Luke 11:17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.
Yesterday a very tragic event took place in the U.S. A conservatively minded young married man was shot and killed. His name was Charlie Kirk. He talked of God and to the secular mind, he would be classified as a Christian. He attended public school and after graduation attended college for a short time. He was sharp enough to realize that the colleges do not teach anything of value. He exposed the propaganda and indoctrination that takes place on college and University campuses. He built an organization called Turning Point USA and went to campuses in the U.S. but also in Britain to engage both students and professors in discussions about the current state of thought in our countries.
Since his death, the left has been vocal in blaming him for his death. The left does not want to hear the truth and it does not have much tolerance for views that do not agree with its general sentiment.
We forget that Jesus Christ was hated by the majority of the Jews of His time on earth. The Pharisees had developed into a major religious entity by the time He came to earth. There was no one on the side of truth that was speaking up. John the Baptist was chosen by God to be a voice crying out in the wilderness. The Bible does not mention anyone else who was speaking the truth publicly at that time. There was a major spiritual vacuum at that time.
Jesus Christ began His public ministry in this time of emptiness. He did not change the truth. He exposed the lies of the Pharisees and their friends. The people were not willing to embrace Him, but they liked to listen to Him speak.
There was a hunger for an alternative voice to that of the Pharisees. People do not like to be herded like cattle, and yet they are generally easily herded like cattle. When someone speaks in a manner that is contrary to the herd, the herd perks up its ears. Jesus not only spoke contrary to the herd, He spoke the Truth. He is Truth and always spoke the truth.
It is important to be careful not to lose sight of the fact that Jesus declared:
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Charlie Kirk was a great debater. He was very well versed in many different topics. He was also quite deficient in key areas. He did not know if Genesis 1 should be taken literally. He was in agreement with “Theistic Evolution”. He accepted the idea that God started things and then allowed long periods of time for them to develop. Theistic evolution was popularized after Charles Darwin popularized his grandfather’s evolutionary ideas. When a person does not know the Lord, he does not have confidence in Him.
I John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
God tells us that we can have full confidence in Him. We can have that confidence because He has recorded His Word for us. We see that God’s Word is designed to give confidence to those who believe in the name of the Son of God. The true child of God is a student of God’s Word. He or she is devoted to reading and studying the Word of God to be able to walk humbly and faithfully with Him and thus also be able to help others to turn to God in repentance and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
Jesus Christ did not debate the Pharisees on the latest philosophies they had developed. He exposed them for their corruption of His Word. He exposed their hypocrisy. They grew in their hatred for Him. They were power hungry. They wanted to be the final authority for the people. They did not want people dependent upon God for direction. They wanted to be God. Jesus Christ did not allow them to get away with that. Thus they executed the plan to have the Roman government support them in killing Jesus.
God had a plan and He sent Jesus Christ to come and lay down His life for mankind. Jesus Christ shed His blood on that cross of Calvary and He died and was buried and rose again to provide salvation for all. That gift of salvation is only applicable to those who will humble themselves and turn to God in repentance and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation.
True Christians do not make allowance for false religion to have some truth in them. True Christians testify to the truth of Who the Lord Jesus Christ is and that He alone provides salvation. It is not imperative that true Christians know all the latest arguments that man might have. True Christians do not need to know all the “scientific” theories that are out there.
As we have stated, Charlie Kirk was quite well versed in the philosophies of man, but very poorly informed in the truth of God.
God wants us to have our hope and trust in Him. Don’t be confused by smooth talking men. We need to pray for Mr. Kirk’s wife and two young children. They definitely need to know the comfort that only God can give at a time like this.
As our opening verse points out, a house divided against itself cannot stand. The death of Charlie Kirk has already shown just how divided the U.S. is. Canada is no better. That is why our economies are in a shambles. It is just a matter of time before we come crashing down.
For those who are saved this should be another opportunity for us to be sure our faith is founded upon Truth. Compromise is not a blessing. The Truth divides but it also sets the captive free.
Pastor Bartel