Why Every Christian Needs a Concealed Carry Permit

June 15, 2016 | ziononth | 2 Comments | Pastor's Blog

Do you have a concealed carry permit?

Revelation 3 says: 7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. 8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

The church at Philadelphia was known for their steadfast stance on the truth of God and His Word. They seemed to have a level of resolve that other Christians may not have had. And the Lord promised that He would reward them greatly if they were able to keep that level of resolve until He returned. He encouraged them to do whatever they needed to do to keep that confession of Jesus Christ above all things, so that no one may seize your crown.

That sounds like God is inviting them to get a Concealed Carry Permit.

Ok, so it’s a Concealed Carry Permit that’s a little different than the one you’re thinking of, but the one God invites you to get has much more significance to the Kingdom of God. By getting that permit, you are announcing to our Lord that you are willing and wanting to protect the holy things of your spiritual life, but also to better protect the confession of what is to come. Once you have that permit, God will willingly give you the whole armor of God: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, as shoes for your feet – the readiness given by the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. These Spiritual tools are at your disposal to challenge all other-worldly attempts to destroy your faith. The Bible says that we will be a part of the fight, and so we must defend ourselves.

So, how do you get one? Simple: Admit to God that you, by yourself, are weak and in need of greater protection, and ask God for the right to use His heavenly weapons. You need to have the right, because there are multiple examples in the Bible of people who have tried to use the things of God for the wrong reasons. But wanting to use it to defend yourself and God’s Kingdom are the right reasons, and with God’s help, you will have permission and blessing to use them in pleasing ways.

You really do need a Concealed Carry Permit.

Here are 3 encouraging reasons to get that Concealed Carry Permit:

(1) There are personal doors that need protection
God has the key to the great door of salvation that only He can open or shut, but there are plenty of doors in our lives that call for our defense. The greatest of those is the door to our own hearts. If we cannot guard our own hearts, we will have a really tough time helping others see the need for defending theirs, and even helping to defend those around us. The world will seek to set up camp in our hearts, and that is a barrier we must not let Satan cross. Every inch forward is an inch farther away from God’s Word that we place ourselves.

We must also help to shield the doors of those closest to us by teaching and guiding them in the ways that are right and holy. We must always be looking to help raise the spiritual bar of those who need the instruction of grace. They may have the whole armor of God, but perhaps you are better at wielding one of its weapons or using one of its defensive postures to guard against multiple attacks.

(2) By ourselves, we have but little power
If you’re not a strong country, you make alliances with stronger nations; it’s what you do. The world is an unsavory place in a lot of ways, and there is always the threat that someone wants what you have. You must do what you have to do to protect your people and yourself.

Getting a Concealed Carry Permit is making an alliance with God that says, I understand that I have little power and I need help. Not only does it invite God to armor you up, but it, by proxy, is the inclusion in His great army, in which we are promised that He helps defend us and fights with us and for us as we need.

This means that your little power, along with the little power of millions more, becomes a mighty force for the Kingdom of God. One man does not win wars, but a gathered force united in one great cause, will help destroy the great evil that wants evil to be seen as good.

Little power is an invitation to admit our weaknesses; use it to become mighty.

(3) We will be pillars with the name of God written on us
I love the powerful allegory here that God extends to His people. God’s language says this: I am going to make you so integral to Heaven, that nothing will be able to snatch you away from it. Just think about that… In eternity, God wants to make us the integral part of the most integral building of the most important “city”. That’s what the confession of Jesus Christ means to our Lord. It means we are so connected with God through that confession, that we will be inseparable from Heaven. It is that confession that is the cornerstone of Heaven, and it will be inscribed on us so that we can never be thought of again apart from His grace. God has a plan for us in the Heavenly Jerusalem.

But to get there we need to conquer. You can try to do it on your own, or you can willingly accept the help that comes at God’s invitation. Your desire to have a Concealed Carry Permit announces that you want to be in the Kingdom to come. It is a proclamation that you are here to win, and you are going to do all that you can to protect what is sacred.

So, do you want to be that pillar of strength, a mighty asset to Heaven? I do.

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Protecting what is precious means that we have to make tough decisions. The good news is that those tough decisions, combined with our steadfast trust in God and our continued proclamation of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, mean we have the recipe for winning this life. May God help you see your need for what He provides, and may He help you use it wisely. Amen.