Ashamed Of The Way

IT WAS GERMAN PASTOR, DIETRICH BONHOEFFER, WHO WROTE, “SILENCE IN THE FACE OF EVIL IS ITSELF EVIL. GOD WILL NOT HOLD US GUILTLESS. NOT TO SPEAK IS TO SPEAK. NOT TO ACT IS TO ACT.”

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, ALSO SAID SOMETHING SIMILAR: “THERE COMES A TIME WHEN SILENCE IS BETRAYAL. OUR LIVES BEGIN TO END THE DAY WE BECOME SILENT ABOUT THINGS THAT MATTER. IN THE END, WE WILL REMEMBER NOT THE WORDS OF OUR ENEMIES, BUT THE SILENCE OF OUR FRIENDS…FOR EVIL TO SUCCEED, ALL IT NEEDS IS FOR GOOD MEN TO DO NOTHING.”

THE WORLD NEEDS TO BE THE RECIPIENT OF A BOLD AND DARING CHRISTIAN WHO TAKES ALL NECESSARY RISKS TO BE A WITNESS, VOICE AND EXAMPLE OF JESUS CHRIST. THE LAST THING THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS FOR CHRISTIANS TO TAKE THE GOOD NEWS OF CHRIST AND WITHDRAW, RETREAT OR BECOME SILENT OUT OF FEAR, INTIMIDATION OR SHAME.

RICHARD BLACKABY IN A DEVOTIONAL WRITING SAID THIS: “FEAR OF PEOPLE DOES NOT COME FROM GOD. THE PROBLEM IS THAT MANY CHRISTIANS FEAR PEOPLE MORE THAN THEY FEAR GOD. THEIR FEAR HINDERS THEM FROM PLEASING GOD BECAUSE THEY WASTE THEIR EFFORTS APPEASING OTHER PEOPLE….

FEAR CAUSES US TO STOP AND QUESTION WHAT GOD HAS CLEARLY TOLD US TO DO. PERHAPS WE WERE CONFIDENT IN OUR OBEDIENCE UNTIL PERSECUTION CAME; NOW WE DOUBT WHETHER WE HEARD GOD CORRECTLY. MOST FEAR IS FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN….

FEAR IS NO EXCUSE TO DISOBEY GOD. THERE IS NO REASON TO LIVE IN FEAR WHEN YOU HAVE THE MIGHTY PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU. FEAR WILL ENSLAVE YOU, BUT CHRIST HAS COME TO SET YOU FREE.”

OUR RESOUNDING “BATTLE CRY” HEARD THROUGHOUT THE CHURCH ARE THE WORDS OF PAUL IN ROMANS 1:16, “FOR I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THIS GOOD NEWS ABOUT CHRIST. IT IS THE POWER OF GOD AT WORK, SAVING EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES….”

THIS IS WHY PAUL COULD WRITE TO TIMOTHY FROM PRISON IN 2 TIMOTHY 1:8, “SO NEVER BE ASHAMED TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT OUR LORD. AND DON’T BE ASHAMED OF ME, EITHER, EVEN THOUGH I’M IN PRISON FOR HIM. WITH THE STRENGTH GOD GIVES YOU, BE READY TO SUFFER WITH ME FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOOD NEWS.”

THE BOOK OF MARK EMPHASIZES THIS ATTRIBUTE THROUGH THE LIFE OF JESUS. WE MUST BE READY TO SUFFER. WE MUST MAKE OUR LIVES A LIVING SACRIFICE. WE MUST NEVER BE ASHAMED OF ENGAGING OTHERS TO TELL THEM ABOUT JESUS.

THE KEY VERSE IS MARK 10:45, “FOR EVEN THE SON OF MAN DID NOT COME TO BE SERVED, BUT TO SERVE, AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR MANY.” JESUS SETS THE EXAMPLE. HE WILFULLY GAVE ALL OF HIMSELF TO BECOME THE LOWEST OF ALL SERVANTS EVEN THOUGH HE IS, BEYOND ALL DOUBT, THE SON OF GOD.

JESUS IS CALLING US TO FOLLOW HIS LEAD. PHILIPPIAN 2:5-8, “YOU MUST HAVE THE SAME ATTITUDE THAT CHRIST JESUS HAD. THOUGH HE WAS GOD, HE DID NOT THINK OF EQUALITY WITH GOD AS SOMETHING TO CLING TO. INSTEAD, HE GAVE UP HIS DIVINE PRIVILEGES; HE TOOK THE HUMBLE POSITION OF A SLAVE AND WAS BORN AS A HUMAN BEING. WHEN HE APPEARED IN HUMAN FORM, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD AND DIED A CRIMINAL’S DEATH ON A CROSS.”

LIKE JESUS, WE MUST HUMBLE OURSEVLES IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD BY GIVING UP OUR LIVES TO LIVE JUST AS JESUS INSTRUCTED US BY DENYING OURSELVES, PICKING UP OUR CROSS, FOLLOWING HIM, AND LIVING RADICALLY OBEDIENT LIVES.

OUR LIFESTYLE MUST ADAPT TO THESE COMMANDS OF CHRIST IN ORDER TO BE EFFECTIVE WITNESSES AND TO MITIGATE ANY PENDING DISASTER OF SUCCUMBING TO SIN AND BECOMING INEFFECTIVE, COMPLACENT, SPORADIC, AND DISMAL FAILURES.

JESUS GAVE A STERN WARNING TO US ABOUT DIGRESSING IN OUR FAITH. JESUS SAID IN MARK 8:38, “IF ANYONE IS ASHAMED OF ME AND MY MESSAGE IN THESE ADULTEROUS AND SINFUL DAYS, THE SON OF MAN WILL BE ASHAMED OF THAT PERSON WHEN HE RETURNS IN THE GLORY OF HIS FATHER WITH THE HOLY ANGELS.”

JESUS DRAWS THE LINE. HE IS REQUIRING AN ANSWER. A RESPONSE. A COMMITMENT. THE RESPONSE IS “EITHER-OR” NOT “BOTH.” WE CANNOT BE HALF-HEARTED OR WAVERING. WE MUST PICK A SIDE AND STOP HOPPING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE TWO. IT REALLY IS “ALL OR NOTHING” AND “ONE OR THE OTHER.”

THE WORLD CANNOT BE A GREATER LOVE, A HIGHER PRIORITY OR A DISTRACTING CONCERN OVER OUR FULL SURRENDER TO CHRIST AND HIS COMMANDS OF OBEDIENCE, SACRIFICE AND DISCIPLESHIP.

THE WORLD, IN ALL OF ITS HOSTILITY, DARKNESS, AND EVIL, CAN NEVER BE ALLOWED TO GROW FRIGHTENING ENOUGH TO SILENCE US OR DETER US FROM OUR DEVOTION TO JESUS CHRIST. OUR FAITH IS NOT PASSIVE NOR SILENT NEITHER IS IT AGGRESSIVE AND COMBATIVE. WE LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY.

COLOSSIANS 3:12-14, “THEREFORE, AS GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE, HOLY AND DEARLY LOVED, CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH COMPASSION, KINDNESS, HUMILITY, GENTLENESS AND PATIENCE. BEAR WITH EACH OTHER AND FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER IF ANY OF YOU HAS A GRIEVANCE AGAINST SOMEONE. FORGIVE AS THE LORD FORGAVE YOU. AND OVER ALL THESE VIRTUES PUT ON LOVE, WHICH BINDS THEM ALL TOGETHER IN PERFECT UNITY….”