This Year Be Revolutionary
The start of the New Year always brings excitement, anticipation, and awe-inspiring wonder. It feels like a fresh new slate, the year is past and gone and the newness brings its own taste of freshness. However, despite the numbers on the calendar changing and the ticking of the clock going well into the new year, the world comes to the sudden realization that it doesn’t have a reset button for its own history cache. Many of the problems of our history’s past continues to run on its own pattern today, well on track to creep into our children’s future and the generations to come.
To keep it short and concise, we’re living in a fallen and degenerate world. Our societal values have been undermined and distorted; our clarity of vision has become blurred thanks to the contributions of postmodernism and skepticism. What remains of our Christian values and standards are slowly fading away into the pages of history. We’re at war, against the culture of our world, the ideologies and philosophies that fundamentally undermine logic and reasoning, and most importantly against all injustice and corruption on the face of the Earth. In order to address such a predominant issue, we are faced with a daunting question as ambassadors of Christ, what are we to do?
The response is not one that man is fairly accustomed to, of physical aggression and violence, but rather a fight that is far different than the ways known to man. “Jesus has shown that it is now a betrayal of the gospel to take up physical arms explicitly to promote the interests of Christ” (Orr-Ewing). There is another way, another pattern of which to live by, let us instead of raising arms surrender ourselves as martyrs in the proclamation of who Christ is.
“Martyrs die because they refuse to deny the Truth, they are unwillingly to force their ways upon others, and they are unwilling to fight back when fighting back would deny the Love they are trying to show those hurting them” (dc Talk).
This year, you have the choice to be a revolutionary, to stand upon the pillars of truth and love. Instead of following the mainstream of culture and society, choose to deny yourself for the sake of others. Learn to die to the self in order to see the betterment of our society by making the truth of the Gospel known.
“This is how martyrdom changes things: It stands up as a witness of the One who is Truth and Love, and the One who is Truth and Love can do little else but stand up and surround them with His presence. And His presence changes things” (dc Talk).
Be a Revolutionary, bring a sudden, radical and complete change. Stir the movement that will fundamentally bring reform to political, social and cultural organizations. The William Webster’s Dictionary defines the term revolution as a “fundamental change in the way of thinking about or visualizing something: a change of paradigm <the Copernican Revolution>” (Merriam Webster Dictionary). In understanding such, stand not only as an advocate but also an adherent of revolutionary doctrines, beliefs that are a “complete turnaround from the cultural, economic, and political norms of the day” (dc Talk). Live as a martyr, be a revolutionary, and embrace the words of the Apostle Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, ESV).
It’s a New Year, and You’ve been given a Choice. Choose Change.
Many Blessings,
Steven R. Martins
CYC Director & Evangelist
Works Cited
dc Talk. Jesus Freaks II: Revolutionaries. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany House Publishers, 2002. 6-7.
Merriam Webster Dictionary. Revolution – Definition and More… 06 January 2012 <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revolution>.
Orr-Ewing, Amy. “PostModern Challenges to the Bible.” Zacharias, Ravi. Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc., 2007. 18.
