If I Take Offense To Opinions, Doctrines, Creeds, And Philosophies That Differ From My Own Respective Faith And Creed...

 

If I take offense to opinions, doctrines, creeds, and philosophies that differ from my own respective faith and creed, I am quite content with changing the channel, clicking the cursor, turning the radio dial, withholding my financial support and patronage, and simply not associating with those whose opinions, doctrine, creed, and philosophy I find to be abhorrent and odious and I am not afraid of a challenge to the faith, creed, and philosophy to which I hold and am willing to go the distance with anyone who seeks to debate me on anything I post or write about but sadly there be those who are not content to operate within those parameters.
 
They are not content to simply change the channel, turn the dial, or click the cursor, separate themselves from those with whom they are spiritually, morally, and politically at odds with and they do not seem to handle themselves very well when their respective viewpoints are challenged.  They get defensive and even hostile.
 
It is not enough for them to simply avoid those with opinions they deem offensive and even hurtful, but they demand for them to be censored and silenced by any and all means possible, even if that means resorting to violence.
 
But the free and unrestricted exchange of ideas and opinions, which we would call freedom of speech, is foundational and vital to a free society which is why I find it ironic that there be many who claim to be for freedom and for representative democracy and yet want to silence certain opinions and ideas with which they don’t agree.  They don’t seem to understand that if you don’t have unrestricted and unfettered speech, you don’t have a democracy or freedom, much less a Constitutional Republic and the biggest casualties to the loss of free speech is not only the loss of freedom but often times the loss of truth because truth flourishes best where there is a free exchange of information that is accessible to all and truth is where freedom begins (Jn. 8:32) but the loss of freedom begins with a lie.
 
Those who advocate for speech restrictions will also advocate for the restricting of access to information as well and those who advocate for the restricting of free speech and restricting the exchange of ideas, opinions, and information have never been on the side of freedom nor have they been on the side of truth, but they have always been on the side of lies and tyranny.
 
Truth is able to stand on it own merits.  It need not for lies to be silenced in order to prevail, but lies, in order to prevail, will find the need to suppress and silence anything that might discredit them and this agelong warfare between the truth that sets free and the lies that bring captivity and oppression has been waged from the beginning, going all the way back to the garden of Eden but in all truth, even before the garden as this agelong warfare between the truth that sets free and the lies that bring bondage and oppression is not merely political, it is spiritual and it is a warfare that began in the heavenly places when a certain angel called Lucifer, who had once served as a covering cherub at the throne of God until in his pride, he sought to make himself equal with God and thought to take for himself the glory that belongs to God alone and as a consequence he, and they who sided with him, were cast from their positions that they had once held in Heaven. (Is. 14:11-21, Ezek. 28:12-19) and it was in that day that Lucifer became known as Satan and after having lost his place in Heaven, he then crept into a newly created world in the form of a serpent to accomplish there what he could not in Heaven and the world into which He crept, God had created to be a beautiful and peaceful world in which there was no death, no decay, no suffering, misery, grief, sorrow, destruction, violence, nor pain of any sort, but only happiness, joy, contentment, and a perfect harmony between God, man, and nature itself and over which He had given mankind charge and dominion (Gen. 1:26)   There was virtually nothing withheld from mankind except for one thing and that was a tree called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and it was warned of Adam who was the first man and the first woman Eve, being Adam’s wife, that in the day that they ate the fruit of that tree, they would surely die (Gen. 2:16-17, 3:3) but it was with that forbidden fruit that Satan was able to achieve what he could not in Heaven by, through a series of false promises and assurances, he led Adam and Eve to do
the one thing that they were told not to do which would prove consequential not only for themselves, but for the rest of mankind who descend from them and for all of creation itself and that was the eating of that forbidden fruit which God had warned them not to do. And when they ate the fruit from the very tree that they were told not to eat from (Gen. 3:6) after being falsely assured by Satan, who came to them in his serpent form, that they would not die, but that they would become like gods and be given more knowledge and wisdom than they did before. (Gen. 3:4-5)
 
But instead of receiving more wisdom, Adam and Eve only received the shame of their nakedness (Gen. 3:7) and instead of ascending to a superior state, they were reduced to a state inferior to the one in which they were created, and the penalty of death of which they were warned, was pronounced upon them due to sin entering into them after having committed that one fateful transgression.  (Gen. 3:19)
 
By a lie did Satan lead Adam and Eve to believe that something better was being offered to them than what they already if they would eat of the very fruit that they were told not to eat from which led them to be subjugated to a bondage and a captivity that they could not have even imagined: The bondage and tyranny of sin and death. 
 
