“And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be in dread, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone ….”
“…and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who disparage your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.”
When the writer tells us not to fear, he is referencing actual physical danger. What persecution will you face today…how will you respond?
In 1536, William Tyndale was burned at the stake for translating the bible into English that the common man could read. His martyrdom makes my hesitancy to talk about Jesus in some settings seem pathetic.
Being “prepared to make a defense” means being ready to be ridiculed…It also means being ready to be in danger for the gospel.
That opportunity is approaching faster than we think. Today in Canada, you must choose between speaking truth about God’s plan for sexuality- and going to jail. In other countries the choice is silence about Jesus -or death. Christ said that serving God would be dangerous…and He was talking about much more than being “canceled”.
We must not only speak up –we must also live with integrity.
“keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who disparage your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.”
Is this true of you? Does your behavior shame those who slander you?
Does the church have integrity? Do we love those who don’t look, or think like we do? Those are the people who will disparage us, and unfortunately our conduct sometimes gives them the right to do so. We occasionally forget that we are fighting FOR them…not WITH them.
Our consistency is what gives our message credibility. Keeping a clear conscience, and living authentically, won’t happen by accident, but it is crucial.
The message we carry is literally a “life or death” situation…we cannot be lulled into thinking this is a game… Hell is real, and no one was clearer about that than Jesus. Our mission is to stop people from going there.
Determine the value of eternal life for yourself, and those you love. Then feel free to be frightened, intimidated, or distracted by anything more valuable than that.
“Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.”
― John Wayne
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