Pondering Norway's Darkest Hour

Tim Challies:

Jesus told us offer the world around us a testimony of love. But he also knew that this would not convince everyone. Far from it. “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” The logic goes like this: People hate Christ; therefore people hate those who love Christ and who seek to be like him. People will express this hatred by unfairly grouping true Christians with those who look nothing like Christians. On some level, then, people are eager to see Christ in Anders Behring Breivik because it gives them an opportunity to further their rebellion against the God they fear and the Saviour they hate.

Do not be offended when Christians are unfairly portrayed. Do not be surprised. The world hated Christ and the world will hate those who follow Christ, who act like Christ. The world falsely portrayed Christ and the world will falsely portray those who follow him. Our task is to live in the ways Christ told us to live; the results we leave to his good and sovereign will. Do not be surprised when you are lumped into the same camp as Anders Behring Breivik or Timothy McVeigh. But do expect that in time this kind of event will be used against us and will be used to curtail our freedom to worship.

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