Christians Caused the Holocaust…Really?

Do we have any devout Atheists out here tonight? Are you a staunch Atheist? I’m asking these questions because a couple of weeks ago I posted something on Facebook and some atheists went absolutely berserk over it. Several of them kept asking question after question – rapid fire, but they really weren’t looking for answers. They weren’t looking for truth. They just wanted to state their God-hating position and make fun of Christians. I finally had to follow biblical instruction and ignore them, according to Titus 3:10-11: A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sins, being condemned of himself.

But one of these God mockers and scoffers hung around longer than the rest and I sincerely tried to impart truth to him, but again, he really wasn’t interested in truth. He just wanted to argue. But the craziest statements made all week were both by this one guy and they were: 1. Christians caused the Holocaust. 2. Hitler was a Christian. Now I realize that this atheist doesn’t know the Bible and he sure doesn’t know the Lord Jesus Christ; but these are absolutely crazy statements. Christians caused the Holocaust…really? I kept sharing truth with him and again he wanted no part of it.

So in case you are as ignorant about Christianity as this atheist, I will say without a shadow of a doubt that Christian’s did NOT cause the Holocaust and Hitler most definitely was NOT a Christian. But isn’t that judging Hitler to say that he wasn’t a Christian? Again, another same old worn out argument. Matthew 7 does NOT say do not judge (hint: you have to keep reading past Matthew 7:1). The first several verses in that chapter say do not be a hypocrite. Don’t judge others when you are doing the same thing!

And yes, we can safely “judge” that Hitler was not a Christian? How? For starters, Jesus said that we would know His disciples by their fruit – in other words by their works. Works do not save you, but when you are really saved, you are so grateful for God’s great mercy and grace, that you want to join in on His kingdom work. You willingly say Lord, where do You want me? What do You want me to do? Hitler, had zero spiritual fruit.

Jesus also summed up the 10 Commandments succinctly by stating: 1. Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. 2. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. So how else do we know that Hitler wasn’t a Christian? He murdered 11 million people! You are not loving God and you are not loving your neighbor when you are busy killing 11 million people. 1 John 2:3-4 states: And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

1 John 3:11-16 says: For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. 13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that loves not his brother abides in death. 15 Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer: and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Again, killing 11 million people is not loving your brother.

1 John 3:23-24 states: And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keeps his commandments dwells in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us.

Christians most definitely did NOT cause the Holocaust. (In fact, most Bible believing, true followers of Jesus are some of the most ardent supporters of Israel). And Hitler was NOT a Christian – he was not Christ-like. Not even close. Just saying that you are a Christian does not make you a Christian. Hitler had “God with us” put on the Nazi soldier’s belt buckles. Did that “make” God with them just because their buckles said that? Of course not! Hitler making the soldiers swear to God and Hitler did not make them or Hitler – Christians.

I can run around telling everyone that I’m the president of the United States. I could even believe this. I can look presidential, I can talk presidential and I can act presidential. But none of these would make me the president of the United States of America. Just saying something doesn’t make it so.

When you are truly a Christian, you are a follower of Jesus Christ. You are Christ-like. What was Jesus like? He was fully God and fully man. He was born of the virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit. He walked this earth 2,000 years ago. He lived a perfect and sinless life. He always did the will of God the Father. Jesus never sinned in His thoughts, in His words or in His actions. Then He willingly laid down His life for guilty sinners – for those sinners who repent and put their faith in Him. He was beat unmercifully. His beard was plucked out. He was beat with a reed. A crown of thorns was pressed onto His head. He was beat with 39 lashes across His back. He was nailed to the old rugged cross. He was lifted up on that cross, just like Moses lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness. God’s wrath over our sins was poured out on His precious, innocent Son. Jesus died on that cross, was buried and rose from the grave three days later.

So what does it mean to be Christ-like? You serve others – in the name of Jesus. You die to your own selfish nature by denying yourself and you pick up your cross and follow Jesus Christ daily. You help other people. You share the wonderful words of life to lost souls. You go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. In other words, you share your faith in Christ with others, wherever you are. You go and make disciples in Jesus’ name.

Now do any of these traits describe Hitler? Of course not! So if you are still worrying about whether Hitler was a Christian or not, quit worrying about him. He’s burning in Hell. Quit worrying about Christians causing the Holocaust. They didn’t. Don’t worry about all that stuff. Worry about this: Do you know Jesus Christ and have you surrendered your life fully and completely to Him? Is He your Lord and Savior? Have you truly repented from your sins and are you really trusting Him? Are you trusting Him to save you? Are you trusting Him to guide you? Are you trusting Him with your eternal salvation?

Are you saved tonight? If not, then that’s what you need to worry about. Jesus died for our sins. But you don’t receive a get out of Hell free card automatically just because of His amazing sacrifice. Everyone is not universally saved. You have to receive salvation. You may have intellectual knowledge tonight about Jesus and His finished work on the cross. You may even intellectually believe it. But if it’s just head knowledge, you are not saved.

You are truly saved when you see your wretchedness in light of God’s Holiness and you cry out for God to save you. You are really saved when you see that you have violated God’s Holy Law – the 10 Commandments – by breaking them. You recognize that your sins are despicable to Almighty God. You also realize that there’s nothing that you can do to save yourself. You understand that you can never make yourself clean enough to be acceptable to a Holy and righteous God. Only Jesus can cleanse you from your sins. You realize that He is Holy and you are not and that you really do deserve to spend eternity in Hell.

When God graciously opens your spiritually blind eyes to this, then you can truly be saved. Then you can cry out to God “what must I do to be saved?” You can receive eternal salvation when God reveals Himself to you and you receive the free gift of salvation. For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). You can be spiritually made alive through repentance and faith. We are to have repentance toward God and faith toward Jesus Christ our Lord Acts 20:21). Even though the gift is free, Jesus said that you should count the cost of being His follower.

Do you recognize tonight that you have fallen short of God’s glory, of His righteousness and His perfect standard (Romans 3:23)? Do you realize that you are helpless before the great creator God; the God Heaven and earth? Do you understand that your sins have separated you from God and that there is no way that you can get back in a right relationship with Him on your own? Do you admit that Jesus is the only way of salvation (John 14:6)? Are you willing to turn away from your sins and put your trust in Him? Are you willing to bow your knee and confess with your tongue that Jesus Christ is Lord? (Philippians 2:10-11).

If so, then you can be saved tonight. You can be forgiven for your sins, no matter how many or how vile those sins are. You can be cleansed by the shed blood of Jesus. You can be made whole by the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. You can be saved. Repent by turning away from your sins and put your faith in Jesus. Don’t trust in yourself. Don’t put your trust in anyone else or in anything else except Jesus. You must forsake all and lay everything down at the feet of Jesus. Will you come to Him tonight with a humble and contrite heart? Will you confess and forsake your sins? Will you repent and believe the Gospel?

Oh, please don’t continue fighting against God. Please don’t continue hating and rebelling against the one who loves you and who made you. Please don’t keep running away from God. Don’t continue barreling down the broad road to Hell. Turn your back on your sins and turn your face to God. Jesus said that we are to repent and believe the Gospel. Do this tonight and be saved. Come to Jesus. Don’t count on a one-time prayer. Don’t count on your parents being Christians. Don’t count on being a member of a church. Don’t count on a baptism. Count on Jesus Christ and count on Him alone. Surrender your life to Him tonight. He gave His all on the cross. Give your all to Him. Submit to His authority. Submit to His Lordship. Do this tonight and be saved.

(This message was lifted up in the open-air in downtown Springfield, MO on August 29, 2014)