COURAGE TO STAND

 

 

Holding your ground against intimidation and rejection is not easy. When you are treated like trash, you feel like trash. This is because we are social beings. When we are demeaned, we naturally try to submit and to regain the approval of the oppressors. However, as we mature, we should begin to recognize that there are more important things, namely truth and our integrity.

How can we stand against the militant opinions and their shout-downs if we think that we are standing on the shifting sands of the evolving opinions of man? Sadly, an increasing number do not stand on solid ground:

·       “More than half of respondents to the State of Theology survey say that religious belief is not about objective reality. However, fewer people expressed this view in 2020 than in 2018. It isn’t clear why this is the case, but it may be that our chaotic cultural moment has prompted more people to turn to religion for objective truth,” LifeWay researchers said. https://www.christianpost.com/news/most-us-adults-say-religious-belief-is-matter-of-personal-opinion-study.html

If religious believe is personal and just pertains to me, it is allowed no place in public discussions. This same confusion about whether Christian beliefs depend upon blind faith also afflicts evangelicals:

·       The Christian Post previously highlighted from the survey how more than half of American adults, including 30% of evangelicals, say Jesus isn’t God, but most agree He was a great teacher.

If we believe that Jesus is only a great teacher, our foundation is not the solid Scriptures. As a result, we are easily manipulated and controlled.  “If we don’t know where we stand, we will fall for anything,” according to one perceptive saying. Without this assurance, we are also vulnerable to all kinds of temptations, promising new psychological therapies, and pretentious philosophies. This is why the Christian needs to be grounded through the teaching of the Word of God:

·       And he [God] gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (Ephesians 4:11-14)

Without this Biblical foundation, we can longer influence society, which then falls prey to many destructive philosophies and practices.

A Jewish epidemiologist surprised me. She explained that epidemics only can spread if a critical mass of the population goes without inoculations, perhaps 50%. She then likened this to the critical mass of serious Christians within a society. Once their percentage falls below a certain level, the society becomes vulnerable to an array of social ills. Therefore, Jesus called us to be the light of truth:

·       “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)

When our light shines, our communities see our “good works and give glory to your Father.” However, there are no good works without good teaching from the Word of God. Nor will we have the necessary confidence to live sacrificially, especially amid the inevitable persecution (Matthew 5:10-12).

How are we to withstand persecution without folding? Only with the assurance of the truths of the Scriptures:

·       But the Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me. (Isaiah 50:7-8)

Our confidence must be in the Lord whom His Spirit makes increasingly real for us through His Word.

Christian Confidence is Offensive but Necessary

The three Jewish magistrates administering in Babylon refused to bow down and worship the statue of King Nebuchadnezzar and were accused before the King of this capital offense:

• But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon--Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego--who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up." (Daniel 3:12)

The King then offered them one last opportunity to do homage before his statue to avoid being cast into a “fiery furnace.” However, they courageously responded,

• Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (Daniel 3:16-18)

Such courage depends on a clear knowledge of and a confidence in God. However, it’s this very type of knowledge and confidence that is being so widely rejected today. While some insist that they aren’t possible, others attack doctrinal certainty as arrogant, unattractive, imperialistic and dismissive of other religious beliefs.

I’d like to argue that these challenges are illogical, unbiblical, and dismissive of who we are to be in Christ.

DISMISSING CERTITUDE IS ILLOGICAL: In order to dismiss certainty, the skeptic needs to make a statement of certainty. For instance, one otherwise competent theologian stated, “We can’t be certain about those very important spiritual and moral issues.” However, in order to dismiss Christian certainty, he had to make a statement of certainty – “We can’t be certain!” If we can’t be certain about such matters, how can he state so strongly that he is certain that “we can’t be certain.”

This incoherence is not a matter of wording. It is a necessary byproduct of trying to dismiss certainty. Others call themselves “Christian Agnostics,” claiming “You really can’t know if the Bible is God’s Word!” Here too, they are denying certainty with a statement of certainty – “You can’t know” – thereby contradicting themselves.

