Friday, April 1, 2022

Safeguarding the Faith

 

Friday, April 1, 2022

Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord.  I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.  Philippians 3:1

Paul had just sent Epaphroditus back to Phillipi.  He had risked his life to come to the Apostle’s aid while in prison.  He was at the point of death, but God spared him, and Paul sent him back home. 

Re-reading that passage reminds me of those I’ve known in ministry who serve Christ, as Christ served, personal comfort, and even safety set-aside for the sake of the Gospel, safeguarding the message of faith.  Epaphroditus was a treasure to Paul, and Paul didn’t mind telling the homefolks at Phillipi just how much that faithfulness gladdened his heart.

Some who profess faith at the start don’t turn out that well.  In AD 337 the great Constantine died.  He had spent his life conquering and "Christianizing" the known world.  One of his grandsons was named Julian.  He was not seen as intelligent or considered a threat to the throne.  Julian grew up in the company and tutelage of monks and Christian scholars.  He learned the faith and participated in leading worship services.  His regular duties included copying religious books and building chapels for worship. 

Unfortunately Julian's main teacher was a "closet pagan."  Mardonius was a Christian on the outside, but his whole mental development was based on the ideas of Greek paganism.  Later Julian met Maximus, a well-known teacher of the worst kind of paganism (Neo-Platonism).  Under Maximus' influence Julian formally renounced Christianity to embrace paganism.  When he ascended to the emperor's throne in AD 361 he used his power to return the whole empire to pagan worship, beginning the active persecution of Christian believers.  His grandfather must've turned over in his grave!

(We should all heed this caution to be careful who teaches our children in schools and church.  Our grandfathers would turn in their graves to see the pagan mindset that passes for education these days).

The question presents itself about Julian, as to his motivation to ditch Christ for the teachings of paganism.  What was his complaint with Christianity? What went wrong with young Julian? 

In his memoirs, Julian, the former worship leader, scholar and Christian builder wrote:  Have you looked at these Christians closely?  Hollow-eyed, pale-cheeked, flat-breasted all; they brood their lives away, unspurred by ambition; the sun shines for them, but they do not see it; the earth offers them its fullness, but they desire it not; all their desire is to renounce and to suffer that they may come to die.

Julian had a right to shudder when he thought of Christianity; especially a faith that looked like death.  For all the trappings of organized religion, Julian looked at the lives of religious people and thought just like the two little boys who were standing outside the church as they watched a long-faced preacher arguing with a sourpuss member...Said one boy to the other, "Man, if that's what 30 years of Christianity will do for you, I want out NOW!" 

For You Today

As one scholar wrote about the "God is dead" movement:  Men looked at a dead church and assumed its owner was also deceased.  If you really have the joy of Christ pulsing through your bloodstream, maybe it’s time to see if your face has gotten the memo!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title image: Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©   

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