education

Reviled for His Sake

“Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven”

Matthew 5:11-12

A few decades ago we hardly imagined that we in Australia would be in the position described by Jesus in this passage. However, we are observing a huge increase in opposition to biblical truths and an undermining of the true Gospel. Part of the reason is the behaviour of those who represent a distorted, and therefore false, Gospel; but another reason is the movement to steal children from their parent’s control.

More and more power is being given to the state to take children from their parents. We are looking at the possibility of another “stolen generation.”  Power has been given to the education system to plant ungodly ideology in the minds of children. Parents who resist may have their children taken from them. Children are being used to bring about ideological change. The enforcement of the ideology has been partially thwarted by private schools, especially Christian schools, so this is now the focus of their attention. This was made clear in the recent election.

Christians in many countries of the world are enduring persecution, false accusations and imprisonment and have been for years but now it is coming to countries that have previously enjoyed Christian ethos and freedoms. Freedom of thought is under attack where it had previously been greatly valued. The recent election result has only delayed their agenda, not stopped it.

The prophets were persecuted, the early Christian leaders were persecuted and multitudes of Christians put to death by horrendously cruel methods. Jesus endured great physical cruelty and pain on Calvary’s cross where He took our sin upon Himself. He did not seek that cruelty, men gave it out of hatred, and neither should we seek it but if it comes because we have trusted Jesus for salvation and life He says we should be “exceedingly glad” because there will be great reward. If we refuse to accept persecution for His name’s sake and deny Him how could we face Him when we come into His presence? “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” (1 John 2:28).

Deifying Mankind

“The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; the world and all its fullness, You have founded them all”

Psalm 89:11

If we base our knowledge on the theory of evolution we might unwittingly find ourselves right where the world now finds itself. We are led to believe that the world is in crisis by way of living creatures becoming extinct and a change in the climate that will lead to the destruction of all things living, including mankind.

Listening to David Attenborough one could easily be led into thinking that evolution is guided by the intelligence and will of the creature. While he doesn’t say so directly in as many words this subtle implication is clear. He marvels at the beauty, complexity and built-for-purpose intricacies of living things but attributes them to the living thing itself as though it had guided its evolution into the perfect creature it is without any input from outside its being.

If (as many believe) living creatures have evolved, i.e. intelligently and purposefully created themselves to perfection, then the highest order in the creation must also have created itself. The highest order in the creation by far is mankind. What we have in the theory of evolution is therefore the deification and worship of man. This began in the first days when Adam and believed Satan’s lie, “You will be like God” and “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:5, 3). Ultimately, the worship of man is worship of Satan because it is his lie.

Peter (2 Peter 3:1-13) and Paul (2 Timothy 3:1-9) warned of the perilous times ahead that will result from believing Satan’s lie. The circumstances they describe are now evident. Attempts by mankind to improve itself have proven and will prove futile. Knowledge may have increased but character has not changed. Education has not improved man’s character. It has opened up new ways to express sinfulness. Turning from God, who alone gives life, means a decline into physical and spiritual death (Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:27). Deifying mankind will not prevent climate change in the future (see e.g. Revelation 6:12-17). Human effort to save this world will prove futile. Only Jesus Christ’s return will save the world (Matthew 24:22). Yes, we should care for our environment as a delegated responsibility from God (Genesis 2:15) but not as an act of deified mankind in defiance of our Creator (Revelation 4:11).