Faithful in the Face of Fear
The scriptures repeatedly command us not to fear. This is reassuring because it means that the Lord knows that we will, in different times and circumstances, fear someone or something. There are many things that we dread because of fear of the response we might get.
Right now I am especially dreading “pride month” for the month of June and more legislation to limit when babies can be executed through abortion (which seems to be any time in any given state). I dread them because my views have been shaped by how God looks at them and this sits in direct opposition to how the culture around us views them. So, I dread the arguments.
Many of us hate to argue but argue we must if dread the wrath of God more than we dread the resistance (or rejection) of man.
There are so many things going on in our culture as it forgets God that we simply must stand against. Our silence has given way to a very ungodly culture and God will not bless us as a nation as we live in it without teaching others how wrong it all is.
However, our breaking the silence is no guarantee that one thing will change. There were times in the scriptures where God sent prophets to speak the truth to someone but said that the people would not listen. Moses, Isaiah, and Jeremiah are three examples. God warned them all that though they spoke, the people would not hear them or change their ways. Still, they were to speak (Exodus 11:9; Isaiah 30:9; Jeremiah 7:26).
All three of these men still experienced the presence and the promises of God as they faithfully spoke what the Lord gave them to say. Do we believe that God blesses our faithfulness? Do we understand that when we “speak when it’s time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7) that the Lord will be with us and give us the words we need to say?
He is faithful to us in every circumstance when we stand up for the Truth of His Word. Even the resistance we face is not beyond His sovereign rule.
There are places this is easier than others. Going to “pride” events and abortion mills is the frontline experience to stand against these things. “Front lines” of any battle are the most difficult places to be. If that is something that you fear, I want to challenge you to start in the rear, be the support staff for those in the battle.
Within the Church of Jesus Christ most people would say they agree with the biblical stance on the abortion (and homosexuality, transgender ideologies and even climate change). However, the next week the people who are on the frontlines of the abortion mill tell me that that professing Christian may bring a friend to get an abortion because they believe it is the “loving” thing to do for her.
What has gone wrong here? Why can a Bible-believing Christian not stand up for Truth and tell that “friend” what the consequences are for murder and refuse to be an accomplice in the murder of an innocent baby? Why do they not understand biblical “love?”
Could we, who hold these strong convictions not be, at the very least, standing for truth among our brothers and sisters in the Lord? If the pulpit is not teaching it, could we?
The book of James teaches us that “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:18). Active, front-line protests are one form of good works. Speaking the truth to our families, our neighbors and our local assembly and supporting those who are on the frontlines are other ways.
Loving our neighbors is to be a high priority in our lives. How are we loving our neighbor who has no idea what the Bible says about the issues of our day? It seems that this would be very difficult to explain on the ride to take a woman for an abortion. How do we love our unborn neighbor?
Our job is to speak faithfully the truths of God’s Word (His laws). Will we faithfully do our work for God’s glory, not being particularly concerned with how people respond, because how they respond is His work.