Nor can the multi-culturalist complain that our Christian certainty represents an unacceptable judgment of others. In making such an assessment, they too are judging! Nor can they claim that it’s offensive without being “offensive” themselves! Nor can they charge us with “arrogance” without being arrogant and dogmatic themselves.

CERTAINTY IS BIBLICAL: The Bible says a lot about certainty and the need for it:

• For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. (John 17:8)

• Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:3-4)

• Col. 2:2-3 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

• For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. (Ephes. 5:5)

• Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus. (1 Tim. 3:13)

More importantly, confidence is so essential to the quality of our relationship with our Lord:

·       Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. (Hebrews 10:19-22)

CERTAINTY OR CONFIDENCE IS NECESSARY AND PERSONALLY ENHANCING: The three Hebrew administrators couldn’t have lived courageously without confidence in their God. Nor can we live courageously and coherently without the confidence that our faith imparts to us. The Book of Hebrews gives us a condensed set of portraits of the power arising from the assurance of faith:

• Through faith [they] conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. (Hebrews 11:33-36)

This doesn’t mean that assurance comes without blood, sweat and tears. It had eluded me for half of my life in Christ. I must confess that it would have been easier to have been a postmodern Christian and dismissed the hope that assurance was possible. Instead, I had been tormented by thinking that it was possible, while it seemed that there was nothing I could do to obtain it. This made me feel like a second-rate Christian. However, God is faithful, who eventually brought me to a place of stability and confidence, although it required confronting my various doubts.

Paul writes of the “riches of assured understanding” (Col. 2:2). We needs these riches in order to stand, and our God can make us stand (Romans 14:4).

CAN WE BE ASSURED THAT WE ARE SAVED? This issue is critical to our relationship with God. If we are not confident that God has received us and will never let us go, we will have great difficulty to love Him and to live for Him.

However, the Bible provides many ways that we can know that we are eternally His. For one thing, He has promised that any who really want Him can have Him:

·       All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. (John 6:37; 3:16)

·       For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:12-13)

We might fear that God would never accept us after all the sins we have committed. However, Paul confessed that he had been the worst sinner. Not only did he kill Christians, but even worse, he forced them to renounce Jesus! Therefore, if God had forgiven him and even made him the foremost missionary, this proves that He is ready to receive anyone, no matter how sinful:

• The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.  But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. (1 Tim. 15-16)

We are also fearful that we might not have enough faith to be saved. However, our Savior is very gracious. The “Hall of Fame of Faith” (Hebrews 11) provides us with many examples of exemplary faith. One example of this highlights the faith of the children of Israel:

• By faith the people [of Israel] crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. (Hebrews 11:29) 

However, when we read the original Exodus account, it doesn’t seem that the Israelites had any faith. Instead, as the Egyptian chariots were approaching, they angrily rebelled against Moses. However, since they were between a rock and a hard place, they followed Moses through the parted sea. Did they have faith? Only the smallest measure!

What does this tell us? That we only need the smallest measure of faith to satisfy our merciful God!

The Apostle John affirmed that if we have sincere faith, we can know that we are saved:

·       Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. (1 John 5:1-2)

If we are endeavoring to keep his commandments, however imperfectly, we can know that we are in Him:

• By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. (1 John 2:3-6)

Although obedience doesn’t save us, it certainly helps us to know that we are saved. Why so? Well, if we trust in our Lord, we will do what He tells us to do. If we don’t trust Him, we will not. If we trust in our doctor, we will do what he tells us to do. This principle applies even more to obeying our Savior.

We tend to worry that we are not righteous enough or deserving enough to be saved. However, our Patriarch Abraham repeatedly failed God. He even confessed that everywhere that they would travel, he would have his wife Sarah deny that she was married to Abraham so that, if they would take Sarah, Abraham would be rewarded instead of killed (Genesis 20:13).

