Stand Up
“Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent.”
As Christians, we are under obligation to speak up. Our lives are not just about salvation but also righteousness. Some of us say that we have given our lives to Jesus but there is no power in our lives. Maybe it is because we are too fearful, or even ashamed to be identified with Jesus Christ and His principles, to stand up and be counted.
A beautiful scripture and one of my favourites:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” Romans 1:16
You see, Jesus asked the people in the synagogue a question and they would not answer because they were afraid of repercussions from the people. You and I need to start to speak up and then we will see the power of God manifest through our lives.
One of my heroes is an early church father by the name of Polycarp. Polycarp was not afraid to speak up for Jesus. At 86 years old, he was arrested for his faith and was to be burned at the stake, in front of all the people on a Saturday afternoon, in the Colosseum by the Roman oppressors.
He was given an opportunity, by the governor, to live. The governor said: “If you reject Jesus Christ and you follow our gods, the gods of Rome, we will let you live.” His answer was, “He has never once failed me in all of these 86 years of my life. How can I deny Him now?” And as a result, they burned Polycarp at the stake in front of all the people. But he was not cringing, he did not moan - he rejoiced because he was about to meet his risen Lord and Savior.
You and I must also speak up for the truth. We must live righteous lives and people must see Jesus through us. We are not ashamed of the Gospel because the Lord Jesus Christ has saved us to the uttermost. As you go out today, witness to somebody - Maybe in the office, your workplace, at school or in the university and say: “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ and I will speak up, I will not keep quiet.”
Have a wonderful day. You will experience the power of Christ in your life, through the Holy Spirit. God bless you.