Many believers are living in a fantasy world, a world taught by far too many "preachers" today. The parameters of this fantasy world are simple: if you make God happy with what you do, then He will bless you with health and prosperity; if you displease God, then all sorts of bad things will befall you. According to this doctrine, the believer who is faithful will never suffer any problem. In order to arrive at such belief, however, one must omit large portions of Scripture which teach exactly opposite.

Marcus Buckley is senior pastor of Terry Parker Baptist Church in Jacksonville.

Jesus wanted to make sure that all of those who would follow Him understood what they were getting into. He explained, "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:18-20a). When we are faithful to what Christ has said in His Word, we will be an irritant to the world. And the world doesn't like being irritated.

Simply look at the world around us. People in the entertainment industry advocate all sorts of immoral behavior in the name of freedom of speech. Politicians can advocate the murder of unborn children and support sexual lifestyles contrary to every semblance of rational human behavior. And yet, if a politician or a celebrity takes a public stand for his Christian beliefs, he is ridiculed, or worse. Free speech applies only to what makes immoral people comfortable. Challenge immorality based on the Word of God and you will find yourself attacked from every direction-saddest of all, even from within the church.

How can someone who claims to be a born-again Christian find fault with the Scriptures? The answer is simple: they have found that it is easier to go along in order to get along. I can't even begin to count how many times I have heard, "I guarantee you made a lot of people mad with that sermon, Pastor". They weren't talking about lost people being angered by the proclamation of God's Word; however, they were talking about church members. While there are certainly some gray areas in which Christians may have different viewpoints, there is no room for debate whatsoever on the core doctrines of the faith. When the Word of God speaks, it is final, and is not open for argument. While such a stand may not be popular, it is necessary.

So how then are we to stand in the face of hostility from all directions? Not through anything we can do, but only from a strength greater than our own: "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning" (John 15:26-27). The one who is truly Christ's will have the Holy Spirit living within them, and will therefore be able to stand firm against attacks, regardless of where they originate. Jesus continued: "These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them" (John 16:1-4a).

The faithful Christian is not the one who hides or conforms to the world, but knows God's Word and obeys it. Our faithfulness is demonstrated in adversity with greater clarity than in times of tranquility.