Written by: Dr Pearl Kupe
There was a huge global uproar over the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. Christians around the world were grieved and offended by what was a clear parody and mockery of their Christian faith and values. Surprisingly, there were some among the Christian faith who felt that the Olympics opening was not a mockery of the faith and felt that believers were overreacting to what they termed as “mere innocent and harmless entertainment”.
Standing up for the truth
Several Christian leaders in South Africa, including Acts senior apostle Peter de Fin, 3C Church senior pastor Bert Pretorius, Choose Life Church senior pastor John Roebert, JOY! Magazine‘s editor, Erin Georgiou, and I went public with protests against the Paris Olympics opening.
Global protests led to the removal of a YouTube video showing the Olympics opening ceremony. The protests also forced the organisers of the French Olympic Committee to make a public apology on Sunday July 28, 2024. In their apology, they tried to defend and justify their actions by claiming that it was a “representation of Greek mythology” and their way of ensuring inclusivity and diversity. The lesson from this fiasco is that inclusivity and diversity cannot be ensured through making a parody of other people’s faiths.
How should Christians respond?
Believers must unashamedly and unapologetically contend for the faith, as instructed in Jude 1:3, “Dearly loved friend, I was fully intending to write to you about our amazing salvation we all participate in, but felt the need instead to challenge you to vigorously defend and contend for the beliefs that we cherish. For God, through the apostles, has once for all entrusted these truths to his holy believers.”
What lessons must believers take from this incident?
• It is a season where God is looking for sons who will contend for the faith. Believers must know that this is a season in which our faith will be attacked by many people and organisations. Threats and attacks will come from many different angles.
• The faith will be threatened by those outside the faith. In South Africa, we have seen entities such as the CRL Commission attacking and targeting the Christian faith, despite the CRL being tasked with the protection and promotion of cultural, religious, and linguistic rights.
• The faith will also be threatened by those who purport to be “in the faith”. In Acts 20: 29-30 it says, “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.”
Every believer is called to contend for the faith
It is not just five fold ministers who are expected to contend for the faith (pastors, teachers, evangelists, apostles, and prophets). Jude 1:3 instructs all believers to contend where the faith is being misrepresented or attacked.
What does it mean to contend?
Paul uses the word “earnestly”. This means to defend with intense conviction. As believers, we cannot be halfhearted in our approach. Are we ready to suffer discomfort, harm, and loss of reputation? Defending the faith opens one up to all those possibilities. Paul, the one who challenged believers to contend, understood what it meant and the associated implications. He was shipwrecked, mercilessly beaten, imprisoned, and attacked on many occasions. Are we prepared to go to prison for the sake of the Gospel and suffer loss as a result? There is no true contention that does not result in temporary loss, but it will bring eventual victory.
When we contend, we must know that there is no room for lukewarmness or compromise. The Greek word epagonizomai is used in Jude 1:3 to mean “contend”. It literally translates to “agonise over” or “struggle with intense determination”. We must contend with skill and with commitment.
How does one contend?
• We start with preparation – contending is an invitation and a calling to respond. Jude 1:20-21 says, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
• We contend in action. “And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh” (Jude 1:22-23).
• We bring correction where necessary and confront and challenge error. We correct by speaking truth, not apologetically, but in love and without arrogance.
• We snatch them from perversion (Jude 1:23).
• We contend against false teachings by false apostles, prophets, and five fold minsters. We also contend against false teachings brought by the world, and we preach the Gospel, evangelise, and win souls.
The big lesson
A key lesson learnt in going forward is that Christians do have a voice and they do carry influence. When they stand together in unity to confront darkness, darkness will be pushed back. With all the prayer initiatives and worship sessions being mobilised around the world for France, I believe we will eventually see revival break out in France and we will say, like Joseph in Genesis 50:20, “what the enemy meant for evil, God turned it around for good so that many may live”! Do not hide your light under a bushel! “Arise and shine, sons of God, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you” (Isa 60:1). Let’s be contenders and not pretenders of the faith!
DR Pearl Kupe – attorney and consultant to world leaders and international organisations.
Visit pearlkupe.co.za or email pearl.kupe@gmail.com
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Date published: 26/08/2024
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