Abraham nephew, Lot had been living a highly compromised life in Sodom and thereafter. However, in God’s eyes, he was righteous:

·       …He rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard). (2 Peter 2:7-8)

Lot’s daughters had even got Lot drunk to have sex with him. Nevertheless, in God’s eyes, he was righteous.

How can we reassure ourselves that we belong to God? There are many ways. Jesus taught that those who belong to Him come to His light:

• And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. (John 3:19-20)

The fact that we come to the light of His Word is a good indication that we have been born again. Otherwise, we would run from the Lord and His Word. The Apostle John put it this way:

·       We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. (1 John 4:6)

The fact that we read the teachings of the Apostles to learn how to follow Jesus is something that the natural person does not do:

• The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor. 2:14)

The fact that we care about the things of God – the Bible, forgiveness, heaven, living for Jesus – is a powerful indication that we have been regenerated.

Nevertheless, many of us have a conscience that condemns us, making us feel that we couldn’t possibly be saved. However, this is normal:

• We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. (1 John 3:19-23)

Sometimes, we have to preach the Gospel to our condemning heart. What sermon do we preach? We remind ourselves that we have the fruits of the Spirit? Which? In the above verses, John mentioned three: We keep his commandments, believe, and love one another. Of course, we do none of these things perfectly, but we confess our sins when we don’t measure up to His standards. And when we do, He forgives and cleanses us of all our dirt.

The Apostle John had provided many tests by which we can reassure ourselves. He added sincere confession:

·       Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. (1 John 4:15)

If, in all ways, we are not seeking to conform our lives to our Savior, we will not receive His assurance that we are saved and will fear judgment:

• God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear [of judgment] in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. (1 John 4:16-18)

When our goal is love, first of God and then or our neighbor, we are walking as Jesus did and will have confidence, even in the face of judgment.

If you still lack this confidence, just trust in the Lord. He is able to provide.

WHEN WE LOVE, WE GROW IN THE ASSURANCE THAT WE ARE LOVED

“Herein is love made perfect with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, even so are we in this world. There is no fear in love: but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath punishment; and he that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:17-18; ASV)

How does love give us "boldness on the day of judgment?" John explains that when we walk in love, we walk as Christ did, and this gives us great encouragement. It casts out any fear we might have regarding judgment. If we still fear judgment, it might be because Christ is not first in our lives (Matthew 6:33), and, consequently, we are not walking in love.

Just trust our Lord that He will eliminate this fear of judgment as we continue to follow Him. He has promised that He is able to make us stand (Romans 14:4-5).

Don't worry if you find that you are unable to achieve this confidence. God did not grant this to me for many years. In my case, He first had to humble me - the most painful thing I had ever experienced - before He'd lift me up. (And He still has a lot of lifting to do on my behalf.)

Dealing with Persecution and Injustice

Persecution is not only on the way. It is not merely knocking at the door; it is in our home. Persecution has made the words of the Bible cry out with renewed vitality:

• In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Timothy 3:12) 

As Jesus warned, evil is so deceptive that the persecutor will justify the worst abominations:

• They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. (John 16:2-3)

Many believe that cutting Christian heads off is a righteous act. If you are like me, your first reaction is to scream out in righteous indignation and want revenge. However, anger is too much to bear on a 24x7 basis. Consequently, I have found much relief in the words of our Lord:

• Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it leads only to evil. (Psalm 37:1-8)

The first place to turn is always to the Lord, where we are to “trust in the Lord… delight…in the Lord… commit your way to the Lord.” He will take care of it. When we allow our anger to take charge, “it leads only to evil.”

Yet, in the Lord’s hands, our anger can be used productively. Notice that the Psalmist mentions “the justice of your cause.” Once we trustingly give our concerns to the Lord, we are not to sit on the sidelines and watch our neighbor’s house burn down. Instead, we are to take up the “cause” and pursue “justice” with the promise that our Lord will make “your righteousness shine like the dawn” and “your cause as the noonday sun.”

