being opposed, criticized, or mistreated because of our “message and works” is foreign to our experience as Christians, it is wise to ask ourselves who (or what) is truly shaping and discipling us. What grips us, and what do we hold out as hope to others? Is it a political party? Is it a cable news channel? Is it a desire for public stature and reputation? Is it fear of rejection, loss of friendship, or loss of a job? Is it a friend group or an ideological echo chamber? Is it the shifting values, ethics, and dogma of the culture in which we live? Or are we being discipled, in the totality of
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