Perceived Threats

Readings:
II Chronicles 9
Acts 19:23-41

Focus:
Acts 19:26b: "...he tells them that gods made by human hands are not gods at all."

When Christianity is preached, this life-changing message threatens the way of life of potential believers in several ways.

First, although it may turn them to new freedoms, it also may turn them to new discipline. They may no longer indulge in some of the behaviors that they are used to finding pleasurable.

Second, it may have to change their associations. If they have been spending time with people whose influence is bad, they may have to taper off their involvement with those people.

Third, it may threaten their financial wellbeing. If they have been making a profit off of vice or corruption, they will have to stop. Or if they have been earning a living from the worship of false gods (or, today, from overindulgence of self), they will have to stop that as well.

In the ancient world, the people in our passage who were threatened were worshippers of the goddess Diana. In our modern world, it is the things discussed above that may function as gods to people.

So there sometimes appears to be a tradeoff involved in becoming a Christian. Although when we are Christians it is overwhelmingly obvious to us that the benefits outweigh the losses--in fact, it is all benefit--unfortunately, there are people who never see the gain, but only focus on what they perceive as the threats.

We must love these people and continue to pray for and work towards their salvation.