Truth is now called hate speech by those who hate the truth! Plato’s words have never been more relevant, “No one is more hated than he who speaks the truth.” Millions were horrified recently when conservative activist, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated in front of thousands of students. Some called him “America’s Youth Pastor” because of the work he did on college campuses and his influence on this generation. He was a bold witness for Christ and a champion for freedom and free speech. Kirk went into hostile territory and debated issues with facts and truth without being hateful. He showed us all how to say what we mean without being mean. He challenged people to think from a logical and biblical perspective.
Liberals have vilified Kirk and called him radical, divisive, provocateur, extremist, bigot, fascist, racist, xenophobe, homophobe, misogynist. He was none of those. He was a strong Christian with conservative values who deeply cared about the future of freedom and America. Satan wanted to silence his voice because it was a threat to his evil empire. All it did was make him a martyr and inspired millions to boldly stand up for their beliefs. Tertullian said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Persecution has never stopped the church; it has only caused it to grow stronger and spread farther. Paul wrote, “For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth” (2 Cor. 13:8). Jesus declared, “Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt. 16:18).
The truth is unavoidably polarizing—it unifies those who love it but sharply divides those who hate it into opposing factions even within families (Mt. 10:34-36). Christ brings division between those who choose to follow Him and those who reject His message. He separates truth from error, right from wrong, good from evil, the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the chaff, the wise from the foolish, and the blessed from the cursed. Jesus is loved by millions who love the truth, but He is also despised by many who hate it. Jesus told Pilate, “For this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (Jn. 18:37). That’s why whenever Paul preached the Gospel in various cities, he either had a revival or a riot (or both). People responded to truth, got saved, and he established a church. Otherwise, persecution flared up and he was run out of town. Jesus said, if people reject your message, just shake the dust off your feet and move on (Mt. 10:11-15).
In Matthew 10, Jesus handpicked His disciples and sent them out to preach “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Then He braced them for opposition—“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves . . . and you will be hated by all for My name’s sake” (Mt. 10:16, 22). Jesus warned us that if they called Him (the sinless Son of God) “Beelzebub” (a title for Satan), don’t be surprised if they call us vicious names. They even accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of devils (Mt. 12:24, Mk. 3:22). They demonized the good Jesus did to discredit him. They called the work of God the work of Satan and called Christ the devil to justify killing him. We are living in a similar age where good is called evil and evil is called good (Is. 5:20-21). They killed Jesus simply because they hated the truth!
We shouldn’t be surprised by persecution, and it will only intensify in these last days (2 Tim. 3:1, 12). Thousands of Christians are killed for their faith every year. We may be a target of hell’s hatred but we’re also the focus of heaven’s favor. Unbelievers will slander us and try to intimidate us into silence, but we will keep boldly speaking the truth in love. Remember, we are in the world but not of the world. A boat in the water is fine, but if too much water gets in the boat, it will sink. Jesus said, “The world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (Jn. 17:14-15). We are misfits; we don’t fit into the mold of this world (Rom. 12:2). This is our temporary home; we are just passing through. So, don’t get too attached to the temporal things of this earth (2 Cor. 4:18).
We are living in what Paul called “perilous times” (2 Tim. 3:1, KJV). Other versions render it “dangerous times, difficult times, terrible times, violent times, times of great stress.” Then Paul listed 20 specific symptoms of a spiritually sick society to describe the moral breakdown of the last days (2 Tim. 3:2-5, 7). Now is not the time to play church and gamble with your soul. If you flirt with sin, it will eventually trap you. Charlie Kirk was ready to meet God. The only thing that bullet did was change his address. Now is the time to get saved and stay saved, to get on fire for God and burn brightly for His glory.
Many people refuse to hear the truth. Paul told Timothy, “Preach the word . . . For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Tim. 4:2-4). The truth confronts us with uncomfortable things and requires us to make difficult changes. C. S. Lewis said it well, “When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind.”
Let’s make something clear—we don’t hate anybody! We should love people enough to tell them the truth. The Bible teaches us to love the sinner but hate the sin. God loves us as we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way. Unconditional love doesn’t mean God approves or condones bad behavior. Jesus told the adulteress woman, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (Jn. 8:11). Just because we disagree with someone or their lifestyle doesn’t mean we hate them.
Warning people that it won’t end well unless they repent of their sins is not hate speech; it’s the Gospel truth (Mt. 3:2, Lk. 13:3, 5). To say drunkenness is a sin that will cause many to miss heaven is not hate speech; it’s true (Gal. 5:19-21). To say that life begins at conception and abortion is murder is not hate speech; it’s the truth (Ps. 139:13-16, Mt. 5:21). To say premarital and extramarital sex is sin is not hate speech; it’s God’s Word (Mt. 5:27, 1 Thess. 4:3). To say homosexuality and transgenderism is a perversion of God’s plan for sex is biblically true (Rom. 1:18-32, 1 Cor. 6:9-11). It doesn’t mean we hate anyone deceived by that lifestyle. God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pt. 3:9). We must boldly declare God’s truth if we expect it to set people free (Jn. 8:31-32).
Violence is not the answer. We can’t win spiritual battles with natural weapons (Eph. 6:12, 2 Cor. 10:4). Violence breeds more violence in a vicious cycle of revenge. When Peter drew his sword and cut off Malchus’ ear, Jesus scolded him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Mt. 26:52). One of Jesus’ most amazing miracles was when He picked up Malchus’ bloody ear and healed His enemy. Charlie Kirk was a nonviolent activist who spoke the truth in love. Jesus was a peaceful preacher who turned the other cheek and forgave His enemies. Remember His words, “Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Mt. 10:16). Hundreds of people have lost their jobs for spewing hatred and celebrating Charlie Kirk’s murder. It’s imperative for us as believers to keep the right spirit. Paul wrote, “Repay no one evil for evil . . . Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:17, 21). Two wrongs never make a right. So, in a world full of turmoil and troublemakers, let’s be Christlike peacemakers. Let’s keep sharing the truth in the right tone and in the right spirit.