HOW ARE WE TO DEAL WITH REJECTION?
I have been asked this question a number of times lately and it has prompted me to do a little research. First of all I have noticed a huge increase in the number of new age self-help schemes that are available in bookshops and libraries. I have also attended a few evangelical churches who appear to be manufacturing a gospel which is acceptable to people and obviously designed to offend no one. The truth has been put to one side and congregations are even being taught that to refer to someone as a sinner is somewhat demeaning and that we should tone down our reference to the place of torment and replace it with lessons that Christ actually died to restore human dignity and self-esteem.
There are evangelical churches in many countries of the world where congregations are taught that by becoming a Christian you are guaranteed health, wealth and happiness, and that God will even restore broken marriages, and as if that is not enough, they will also teach you how to handle worry and stress. They do, however, hammer home that if you are not receiving any of these ‘fruits’ then you are not trying hard enough!
Sadly a lot of evangelistic appeals to come to Christ are often made for the wrong reasons, when the truth of the matter is that Christ died to rescue us from the penalty of sin, NOT to make us successful.
Others preach a gospel that is so perverted and diluted that many are fooled into thinking they are saved, when in actual fact they are not. As the well-known Christian author, Dave Hunt puts it:
No fraud could be worse, for the consequences are eternal.
The great Gospel preacher and writer, C. H. Spurgeon once wrote that modern revivalism has been more a curse than a blessing, because it has led thousands to a kind of peace before they have known their misery. They have restored the prodigal son to the Father’s house without making him say: Father I have sinned. How can he be healed who is not sick? Who can be satisfied with the Bread of Life who is not hungry? The old fashioned sense of sin is despised. Everything in this age is shallow. Without humility they come to church, without humility they remain in it, and without humility they go from it. How can we not be humbled by what the Saviour has done for us?
It should therefore come as no surprise to learn that Satan’s main weapon is religion, and not atheism or evolution as some might expect.
The god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ…..should shine unto them.
2 Corinthians 4:4
Man has rejected the Gospel of the Grace of God (Acts 20:24) and has replaced it with many so-called gospels all of which lead to ruin and each one of them involving some form of ritual or performance by the adherent.
RITUAL
You will be surprised at how many churches perform rituals as a means of ‘educating and saving’ their congregations, little realising that they make redemption an ongoing process, which denies the finality of Christ’s finished work on the cross.
SELF-EFFORT
Self-help always gives man something to do, with some part to play in ‘earning’ their salvation, when the Scriptures make it abundantly clear that Christ’s work on the Cross was and is, all sufficient, with nothing more to do.
- Ritual robs God of the Glory He should receive from every one of us.
- Self-effort hands it to man so he can boast.
There is a huge problem associated with rejection and low self-esteem which runs hand in glove with self-love. The human cry nowadays is to find one’s self and to learn how to love ourselves before we can love others.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lust shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables.
2 Timothy 4:3-4
This warning from Scripture is a very sad fulfilment of our day and age where we see the influence of humanistic teachings in our churches, schools and colleges all across the world where it has swept in, and swept aside wholesome Biblically based preaching and teaching, replacing it with the notion that teaching can now be obtained from anywhere so long as it looks like, sounds like and tastes biblical.
The lust for self-awareness and self-love has brought an avalanche of new teachings, new methods and theories on these subjects. Is it any wonder therefore that when these methods fail, those caught up in them are completley disillusioned and feel rejected and worthless. Bookshops and libraries are awash with volume after volume, imploring readers to find themselves and realise their true potential. I saw a paperback advertised which boldly informed me that I could make anything a reality with the correct use of my inner thoughts. All I had to do was harness the power I already possess, and part with a little cash to purchase the book.
For all intents and purposes it looks as though the Christian faith is being undermined by the very ones who are looked up to as its defenders.
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy …
2 Timothy 3:1-2
This list of sins (and lots more in verses 3-7) is indicative of us living in the last days, and I don’t know about you, but I have never known the world to be so absorbed with self and greed. Every single one of these sins has their root in self-love.
Humanistic psychology has permeated Christian circles like never before and has seduced millions into believing the myth that self-love is vital if we are to overcome rejection, learn to love others, and love ourselves and indeed God Himself.
I know for a fact that schools have specially trained Teachers to promote this way of thinking, quoting, as they often do, Matthew 19:19 which states:
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self.
to prove the belief they strongly hold, whereby you must learn to love yourself before you can love others, little realising that the verse is in fact telling us that because we ALREADY love ourselves, we are to offer this love to our neighbour.
All they needed to do was look at Ephesians 5:28-29 which makes this Biblical truth abundantly clear:
So men ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For NO MAN EVER hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church.
We are commanded to manifest love for our neighbours with the same care and attention we give ourselves regarding food, clothing and the needs of shelter and warmth to satisfy our own desires. In other words the overriding principle here is that we are to care for them as we care for ourselves.
In fact if you think about it we are being commanded to do this and be like this toward our fellow human beings BECAUSE, if the truth be known, we all suffer from an excess of self-love and what’s more our ignoring this commandment has led to the selfishness, greed and neglect we see so much of today, all of which go hand in glove with the overwhelming feeling of rejection so many appear to suffer from.
The Scriptures are very plain that if man is to be accepted by God then it is on His terms and not man’s. Man’s self-help, self-effort and self-righteousness are rejected by God.
And He said unto me, My Grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distress for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on this earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:1-3
We are to set our affections on things above, not on things on this earth. In other words we are to love Christ, not ourselves. Christ will never fail us, but loving ourselves or even trying to learn to do so is fraught with dangers and heartache and this is because we were never designed to do so. By setting our affection on Jesus we take our eyes off ourselves and focus on Him and Him alone. This is what we should be learning, because this is what we were designed to do in the first place!
Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance are all FRUITS of the Spirit, and they are learned by obedience to the Word of God, and NOT from special teaching, special self-love and self-awareness classes. They are fruits displayed by those who have placed their whole trust in the finished work of Christ, and who have determined to live for Him and Him alone, where the Truth of God has so gripped their hearts and minds that they are fully persuaded to be ruled by His Word and His Word alone.
Sadly modern man has, in his own wisdom, decided that these fruits are obtainable by therapy and psychological counselling and the welling up of power from within us and therefore, has decided to go it alone!
Is it any wonder that we see so much sadness and greed and self-absorbed people all around us who have traded in the truth for a lie and worshipped the creature rather than the Creator Himself.
I sincerely hope and pray that, you the reader, will take God at His Word and that you can say, from your heart, that you have:
Tasted and seen that the Lord is good.