Trusting Christ by Doing what He Commands

 

 

What does it mean to trust Christ? Some wrongly believe that trusting God means that we no longer have a role to play. One devout Christian informed me, “I don’t trust in political solutions.” However, God does! He had continually raised up judges and kings to protect or to liberate His people Israel.

 

We find this principle at play even under the New Covenant: 1 Peter 2:13–15 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

 

In this context, doing good is also a matter of obeying God’s institutions, taking advantage of what God had ordained for the good of our neighbors and our nation:

 

Romans 13:1–4 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

 

According to Jesus, this principle even pertains to government, which we regard as hypocritical or evil: Matthew 23:2–3 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.”

 

Others say, “I’m merely going to prayer and trust God when I see my neighbors threatened by evil.” While prayer and trusting God are essential, our God-given responsibilities do not end there. If it is in our power, we are also required to intervene, call the police, and to expose the threat:

 

James 4:17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

 

This is especially true in view of the ongoing terrorism to bring the whole world under submission to Allah and Shariah. Ibn Khaldun, the 15th century Tunisian historian, stated:

“In the Muslim community, the holy war is a religious duty, because of the universalism of the Muslim mission and the obligation to convert everybody to Islam either by persuasion or by force... The other religious groups did not have a universal mission, and the holy war was not a religious duty for them, save only for purposes of defense... Islam is under obligation to gain power over other nations.”

 

Here’s the Quranic basis for this:

“Make war on them until idolatry is no more and Allah’s religion (Islam) reigns supreme, (Koran 8:37)

 

“When the Sacred Months are over, kill those who ascribe partners [like Jesus] to God wheresoever ye find them; seize them, encompass them, and ambush them; then if they repent and observe prayer and pay the alms, let them go their way’.” (Koran 4:5)

 

“…kill the disbelievers wherever we find them” (Koran 2:191) and “murder them and treat them harshly” (Koran 9:123), and “Strike off the heads of the disbelievers” (Koran 8:12, cp. 8:60).

 

Some respond, “I have Muslim friends who are very nice people.” However, if they take their religion seriously, they use deception as does Allah:

 

Quran 13:42 And verily, those before them did deceive/scheme but all deception/scheming is Allah's. He knows what every person earns, and the disbelievers will know who gets the good end.

 

Quran 4:142 Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them.

 

Therefore Muslims use deception even in “friendship”:

Quran 3:27: “Let not the believers take the disbelievers for friends rather than believers. And whoever does this has no connection with Allah unless it is done [deceptively] to guard yourselves against them, guarding carefully.

 

Quran 5:54: O ye who believe, take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors. They are but friends and protectors to each other.

 

The following comes from the fatwa which quotes the Quran in support  (www.koranqa.com; fatwa 59879; but is no longer available):

 

“Undoubtedly the Muslim is obliged to hate the enemies of Allaah and to disavow them, because this is the way of the Messengers and their followers. Allaah says:

 

Quran 60:4: “Indeed there has been an excellent example for you in Ibraaheem (Abraham) and those with him, when they said to their people: ‘Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship besides Allaah, we have rejected you, and there has started between us and you, hostility and hatred for ever until you believe in Allaah Alone’”

 

 “Based on this, it is not permissible for a Muslim to feel any love in his heart towards the enemies of Allaah who are in fact his enemies too. Allaah says”:

 

 Quran 60:1: “O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies (i.e. disbelievers and polytheists) as friends, showing affection towards them, while they have disbelieved in what has come to you of the truth”

 

 “But if a Muslim treats them with kindness and gentleness in the hope that they will become Muslim and will believe, there is nothing wrong with that, because it comes under the heading of opening their hearts to Islam. But if he despairs of them becoming Muslim, then he should treat them accordingly.”

 

Love takes many forms. One form of love is to warn of danger. To fail to do so is to neglect the welfare of our neighbors. To trust in Christ is to do what He has instructed us to do: to love our neighbor and to expose the impending threats.

 

Zionism and Christian Zionism

 

 

What is Zionism? Britanica (along with many other sources) defines “Zionism” as the:

·       Jewish nationalist movement with the goal of the creation and support of a Jewish national state in Palestine, the ancient homeland of the Jews (Hebrew: Eretz Yisraʾel, “the Land of Israel”). Though Zionism originated in eastern and central Europe in the latter part of the 19th century, it is in many ways a continuation of the ancient attachment of the Jews and of the Jewish religion to the historical region of Palestine. According to Judaism, Zion, one of the hills of ancient Jerusalem, is the place where God dwells.

 

Can Christians also be Zionists? Of course, as long as they believe that the Jewish people have a right to exist and to have a refuge from a world of Jew-hatred. However many are attempting to redirect the Evangelical Church—Israel’s only steadfast friend—away from any support for Israel.

 

Is there anything unbiblical about “Christian Zionism” as some allege? Not at all! Instead it can be argued that this devotion to the survival of Israel is at the heart of Jesus Christ and our Triune God. This divine commitment to His Jewish people is imprinted upon the annuls of their history. As such, they are a sign people both of the wrath of their God and His faithfulness, a light to the world of the reality of God and of His promises. Their God had promised:

 

·       Deuteronomy 8:16–20 …to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God.

 

Today, Israel’s gods are largely atheism/agnosticism and self-trust and not the God who has blessed and continues protect them amid worldwide Jew-hatred. Nevertheless, their God has also promised to never entirely give up on them. He had promised to bring them back to their Promised Land and has done so three times: from Egypt, Babylon, and most recently when the UN voted in 1948, against all odds, to recognize the State of Israel. These Israelite returns represent an historical anomaly which has never happened to a single nation even once. God has also promised to fully restore Israel to what it had been intended to be.

·       Isaiah 49:14–16 But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.”

 

·       Isaiah 54:5–8 For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. For the LORD has called you [Israel] like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God. For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD, your Redeemer.

 

the New Testament also promises the salvation of Israel even for those who had rebelled against their God:

 

·       Romans 11:25–29 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way     will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

 

Should not the Church celebrate the faithfulness of God to Israel ?To be anti-Jewish is also to be anti-Christian. For one thing, the Christian faith is based upon the very Scriptures that the Jews had preserved over the centuries.

For another thing, Jesus and all His apostles—the authors and foundation of the New Testament—had been faithful Jews. Therefore, to discount these men is to reject the foundation that had been created for Christianity.

 

Romans 3:2 …The Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.

 

God had entrusted the Hebrew Scriptures to the Jews. Is it surprising that the Church should be grateful for this! Therefore, to hate the Jews and the Jewish writers of these Scriptures is to oppose the plan and purpose of God. It is even to hate Jesus!

 

Even in their rebellion, Israel remains central to God’s purposes. In the end, Israel will become one with the Gentile believers. God’s promises to the Church are even intertwined with those He had made to Israel:

 

·       Romans 15:8–12 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people [Israel].” And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.”

 

·       To be on God’s side is to seek Israel’s ultimate welfare:  Psalm 122:6–8 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!” For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, “Peace be within you!”

 

As a Jew and a Christian, I thank God for the Evangelical Church and its love to the Jews and for Israel. May this love continue to blossom!