Comfort or Christ?

 

“Beth, Christianity is radical. You do not want to do that.” This was my husband’s response when I told him I had become a Christian (see “The Church lady”).

It was too late. The Lord had been showing me my sin and therefore, my need for a Savior, for some time. Now, I was confessing Christ. There was no turning back.

The Lord brought my husband to faith shortly after this conversation. His understanding of the radical nature of Christianity has been proven true as I studied God’s Word. I have seen the truths of God’s promises for peace and joy in my life since my salvation but these have only come with the abandonment of my comfort.

In the hours leading up to Christ’s crucifixion He was betrayed, falsely accused, beaten, denied, flogged, mocked, and after all this He was given the cross He would be crucified on to carry to Golgotha. Listed like this the horror of what He went through is not easily understood. Drag these out over several hours and you can see that this was not a comfortable day for Jesus, our Lord.

With Christ suffering like He did while he was in the body of a man, it is apparent to me that, like my husband, I should have seen the radical nature of Christianity earlier. Jesus said that if we love Him we will obey His commands. Romans 8:29 reminds us that we are to be conformed to the image of Christ. Well, this sounds great when He was showing compassion, feeding people, or healing illnesses. But, He also called out false teachers and Pharisees (Matthew 3:7, 12:34). He turned over the tables of the money-changers in His temple who dared to use the sacrificial system for their financial advantage (Mark 11:15).

Christians today are uncomfortable with the person on social media who will state that abortion is murder. They shy away from any conversation that would imply that two people of the same sex should not get married according to Biblical principle. We have dropped the words “sin and repentance” from our vocabulary, and the current “pandemic” has revealed a worship of the state that many of us were unaware we harbored within us.

Too many of us would rather see the state at work than see the Church at work.

As Christians, we have much to confess and repent of before God. We have been sitting quietly by while the state “legalized” what the Bible forbids (calling good evil and evil good). We are more comfortable telling bold Christians to be quiet than to join them in calling for godly principles and to face these national sins ourselves.

The thing that makes Christianity radical is that God requires our faithfulness to Him (24/7, 365 days a year), which includes faithfulness to his Word. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments (John 14:15).

As we look at the pain and agony that Christ suffered on this day in history, are we willing to give up our earthly comforts in order to be faithful to Him? Will we speak the truth in love, let our lights shine, be salt (not sugar) and light to the world, so that we give evidence to the hurting and fearful world that our Christ reigns?

What comforts are you and I willing to forgo to glorify God as we celebrate Resurrection Sunday in a locked down world?