The man with a very long title but very short on the knowledge of God, ‘The Right Honourable Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations’, has announced in Parliament a new definition of ‘Extremism’!
Gove names groups as he outlines new extremism definition in Commons
The new definition reads:
Extremism is the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance, that aims to
1: negate or destroy the fundamental rights and freedoms of others; or
2: undermine, overturn or replace the UK’s system of liberal parliamentary democracy and democratic rights; or
3: intentionally create a permissive environment for others to achieve the results in (1) or (2).
It has already come under criticism as being ‘too broad’. “Right-wing MP Miriam Cates told the Commons on Thursday the new definition ‘risks criminalising, or at the very least chilling the speech of, people who have very legitimate, harmless views’.
She used the example of the views of some gender critical feminists, who she said could be ‘labelled as extremist’ under the new definition.”
It certainly is broad indeed so that it is seen to be threatening the freedom to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This new definition of ‘extremism’ rest upon the opinion of any who feel that what someone or an organisation believes and propagates generates hatred or intolerance toward them.
There are millions in the United Kingdom who find the truth of the gospel offensive and intolerant and insulting. Ask any genuine and sincere open-air gospel preacher or gospel tract distributor and they will tell you that they are frequently challenged and abused about these matters!
Mr Gove has said that “groups with an ‘ideology’ or ‘pattern of behaviour’ opposed to fundamental UK values – even if they do not support violence – will fall foul of the tighter rules.”
FUNDAMENTAL UK VALUES
Just what are these “fundamental UK values” he is referring to?
In recent times ‘sodomy’ has become a valued lifestyle in the UK. So too is the right to abort, to murder the unborn. Likewise, a man may claim he is a ‘woman’ and a woman may claim she is a ‘man’ and both must be recognised as such, addressed as such and facilitated in every way, including the use of a space, such as toilets, reserved for the sole use of those biologically different from those masquerading as that which they are not and cannot be!
These and other ungodly lifestyles are deemed acceptable and legitimate and ‘valued’ in our society today.
The gospel denounces such behaviour as abominable and clearly indicates that those who adhere to such beliefs and practices will come under God’s condemnation and, unless repented of and abandoned, will see them damned forever in hellfire!
That divine truth is very highly offensive and intolerant to the vast majority in the UK and the preaching of it will be deemed as promoting hatred!
A land that was, to a great degree, brought under the rule of the gospel in former times, is very decidedly throwing off that gospel yoke and instituting its own definitions of ‘faith and practice’.
We will see again the hatred of all things godly that was evident in pre-gospel days. The reaction the Lord Jesus encountered at the hands of many in His days here on earth, will be seen again. From the very beginning of His ministry, men found the Saviour’s preaching offensive and reacted most wickedly to it.
“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way,” Luke 4:16-30.
All in that synagogue acknowledged at first that His words were ‘gracious’. But as soon as He began to press home God’s truth and apply it to their hearts, their attitude changed. “And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath.” They then set about trying to murder the Saviour. They “rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.” By His power, “he passing through the midst of them went his way.”
He did, however, eventually suffer at the “wicked hands” of His opponents and was “crucified and slain,” Acts 2:23. All this took place by “the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God” for the salvation of His elect. But the crucifixion of Christ is the plainest demonstration of man’s hatred of God’s truth.
As the Saviour thus preserved Himself in Nazareth, even so He has preserved His witness in former times though, that time He spoke of to His disciples is about to break forth amongst the nations in this region, our own included. “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be,” Matthew 24:21.
Mr Gove spoke in parliament in the spirit of ‘the one’ who will yet dominate this region of the world — the Antichrist. Of him it is said: “And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,” Revelation 13:6-8.
It is not alarmist of me to write such things any more than it is to say in the evening time, as the shadows lengthen, ‘the sun will soon set and disappear!’ A dark night is drawing on and today in parliament something of the shadows that herald such were witnessed.
The Saviour said: “The night cometh, when no man can work,” John 9:4. Let every true Christian take heed!
“Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh,” James 5:8.
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)