It is urgently needful that the Christian people of our charge should come to understand that they are not a company of invalids, to be wheeled about, or fed by hand, nursed, and comforted, the minister being the Head Physician and Nurse; but a garrison in an enemy’s country, every soldier of which should have some post or duty, at which he should be prepared to make any sacrifice rather than quitting.
Dr. F.B. Meyer, Bible Illustrations, cited by Ron Rhodes in Christianity According to the Bible, pg.189.
Having spent a number of years in the armed forces in the service of my country, I have been known to shudder; snigger; make snide remarks; and even get sarcastic whenever I hear a Christian say something like "we are all soldiers in Gods army", or the one which really makes me twitch "We are Gods commandos". While I am not disputing that we are all doing our best to serve God, sometimes in very trying situations, I honestly suspect that the vast majority of so called Christians, don't posses the spiritual fortitude to even embrace a spiritual "Boot Camp".
ReplyDeleteSadly, I believe that a large percentage of the so called Christians within our churches are perfectly described by Dr Meyer. They are not only in spiritual wheel chairs but they even struggle to handle being fed the milk of the Gospel.
If we are "a garrison in an enemy's country", then most of the time we are going to be busy patching up our critically wounded, or zipping up body bags. I would struggle to think of much more than four or possibly six people, out of the dozens of "Christians" I know, who would willingly stand at their post rather than quitting, (in a spiritual battle).
Al Ferguson