Am I evil?

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Welcome to the world of real Christianity. Jesus was quite clear in saying that in the world we will have upset and distress. This is because we are not of this world. The world hates us because it hates Christ. The world is also the domain of the evil one. He is the god of this world, so as a committed Christian you are not only rubbing up against the sense based world, but you are also in conflict with the evil spirits that dominate this world. That's why Peter said not to be surprised about the fiery trial that you are going to experience, as if something strange is happening to you. As long as you are alive you will struggle, so get used to it. You are not to blame, nor is your church. It is because this world is not your real home. It is just as well you were not a Christian during the first two centuries after the day of Pentecost. Those ones faced death every day, just because they were Christians. Many were brutally killed, thrown to wild animals in the area, and used as Nero's streetlamps. Then, when the Roman Catholic Church was the dominating power, many Bible believing Christians were burned alive. Most of them went to their deaths singing and praising God. They didn't whinge and moan about the struggled they faced. They got on with finding God's will and doing what God called them to do, even if that meant a violent and painful death. Also, thinking about modern Christians in muslim areas, especially the ones who were lined up by Isis and beheaded for their faith. I wonder if they blamed the church or themselves for getting into that predicament?

So, are you facing any of those things? If not, are you really struggling? Or is it because you are not quite sure of your personal standing with the Lord? Remember what Lester Sumrall said: "Do you want to know the will of God? Read the Bible! Do you want to do the will of God? Do the Bible!" He didn't say to try and find a church that suited you; nor did he say to wait until you felt better in yourself. What he was saying was, "Get on with it!" Jesus said that His friends did what He commanded. Christianity is involved in doing, not wondering why we don't feel good or feel sure about everything. The man in the temple who said "God forgive me a sinner" was justified before God, more so than the pharisee who thought he had everything together and had "arrived". Christianity is a journey. Sometimes smooth a straight, sometimes hilly, windy and rugged. So accept the rough and the smooth, and get on with doing God's will for you.