“Christmas was the day Diocletian celebrated, albeit prematurely, that he had annihilated Christianity from the Earth, he was proven wrong not long afterward.”
Gotta love the “rusty” irony! Now the day Diocletian celebrated… celebrates the triumph of Christ over his evil designs. One of the fascinating aspects of my study of Scripture is how God uses His enemies for His purposes. Just a couple of examples… when Joseph of “coat of many colors” fame was sold into slavery by his envious brothers and later falsely accused and imprisoned in Egypt… I’m sure he did not see God anywhere in those events… yet clearly God had his hand on Joseph and he served God’s purposes. When Caesar Augustus proclaimed “all the world to be taxed” I’m certain he was not aware of the fact his decree forced Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem to give birth to our Savior as was prophesied in Micah 5. Does the Supreme Court outrage have some work of God that we can’t see? Another irony of the Christian faith is that the persecuted church has thrived and grown… it’s the prosperous church that tends to waver… go figure?
Well, at this point, there’s little if any motive for churches to keep a standard on marriage. If anything, genuine Christianity will get proven as more and more churches simply change to reflect the law of the land and try to pander to gain members. The separation of wheat and tares is occurring as we speak. There’s other issues too, but holding faithful to the end is the test, and it’s made all the more ramped up with societal support of principles gone. It reminds me of Israel and the Golden Calf, you have to wonder how people held out before Moses returned. But it proved that Israel and the world needed to live under strict standards and needed a Savior to atone for our sins. Now we are left in the days that Jesus warned about. Where the opposition to those who believe grows, and he will come before it’s too late, although the hour isn’t known.