But the sentence of death and the consequences of Adam and Eve’s disobedience did not stop with them but extended to the rest of creation and to the rest of us since we are descended from them and because we are descended from them because the sin that entered into them was then passed down to all of mankind since we all descend from them (Rom. 5:12) and because of the inherited corruption of our nature, we all sin and as a consequence, we all die (Rom. 6:23) and because of sin, we are born estranged from and separated from our Maker for that which is sinful cannot dwell in the direct presence of that which is sinless and holy and not only did sin bring death to mankind, but it also brought decay corruption, grief, misery, pain, and hardship to all of creation which is why it is written that the entire creation travails in pain to this day (Rom. 8:19-22) and even worse, the disobedience of Adam gave Satan justification to claim and declare lordship over the kingdoms, empires, and nations of the world (Mt. 4:8-9, Lk. 4:6-7) which is why the enemy of God and the adversary of our souls is called the prince of this world (Jn. 12:31, 16:11)
 
By a lie did Satan cause not only Adam and Eve to be subjugated to the tyranny of sin and death but also all of mankind due to the inherent inward moral corruption produced within Adam and Eve by the sin that entered and was then passed down to the rest of us since we all descend from that first man and that first woman.
 
By a lie did Satan cause the once perfect and peaceful creation to be subject to a slow death and destruction by way of a curse brought upon it because of the sin of man.
 
And by a lie did Satan cause the dominion that man was initially given over the earth (Gen. 1:26) to be diminished.
 
And it was the very lies that Satan told to Eve in the garden that earned him the title of the father of lies (Jn. 8:44) for the lies he told then were the first lies ever known to mankind and it was by those lies that he, through the sin that entered into mankind by way of that first transgression against God, brought death to mankind and a death that has killed and continues to kill everyone who has ever been born into this world and is still being born into this world and which makes no distinction between the young and the old, child or adult, man or woman, nor skin-color, ethnicity, nationality, lineage, economic, occupational, or social status, nor religious, political, and philosophical leanings which is why he is also called a murderer (v. 44) and because of what he has stolen from man, and because of the death and destruction that he brought into the world that was once a wonderful place, Satan is also called the thief who comes to kill, steal and destroy (Jn. 10:10)
 
And if tyranny begins by a lie, then freedom can only begin by truth and if tyranny began spiritually, then freedom must also begin spiritually before there can ever be economic, social, academic, or political freedom and in His love, mercy, and grace the Lord God who made us has provided such freedom, not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9) and experience a freedom, peace, and sense of meaning and purpose that cannot be found in anything else and this redemption that leads to a freedom, peace, and sense of meaning and purpose that surpasses all understanding is found in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, in Christ Jesus, His only begotten Son, (Jn. 3:16) whom He sent into the world to take away our sins and by the shedding of His blood was redemption bought thereby satisfying both the demand for the penalty, which He, being without any sin (2 Cor. 5:21, Heb. 4:15) took upon Himself, to be paid for all sin and granting mercy in His death upon the cross and by His resurrection are we made justified in Him (Rom. 4:25) so that anyone placing full trust in Him alone for the forgiveness of sin and salvation will not have to face eternal damnation, but be made a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven and granted eternal life and it is in calling upon Him for the forgiveness of sins and believing that God raised Him from the dead that we are saved from an otherwise terrible everlasting judgment (Rom. 10:9, 13) and it is by Him are we reconciled to the Father from whom we had once been estranged (2 Cor. 5:18) and inwardly transformed and made anew (2 Cor. 5:17) and it is this inward cleansing of the soul and this regeneration which cause all who are willing to call upon Christ for it, submit to it, and embrace it to no longer desire to follow after selfish and worldly pursuits but after those things that pertain to the Kingdom of Heaven, (Mt. 6:33)
to no longer take pleasure in those things that are evil and displeasing in the sight of the Lord, but in that which is good, right, and pleasing in His sight,
to no longer desire to walk in the lies of this present world, but only in the truth that comes from Christ Almighty, (Jn. 14:6) no longer placing our hopes in the things of this present world, but looking forward to that new and better world to come, (Rev. 21-22)
to no longer rely on worldly resources, men, or even our own power, abilities, skills, and wisdom for our needs and provision but upon God who is able to meet all of our needs, (Mt. 6:25-33) recognizing that the resources of this world and even the people He brings into our lives are but instruments and vessels through which God meets our needs and that the skills, power, knowledge, and wisdom by which we might acquire our provision are provided and instilled in us by God,
to no longer fear what men can do to us, but rather fearing the God before whom we will have to one day give an account for how we lived our lives, (Mt. 10:28)
to no longer look to corruptible institutions within our society for direction and order in our lives but to God who, by His written Word has given us laws and precepts to be applied to our lives and which serve to produce and maintain an ordered life, and who, by His Holy Spirit which comes to dwell within us upon repentance, establishes in our lives a course and direction in our lives to pursue for His glory,
to no longer seek our own glory but the glory of God,
to no longer rally behind corruptible men, but instead behind the incorruptible God in Heaven bearing in mind that those men and women God raises up for our edification are but instruments and servants of His for that respective purpose to which He has called them,
to no longer seek to align ourselves with the things of darkness but only with the things of the light,
to no longer trust in the wisdom of the world but only on the wisdom and knowledge that comes from above, nor depend on corruptible earthly authorities to swiftly administer justice, but only in the power of God to deliver us from evil.
 