However, we do not pursue this “cause” with desperation but with confidence and joy:

• Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ… I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved--and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him. (Philippians 1:27-29)

Just trust that our omnipotent God can change our fear into confidence so that we might be able to reflect the reality of the Gospel.

However, we cannot hide our eyes from the suffering of our brethren:

• Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, "But we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done? (Proverbs 24:11-12)

We often fail to be the Good Samaritan. However, we must confess our sin and ask Him to equip us to do better, no matter how many times we fail.

Finally, be assured that the victory is the Lord’s. From the Lord comes our confidence and not from ourselves. He has promised to rescue us and to punish our oppressors, as the Psalmist guarantees:

• For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever… Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off. (Psalm 37:28-29; 34-38)

This message is disdained in the progressive West. According to their thinking, there should be no distinctions among people, even among the innocent and the guilty. We should all be one. However, the distinctions are obvious and undeniable. To deny them is to be willfully blind and to destroy society! Some people will rape and kill; others will protect and build up. Some deserve punishment; others deserve commendation.

Besides, knowing that God will bring justice frees us up to personally love and forgive others, even as we support the just role of the civil government (Romans 13:1-4).

Knowing that God will bring justice also psychologically unburdens us. God has planted justice in our heart. This means that we are tormented at the sight of injustice. In order to move on in life, we require that justice be done, that the murderer of our daughter be found and punished. This is pleasing before our God who “loves the just.”

One day, there will be justice, and our hearts will be perfectly at rest. It is this hope that allows us to confidently proceed.

Bible “Contradictions” and Confidence in the Face of them

The most potent way to attack Christianity is to attack its foundation – the Bible. As a result, it is easy to find lists of alleged Bible contradictions on line, which draw its detractors like honey draws bears. There is even an atheist bible listing an assortment of contradictions with predictable scorn.

When I debated Rabbi Yossi Mizrachi in 2007 – you can find this debate on UTube – he zeroed in on the question of contradictions, claiming that if he could find just one contradiction, this would prove that the New Testament could not possibly be the Word of God.

I accepted his challenge because, in theory, I agreed. I even agreed that there were many seeming contradictions. However, if the NT is God’s actual words, we should expect no less. If, instead, we could easily get our mind around Scripture so that it all made perfect sense, we would have every reason to suppose that this book was actually the word of man and not of God.

Admittedly, Scripture contains many perplexing passages, some of which yield way to understanding under closer scrutiny, and others remain resistant to our attempts to harmonize them. This shouldn’t surprise us. Even the Apostle Peter acknowledged that much of what Paul had written was difficult to understand (2 Peter 3:16). Nevertheless, this fact never caused him to be skeptical about Paul’s writings. After all, the miraculous workings of the Spirit had clearly validated Paul and the other Apostles (Heb. 2:3-4).

Therefore, we shouldn’t be overly troubled by the fact that we too are perplexed by some passages of Scripture. After all, scientists are perplexed by their “contradictory” scientific findings. Should this be a reason to jettison the entire scientific enterprise? Of course, not! Instead, these perplexing findings rightly serve as goads to provoke further research to understand our world.

Consequently, I regard these Bible “contradictions” as mysteries to be solved (or marveled at) rather than as indictments. Of course, the atheist will say:

•  Well, science has provided us with great and tangible benefits. It has proved itself, while Scripture has merely misled.

I think that we can make a similar claim about Scripture. Here is a brief list of proofs, each containing storehouses of evidence:

1.     Transformed Lives and Cultures

2.     Personal Authenticating Experiences

3.     The Non-Human Nature of the Scriptures

4.     Internal Consistency

5.     External Verification

6.     Wisdom for Life of the Word

7.     Validating Miracles

8.     Fulfilled Prophecy

However, I must warn you – even if you become skilled in the use of these various proofs, it doesn’t mean that you will pave inroads into the hearts of others. These hearts are already committed to their own carefully chosen paradigms and find the Christian revelation highly offensive.

However, I hope that these thoughts might make you more confident that you are on the right road and have a light to shine upon this resistant world.