Christian Outrage

Is this an oxymoron?

I, along with many of my fellow Christian writers, have shown our outrage at the recent blasphemous Olympic Games opening ceremony. I want to examine an alternative view that may expose a shortcoming in the outrage many expressed.

Is our Christian outrage an oxymoron?

Oxymoron Definition

An oxymoron is an effective literary technique when two contradictory words are used in conjunction, as exemplified in the above image.

Definition of a Christian

A Christian is a person who exemplifies the spiritual characteristics of Christ in the daily activities of their lives.

The Outrage of Yahusha

Yahusha was outraged at religious hypocrisy.

Jeremiah 7:9-11 NKJV  Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know,  (10)  and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, 'We are delivered to do all these abominations'?  (11)  Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it," says the LORD.

Mark 11:15-18 NKJV  So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  (16)  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  (17)  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS' ? But you have made it a 'DEN OF THIEVES.'"  (18)  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.

Are those, like me, outraged at the Olympic Opening Ceremony, now so holier than unbelievers that we can no longer see our sinful nature?

John 8:3-11 NKJV  Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst,  (4)  they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.  (5)  Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?"  (6)  This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.  (7)  So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."  (8)  And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.  (9)  Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.  (10)  When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?"  (11)  She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."

There was no outrage of Yahusha on display at this woman caught in adultery….

Nothing but grace….

Forgiveness…..

Love…..

How Did Apostle Paul Handle Paganism?

Acts 17:22-34 NKJV  Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious;  (23)  for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:  (24)  God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.  (25)  Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.  (26)  And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,  (27)  so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;  (28)  for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'  (29)  Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising.  (30)  Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,  (31)  because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."  (32)  And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, "We will hear you again on this matter."  (33)  So Paul departed from among them.  (34)  However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Paul did not attack their paganism with religious outrage…..

No, not this wise in-dwelt Christian….

He used their paganism to point them to Christ…..

Herein is the moral of this lesson I have learned from Yahusha himself.

Outrage should be directed in correction where religious hypocrisy is more obvious than the grace of YAH….

We are ALL sinners, but our consciousness should not be sin, but grace toward ALL….

If we do not condemn, likewise we will not be condemned….

Pray for the pagans that the light of Christ shines on them…..

YAH foreknows ALL….

Luke 23:34 NKJV  Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots.

This intervention of Christ to my religious resentment has been a huge wake-up call and a defining day for me. Unbelievers view Christian outrage as typical hypocrisy of religion and will not bring them closer to Christ.

Only grace in the face of evil turns hearts…..

May the light of Christ mark your paths from today.

If this has spoken to you today…..please….

Your Kingdom Priest (Rev 1:6)