And this is the transformation feared by Satan who has fought and continues to fight to hold the entire world and as many souls as he can in bondage because every soul won over to our Lord is a blow to the power and influence that Satan holds over this earth as this redemptive transformation has the power to transform not only individuals for the better, but entire households, neighborhoods, communities, states and provinces, and entire nations which then will affect how children are raised, what is preached from the pulpits, how education is taught, how news and information are reported, how business is conducted in the private sector, what is celebrated and affirmed within our entertainment industry, and the nature of our politics which is why he will use any and all means at his disposal, both visible and invisible, to hinder the spread of this liberating Gospel through lies, deceits, perversions and misrepresentations of the faith, infiltrating the ranks of the saints and spreading heresies and false doctrines amongst them, causing needless dissention and discord amongst saints who might otherwise be united, leading them into sin and causing them to disgrace themselves in the sight of the entire world and thereby destroying the credibility of their testimony, and he will try to intimidate they who might otherwise boldly preach the Gospel message into silence and when he cannot deceive them with false doctrine, lead them into sin, nor intimidate them into silence, he will then bring varying degrees of persecution against them ranging from mere ridicule and social ostracization to violence and even death in his relentless attempts to keep the souls who might otherwise be won over to our Lord blind to His truth and anything that might lead them to that truth by hiding, suppressing, and even destroying any evidences that might open the eyes of the lost to the truth of the Gospel message by which their souls may be saved from damnation and which upon reception, brings a spiritual transformation to the recipients thereof.
 
Is it then any wonder that the Islamists demand the death of those who dare preach the Gospel in Muslim dominated nations and of those who dare to turn from Islam to Christianity?
Or that Christians in India should suffer violence at the hands of radical Hindus?
Should it be any surprise that Christianity should find itself either severely restricted or even repressed in Communist nations?
And should it then come to any surprise that Christians should find themselves persecuted even in nation in which the Word of God ought to be given free course?
 
What the adversary has led into captivity, he will not relinquish willingly but the work of redemption does not stop with just the cleansing of the soul, for there is also the promise of being freed from bodily death (1 Cor. 15:51-55, 1 Thess. 4:13-18) and the liberation of creation from its present state when the adversary faces his final defeat and is cast out of the world forever, never to return (Rev. 20:10-15) and afterwards will be made anew and into a world in which there is no sin, no death, and nothing to cause pain, suffering, grief, or misery of any sort because all of those things will have been done away with when this present world is done away with.  It will be a world in which there will be light, life, happiness, harmony, peace, and joy before the Lord God Almighty. (Rev. 21-22)
 
If you have not done so already, but would rather be a free soul under God than either property of the state or a subject and instrument of Satan, then I would urge you today to surrender your soul, your heart, and life to Christ Jesus so that you may know what true liberty is under God.  It is but a simple sincere prayer of repentance away:
 
 
 
"Lord Jesus I need you.
 
 
I realize that I am a sinner
who has fallen short of the glory of God
and that my goodness falls short
of your standard of Moral perfection.
 
Please forgive me of all of my sins.
Come into my heart and into my life
to be the Savior and Lord of my life.
Make me into the servant and follower
that you want me to be.
In your name Lord Jesus, I pray.
 
 
Amen."
 
 
Know that God is not concerned with the words that you use to call upon Him forgiveness, but with the attitude of your heart and if you have, with all sincerity, have asked Christ to forgive you of your sins, placing your trust in Him only for your salvation and in nothing else, then your sins are forgiven and your place in Heaven is certain.
 
 
 
Scripture references:
 
 
 
1.  John  8:32
 
2.  Isaiah 14:11-21, Ezekiel 28:12-19
 
3.  Genesis 2:16-17, 3:3
 
4.  Genesis 3:6
 
5.  Genesis 3:4-5
 
6.  Genesis 3:7
 
7.  Genesis 3:19
 
8.  Romans 5:12
 
9.  Romans 6:23
 
10.  Romans 8:19-22
 
11.  Matthew 4:8-9, Luke 4:6-7
 
12.  John 12:31, 16:11
 
13.  John 8:44
 
14.  John 10:10
 
15.  2 Peter 3:9
 
16.  John 3:16
 
17. Corinthians 5:21
 
18.  Hebrews 4:15
 
19.  Romans 4:25
 
20.  Romans 10:9, 13
 
21.  2 Corinthians 5:17
 
22.  2 Corinthians 5:18
 
23.  Matthew 6:33
 
24.  John 14:6
 
25.  Revelation 21-22
 
26.  Matthew 6:25-33
 
27.  Matthew 10:28
 
28.  1 Corinthians 15:51-55
 
29.  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
 
30.  Revelation 20:10-15