Being a person who has a passion for God, the church, and seeing people changed by His word isn’t easy. It is difficult because that requires both ambition and humility, aggressiveness and patience, love but not tolerance.
The most loving thing we can do for a person is to call them to repentance, whether that be for the first time as a new Christian, or as a mature Christian being called to repent of newly revealed idols to deepen one’s relationship with Christ; tolerance suggests that we not call people out, no matter what our tone of voice or intentions, because it’s not P.C. Aggressiveness drives us forward, but patience makes us wait. When ambition drives a passionate person, they are prone to want to push the limits, to make it happen, and to be seen as the person working to make it all come together; humility not only does not allow for this, it also requires that we admit that we can’t do it.
Fortunately, we don’t have to do it.
Matthew 16:18 ESV
[18] And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
In all of the doctrinal debate over what “this rock” is, we often times overlook the rest of the verse. Jesus tells us “I will build my church”. God most definitely uses us as tools with which to build His church and kingdom, but He has not only done the work to make His kingdom possible through the cross and resurrection, but is actively working in the hearts of men and women to build His kingdom. He also gives us a promise as well. Even though it seems like my generation is a generation away from losing all that is basic and right about Christendom, Jesus promises us that the very gates of Hell will not prevail against His church. Jesus has conquered sin, death, and hell, and all the manifestations we are exposed to in this life. This temporary life may seem to be out of control, and we may not be able to comprehend how the church will survive another 20 years, especially in America.
We must remember two things though:
1) We are human, and therefore finite with tiny brains
2) God is God, and therefore eternal, infinite, and has a “brain” without equal
Jesus is building His church, and Jesus will ensure that the ridiculousness of this world, the glandular desires this generation so easily succumbs to, and the very gates of hell itself will not crush His church.
