What are your thoughts on getting a yard sign that says , "Stand Up For Religious Freedom"?

[Jesus is Coming Soon!!!]

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I felt like getting your thoughts on an idea I had recently of buying a lawn sign for the front yard that says, "Stand Up For Religious Freedom". Although I want to take a stand for Jesus by displaying this sign, my concerns are, what if this sign is not the best expression of God's Love; what if people who see this sign think in their minds that Christians are too intolerant? I am thinking of putting the sign up only on certain days, such as on the anniversary of last year's Supreme Court decision, and also on the Fourth of July. However I have a large sign displayed on the house that people can easily see that says, "Jesus Loves You" really big. I am well aware that a lot of Christians have failed to demonstrate love to unbelievers who do not accept the moral standards of the Bible and wonder if this sign would detract from the message of God's Love. And I know I am not any better than people who do not follow Biblical morality because the Bible says that "All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God" (Romans 3:23). I heard a song by Casting Crowns recently that says "Nobody knows what we're for, only what we're against when we judge the wounded. What if we put down our signs, crossed over the lines and loved like You did." Because I heard this song I am wondering.
However I think it is important to take a stand especially when things are getting darker. God recently led me to a book that shared the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Dietrich openly took a stand against the evil being promoted in his country - Germany in the 1940s, and he ended becoming a martyr for Jesus. (For those who are not familiar with him, here is an article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Bonhoeffer ). I think in my case, one aspect of religious freedom which I am taking a stand for is the protection of women. The Bible says that women are to be respected and treated with "absolute purity" (1 Timothy 5:2). However, recently people have been trying to create laws that would allow men to enter women's restrooms which could become a serious threat to women (even though people think these laws protect certain freedoms). Last year a Kentucky Judge took a stand herself for her faith in the words of Jesus in Matthew 19:4-6 (in this Scripture, Jesus taught that a man is supposed to marry a woman) and she ended up going to jail.
However last year God corrected me for posting a message online in response to her being imprisoned. I felt really upset by what happened and posted a message about the judgment of God using Jude 1:7 and comparing that verse with the similar event in 2 Peter 3:7-12 but I was too harsh in what I said. God corrected me in the following way. Within a few days I was looking at a copy of the Voice of the Martyrs newsletter that I had not yet read. It had a picture of an Islamic State fighter and underneath had a message about loving our enemies. Through reading this I felt like God was showing me that the spirit in which I posted the comment was out of touch with God's love so I ended up deleting the comment. Around the same time I heard a song by Casting Crowns, "Does Anybody Hear Her" which says, "Judgment looms under every steeple, with lofty glances from lofty people, who can't see past her scarlet letter, and they've never even met her and I felt like God was using this to show me that even though I had shared the truth that the way I shared this message was out of line with God's Love. So since I am wondering I will be praying about whether or not I should get this sign and ask you to pray for me as well. Although I am interested in your thoughts, I think prayer would be the most important way for God to lead me. Thank you.

 

[Greg J.]

If it is legal, then consider what God wants you to do more than how people will react. It sounds like you have the kinds of concerns that will keep you from posting an needlessly inflammatory sign. But sometimes the truth has to be said even if it will make some people angry. Is the sign one of those occasions? It is very valid to ask yourself whether you think the sign will help people toward Jesus more than turn them from Him.

To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:21-23, 1984 NIV)

Are you in America? The sign you mentioned for "religious freedom" without naming a particular religion is from the 1st Amendment to the Constitution. You can't stop people from being angry to the point of being unpatriotic, but it is really unlikely you're in a situation where it is wrong or illegal to post that kind of sign.

God is 100% for "religious freedom." He wants us to choose Him because that's what's best for us—but he wants it to be in an environment where we have other choices. (I wouldn't call that "taking a stand for Jesus," though.)

 

[aiki]

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I felt like getting your thoughts on an idea I had recently of buying a lawn sign for the front yard that says, "Stand Up For Religious Freedom". Although I want to take a stand for Jesus by displaying this sign, my concerns are, what if this sign is not the best expression of God's Love; what if people who see this sign think in their minds that Christians are too intolerant?

If you want to show love through the sign you put up, "Stand Up For Religious Freedom" isn't it. Don't get me wrong: I'm all for religious freedom. But if communicating love is your primary concern, many other statements would be far better. Here's a really good one:

Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by me."

Can I encourage you not to get suckered in by the secular, anti-theist, usually liberal left criticism that Christians are intolerant? The truth is that everybody is intolerant about something. The issue, then, isn't really about being intolerant but about what it is one is intolerant of. One shouldn't be intolerant of helping the downtrodden, the poor and unjustly persecuted, but one most certainly should be intolerant of serial killing and genocide! Intolerance, then, isn't always necessarily a bad thing. And mostly, faithful disciples of Christ are intolerant of things about which they should be intolerant. The World objects to the intolerance of godly disciples of Christ, because that intolerance runs right up against the wicked things the World values and extols. Hypocritically, however, in the same breath the World criticizes believers of being intolerant they express their own intolerance!

I am well aware that a lot of Christians have failed to demonstrate love to unbelievers who do not accept the moral standards of the Bible and wonder if this sign would detract from the message of God's Love.

I think no matter how kind, and gracious, and holy Christians may be, they will always be, by virtue of their goodness and moral rectitude, a thorn in the side of the culture that has embraced darkness and sin. This is what Jesus warned of:

John 15:19-20
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

John 3:19-20
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

Live right, brother, but don't apologize for doing so, or be cowed by the complaints of those in the World who don't like the light your life shines on their own wickedness.

And I know I am not any better than people who do not follow Biblical morality because the Bible says that "All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

Well, hang on, there. The Bible also says,

2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

I heard a song by Casting Crowns recently that says "Nobody knows what we're for, only what we're against when we judge the wounded. What if we put down our signs, crossed over the lines and loved like You did." Because I heard this song I am wondering.

Starting with condemnation of a person's sin is not a good strategy for loving them. But in the Gospels when Christ had healed or helped someone he would also shine a spotlight on their sin:


John 5:14
14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."

John 8:10-11
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."

Luke 7:48
48 Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

Luke 5:20
20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."

We can feed, and clothe, and heal people and it will all ultimately be for nothing if they end up in hell. We should certainly do all these things, but always in connection with the proclamation of the Gospel. Preaching the Gospel, though, must entail sharing God's condemnation of human wickedness and that, more often than not, meets with a less than positive response. Should we shy away, then, from the hard, judgmental parts of the Gospel, as many "Christians" do today, and preach instead a watery "your best life now" version of it? Absolutely not.

So, should you put up your sign? Sure. Why not? I see nothing unloving about doing so.

Selah.