The Aggressive Streak in Christianity

The words “aggressive” and “Christianity” are words that when paired together, bring out hard to swallow moments in Christian history.  It is very easy to picture moments like the Crusades and The Spanish Inquisition.  We picture denominations splitting over varying opinions of non-essential doctrine.  We think of protestors who say hurtful things and hold vile signs, all in the name of God.  We can recall a church business meeting that was filled with hard feelings towards church leadership.

Those images can create a reactionary worldview that has caused many within the church to go from what can be described as aggressive to what can be described as passive and docile.  While I certainly think that denominational splits and protests are things that the Christian should distance themselves from, have we let passivity seep to far into our faith?  Is the passion and fervor of the church the same as it was in previous generations?  That is a question that I do not think I can answer with any certainty, but I do want to point out the aggressive, passionate faith that God has laid out for us in Scripture.

With regards to sin, God has called us to aggressively flush it from our lives.  Ephesians 5 calls us to live in a way where there isn’t a hint of sexual immorality in  our lives.  Eliminating any doubt of sexual immorality in our lives is something that cannot be taken lightly.  Paul takes living without a hint of immorality one step further in Colossians 3:

 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Put to death the actions of the flesh.  Kill sin in your life.  We dare not be passive towards the sin in our lives or it will wreck our Christian witness and even our lives themselves.

Scripture describes our lives as Christians as being in the midst of a war:

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, ~ 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

No man casually walks into war.  He trains, prepares, readies his weapons for battle.  Is that the approach that I take in my spiritual battle.  I need to be ready for battle.  I have to trust in and count on the weapons and armor that God has provided me (Ephesians 5).

God’s pursuit of us is deserving of more than just a passive faith.  He sought us out.  He loved us even when we hated Him.  He bought our lives with the with the horrible pain and wonderful power of the cross.  His love and pursuit of us is completely passionate and aggressive.  He deserves an equally passionate, aggressive pursuit of Him.