Questions & Answers
With Dr. Bob Burrelli
Scripture says Christians have everything for life and godliness in the knowledge of the Son (2 Peter 1:3), and there is no doubt that we can rely on biblical principles in times like these. Of the many, here are a few that come readily to my mind:
1. Don't be alarmed, but guard the truth entrusted to you. In Matthew 24, Jesus commands us not to be unsettled by tragedies that will come in unprecedented ways in the end times: wars, rumors of wars, false Christs, persecution, earthquakes, famines, pestilence. Rather, keep watch over what God has entrusted to us-primarily the proclamation of His truth, the gospel-so that when the end comes we will not be caught off guard. Christ will find us doing what we should be doing and "It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns (v. 46)".
2. Maintain our status as a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God (1 Peter 2:9). We must serve our fellow Americas who are hurting in a way that communicates Jesus Christ, His kingdom, and His church. There is a temptation to lose our witness and look just like any other religious group-we, of course, are not. It is only when we maintain our status as a holy people that we are able to "declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
3. Maintain our doctrinal distinctiveness. Paul tells Timothy, " . . . you know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15)." In such times of national turmoil, and with so many other faiths running around, it is possible that the church could blur the line between truth and error. Our message is the gospel, the good news. It calls people to repent of sin and trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ to be saved from the worse tragedy that mankind will ever know--God's just wrath. We need to make sure that in our service to the lost we don't distort, weaken, or change the only thing that matters, the gospel.
4. Pray for our president (1 Timothy 2:2-3). President Bush claims to be born again and he needs our prayers for wisdom in doing his job in a way that pleases God. His agenda for the country is not the same as God's agenda for the Church, and we would not expect otherwise. He is trying to strengthen a nation and build nationalism which, for a nation, is needed.
5. Pray for our enemies (Matthew 6:44). It is of the flesh to lash out and hate, but divine to return good for evil. We don't want to be murders, even in our minds. To avoid hateful thoughts, we must pray for our enemies and show the kind of love that God showed to us when we were his enemies (Romans 8:7-8). Bin Laden, his cohorts, and all terrorists should be brought to justice and punished for their crimes, yes. But may God have mercy on them by bringing them to the savior. We pray that they would repent, trust Christ, and turn themselves in.
May God give you grace as you put these and other principles into practice, for God's glory and the benefit of the local church.