The world teaches us that we have a right to be easily offended by everyone who disagrees with us or acts wrongly toward us. The world teaches us we have a right to confront them and condemn them. The world teaches us to be angry and hostile to those who do not agree with us.

Jesus Christ teaches us a different way… a better way… patience and perseverance… self-control, godliness, kindness and love.

James 1:2-4 2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 14We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.

2 Peter 1:5-9 5Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.

We certainly do not have to agree with or accept persecution from those who disagree with us. However, we can respond truthfully, confidently, boldly, and yet still be kind, patient, loving in our manner. We must look to the example of Jesus Christ in His earthly ministry and do as He did. That is part of why He came… to demonstrate the example of living a righteous and sinless life.

This is an area where many of us do well to pray and ask the Lord for help to overcome our natural defensive impulses and instead see people as God does… with patience and love.

However, similar to Jesus, we must never waiver about the truth. There is clear right and wrong… a clear message of the gospel… a clear warning that most of the world is on the path to Hell. We do not help them by remaining silent or accepting their wrong perception that there are many ways to Heaven or that everyone goes to Heaven or that Heaven and Hell do not exist. We help them by persevering in proclaiming the truth of the gospel through our actions and our words.

John 14:6 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.