian religious freedom—is being more and more restricted.
Want to see how much religious freedom you have? Pubiclly state that transsexualality is condemed in the Bible. What do you think will happen to you?
It’s very true that Christianity is under attack...because we hardly see other religions practiced in America under attack. But of course they are not a threat to the enemy of God.
Nope. You’re putting words in my mouth. What you said about me is a true statement up until the phrase: ‘is wrong’. Everything after that is strictly your words and opinion, and not mine.
I was trying to polite and circumspect, but perhaps I need to be a great deal blunter to likewise make my point clearer: It has been my experience, thus far in my near half-century on this ball of dirt that anyone I have ever met or dealt with, who claims to have some sort of monopoly on truth is either one of two things: (1) generally full of sh**, or (2) is delusional and arrogant.
If that means that some people on this board want to wag a finger at me and tell me that I am not (their definition of) a “Christian”, that doesn’t bother me in the least. My viewpoint on that is very simple. My ultimate judge, jury and executioner will be G-d. Same as for anyone else.
I don’t think his point is that he won’t fight either way and that it is irrelevant whether we have religious freedom or not in the law. If there is persecution Christians will still share the gospel and if there isn’t they will as well. We have freedom of religion in America right now in theory but you can still be discriminated against.
It seems more to be about political non-involvement than a blueprint for a theocracy IMHO.
Our Constitution doesn’t grant religious freedom, it prevents the government from taking it away.McArthur is just saying the government doesn’t guarantee his freedom to preach the gospel, God’s sovereignty does, whether in freedom or in chains or through persecution to death. So anybody else’s right to preach what they believe doesn’t matter to him.
No, and whether one supports freedom of speech or not, the NT church did not and one cannot today prevent others from their speech by using the powers of this world, but instead they overcame error with Truth and in power.
Indeed. See HISTORICAL QUOTES IN CONTRAST
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