How many of you have been in a group and someone makes a comment about Christians? Why is it that the world hates a follower of Christ who takes a stand for what is right and just? Have you ever been somewhere and heard someone say the word GD? A true follower of Christ would be offended and yet so many professing Christians think that it is excusable because they do not want to be labeled as fanatics. They are very accepting of filthy talk or curse words using God’s name in vain.
I recently was in a group of professionals on Facebook. The moderator of the group posted a picture that many would deem to be soft pornography. He made a comment about her wanting to join the group. I saw it, was offended, and sent him a personal email to request that he remove it. I gave many reasons, but the most important reason was that it was inappropriate. He never responded so I posted that I was resigning from the group and took a stand. Pornography has no place in professional Facebook pages much less on someone’s site who professes to be a Christian. Since then, I saw many hateful comments pertaining to my stance including his own comments of people need to accept him for him being him. But the issue here is a sin issue.
I wonder how many of you reading this have denied that you were a Christian? How many have kept silent when friends, co-workers, or even your boss made hateful statements about Christians or about Jesus or God the Father? Is keeping silent denying that you know Jesus Christ as your savior?
Let’s look at what the Bible says about denying Christ. Luke 12:8-12, 8 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, 9 but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
If we deny Christ, then He will deny us before the angels of God. Therefore, be bold in your faith. Do not cave to the pressures of the politically correct. But when you are professing Christ as your Savior, also show the love and humility of Christ. When people treat you wrongly, then show love back in return. The Bible says that it would be like heaping hot coals on their heads. It is something that they would not expect (cf. Romans 12:20).
Heaping hot coals reminds me of when I was twelve years old, a bully lived in my neighborhood by the name of Mike. I feared him and typically ran every time I saw him. I could sense that he was very evil and was the neighborhood bully. One afternoon, he caught me across the street visiting a neighbor. He came across the street and said that he wanted to fight me. I did not run, but stood my ground and told him that I was not going to fight. Then he drew his fist back and punched me right in the mouth. Then suddenly, I smiled at him with the blood running down out of my mouth and said that I forgave him and that I loved him. The neighbor could not believe what he heard and with that, Mike walked away. Yes, he punched me in the mouth, burst my lips, and bloodied my gums, but he did not have victory. Jesus took the victory that day. I forgave him and smiled and burst out laughing. He must have thought I was crazy, but I was grounded in the Lord. By my actions that day, I know that I heaped hot coals on Mike’s head, but I returned love to him, even when he did not deserve it.
Let’s look at one more verse. In verse ten, “And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. “ What does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit? According to R.C. Sproul, “Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit attributes to Satan the work of the Holy Spirit through Christ in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Such deliberate rejection of the truth is a decisive rejection of the One who can bring a person to repentance and faith, such intentional and defiant sin makes forgiveness impossible.”[1]
Hopefully, you will see that Jesus wants you to truly follow Him and not only when it is convenient. Having a true relationship with Christ means that you are totally committed to Him. It means that when you wake up in the morning, you are thinking about God the Father and Jesus His Son. All throughout the day, you are talking with Christ through your mind and in your heart. It means that when you go to bed, the very last thing you think of is His love and how thankful you are to be called a child of God. Following Christ is a total commitment, to trust Him in all your daily dealings. Do not deny Christ in your actions each day to others. You may not deny him by mouth, but willful sin is a denial.
If you want to follow Jesus and accept him as your personal Savior, pray this prayer: “Dear Jesus, I am a sinner. I confess my sins to you. Please forgive me and come into my heart. I promise to live for you and serve you all the days of my life. I believe that you died for me and that you also rose again on the third day. Please come into my life and transform my heart. In Jesus Name, Amen.”
Notes:
[1] R.C. Sproul, General Editor, The Reformation Study Bible: Condensed Edition English Standard Version (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust Publishing, 2017), 1551.
Joseph T. Lee, Copyright © May 21, 2018. The Lantern & Shield Times LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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