In your group of friends, you’re known as the ‘Christian’, ‘Goody-Two-Shoes’, and – on a bad day – ‘Bible-Basher’. You’ve learned that your opinion is not wanted, appreciated or even acceptable in group discussions. But your friend has just told everyone at the lunch table that she’s planning on having sex with her new boyfriend. After all, they’ve been dating a while now… Everyone is so excited for her and tells her what lingerie she should buy. Would you speak?
It is quite likely that you would. If you’re a Christian who cares for the salvation of your friends, you will keep speaking, no matter how uncomfortable it makes you or them. If you can’t speak, it can be for only two reasons – you no longer believe or you no longer care.
At the Church Bible study, which you never miss, the Pastor says he’s got a new revelation that he wants to share. It’s about reaching the lost for Christ. The message is simple: “we need to relate with sinners and other Christians struggling with sexual sins, so that we can move from judging to loving them. Everyone sins, and no one’s sin is bigger. Christ died for all our sins – past, present and FUTURE. Just as we partake in fellowship of suffering through fasting, it is good spiritually to partake in orgies“. Everyone looks at each other in disbelief and uncertainty. Someone raises a challenge, but the Pastor responds by reminding him of his past sexual sins, and how his salvation is no less assured than the only virgin within the group. Would you speak?
Now this scenario seems a bit far-fetched, but, believe me, it’s not! It’s just around the corner. For years, the Church has been adapting their teaching to accommodate the world and Christians are making more and more compromises to fit in with the world. The Bible has already warned that “the time will come when men will no longer put up with sound doctrine” (2 Tim 4:3). Will you stand for the Truth, even if you’re the only one?
A mad man with a gun enters the hall where you are and shoots! Two people are dead. He announces that he’s looking for Christians and dares anyone who believes that Jesus saves to speak out. Would you speak?
This last one might be the hardest for everyone. It is not as unrealistic though, as it’s already happening. It seems so senseless, that God would be so unreasonable to expect us to say something at that point! “That isn’t a show of faith, it’s stupidity”, you might reason. But isn’t it what God warned us would happen? Is the cross He asked us to carry limited to being nice to rude people? Did He not promise that we also will be persecuted and killed for following Him?
He actually said, about His time “if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry…?” (Luke 23:31). “If they do persecute Me, they will persecute you too” (John 15:20).
If you’ve been cozy and silent about your Faith since, now’s the time to wake up and speak up. Not because you’re a martyr seeking attention, but because you’ve been called to pick up your cross and follow Jesus.
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Categories: Critical Thinking, Issues of Life, Random Musings, The Latest, True Religion
Grace and Truth 
Yes I would! With wisdom and discernment guiding every word…I would speak up and trust that God’s Spirit will work on that person’s heart.
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That’s really good to hear. I think I would speak too. The last one is still running through my mind, but I pray for God’s grace to be strong and stand up for Him.
Thanks for reading and contributing to the discussion 🙂
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Well said, Ufuoma!
It is so intimidating to be the sole naysayer, and I am ashamed to confess that I have remained silent too often.
I remember very clearly during college, there was a gloomy Monday when tensions all around campus were high. There had been a group that had painted our college letter up on the hill in rainbow colors. The very next day, it was white again. The next day, rainbow, the next day white. Someone kept painting over the expression of gay pride. I sat listening to about 10 people having a heated discussion about how insensitive Christians were to homosexuals. At that moment, I wasn’t sure what to say. At least part of that group knew that I was a Christian, yet I was unsure how to respond. I was afraid that whatever I said would not sway them, but feed their anti-Christian, pro-gay stance. That was well over twelve years ago. I have often reflected on that moment, and dearly wish I had spoken.
There is another side to this that ought to be noted: we need to take time to formulate our reasoning prior to confrontation. Think through counter-arguments. Discuss them with like-minded Christians and prepare yourself for the confrontation. We always need to be ready to give a defense for the hope within us. That readiness takes preparation.
Thank you for reminding all of us to take a stand. It’s vital!
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Thanks Elihu! I think we’ve all been guilty of hiding when we should be the light on the hill… Yes, readiness is important, but it’s often our excuse. “It’s not the right time…” You don’t always have to have a counter argument to everything. Christ said that we shouldn’t worry what to say, but that He will give us the right words when we are defending our faith. It really is the willingness to speak up that needs addressing. God will give us the wisdom and direct us to grow our learning as we fellowship with like minded people.
Those who speak up and do it readily are rarely silenced. But those who never speak will find it harder to speak when they it is their time to take a stand.
Thanks so much for reading and contributing to the discussion!
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So true! We do need to stop making excuses. 🙂
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Powerful post. An urgent reminder that truth is the heart of a fruitful Christian life. Without truth, it’s nothing but fluff. May God fill us with His Spirit and enable us to ‘speak up’.
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Amen! That’s what we need. Like air. Thanks so much for reading and contributing to this discussion 🙂
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I definately struggle with this one. I used to really like debating (I used to debste on Gaiaonline a lot, a place where most users are non-christian) but recently I’ve just stopped. I can’t stand it anymore. I enjoyed Gaiaonline a fair bit, because in the Exstended Discussion forrm, most people had pretty good if not excelent debating skills. However, over the past five years, it seems that debate is going down hill in all mediums. No one cares to exchange ideas and offers well thought out arguments anymore. It seems like most people make their emotions the crux of their debate, which sullies and distupts the facts and integrity of the debate. It’s gotten to the point that I don’t even want to try sny more. If I say the wrong thing or use the wrong word a meaningless argument that gets us no where fast could occur. Ugh. It drives me crazy.
Unforetunately, I must confess, I have stopped caring. It seems that the people who need to hear what is being spoken the most will do whatever they can not to hear it. 😛
I definately need help with this. I don’t want to speak up anymore.
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Don’t give up!!! You’re obviously a passionate and talented debater. God needs you to use those skills. What you need in addition is patience, self-control, understanding and love. That environment should strengthen you to develop these godly fruits of the Spirit.
Like every vocation, you need to take a break now and then to refresh ans rejuvenate. But never give up!
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The most difficult aspect in following the Lord is, there is no room for introversion on this narrow road. When i was a worldling, the world despised me – just for having different tastes in clothing, music and such. While my family was not abusive, they were very materialistic and had no time for people who thought differently about life. If i had the choice, i would have as little as possible to do with people – but the Lord is sovereign, and won’t give me that choice. It’s an effort just to attend church, and i make a concerted effort to remain in the background.
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Hi Susan 🙂
Did you mean you make an effort not to be in the background?
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Dear Ufuoma, i make a concerted effort to remain in the background – ingrained lessons from early life…
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Ummm… so would you remain silent in such situations?
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Just going through articles in search of a pick me up and I am ashamed to admit that too often I have remained silent, for many of the reasons Elihu mentioned but primarily for lack of knowledge and fear condemnation.
I am glad that I am just now coming out of this, but I strongly believe that even as God will give us the words to communicate our faith in the Gospel, we also need to play our own part which I feel is to educate ourselves on the tenets of our faith (whatever this may be). To conquer erroneous thinking, we must be at worst familiar and at best, deeply rooted in the teachings of God from reading and understanding of the Scriptures. This along with grace and wisdom will be our backbone for speaking out. The apostles preached boldly and fearlessly because they had been witnesses and they truly believed in Christ’s message. This was personal, which they came to know and experience directly by seeking Christ out, listening, asking questions and going deep… A confident person is only confident when they are sure of what they speak of. So essentially, this is a challenge to me and all who are like me, to go deep so that we can speak out!
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Nice one Ejay! I appreciate your contribution to this 🙂
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