Standing for righteousness is not easy and it will take
boldness and a dedicated commitment on your part. It is much easier to be like a chameleon and
change depending on where you are and who you are talking with. Going along with the flow will only prove that
you are no different than anyone else.
The disciples were a radical group, filled with the Holy
Spirit and boldness, they spoke the Word regardless of what the people thought.
Their purpose wasn’t to offend, but to
set people free by telling them the truth about their Savior, Jesus. They had been with Jesus and had themselves been
set free and they wanted others to experience what they had experienced. Being a radical believer will cost you some
popularity, maybe even isolation from some of your close friends, family
members and even some church members. A
radical believer will, in the end, reap a great harvest if they stay committed.
There are many mediocre believers around, but it seems we
have a shortage of radicals because radical believers are usually discouraged
by those that are jealous of them and their popularity and what they are
accomplishing for the Lord. Paul and
Silas ran into this situation in Thessalonica on one of their journeys.
It says this in Acts 17:1-8:
“Now when they had passed through Amphipolis
and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the
Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths
reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the
Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom
I preach to you is the Christ.’ And some of them were persuaded; and a great
multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul
and Silas.
But the Jews who were
not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the
marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked
the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. But when they
did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the
city, crying out, ‘These who have turned the world upside down have come here
too. Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees
of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.’ And they troubled the crowd and
the rulers of the city when they heard these things.”
Paul and Silas’ doctrine was sound doctrine, and was not the
problem, but because of their popularity with the many people that believed the
Word, these men became jealous so they started a big problem. These Christians turned the world upside down,
so to speak, because they not only spoke the truth in love with the right
motives, but they also lived the truth. The
gospel, with the power of God behind it, is responsible for crossing social barriers
and setting captives free, caused them to love one another and stirred them to
worship the Lord; it also dramatically transformed lives.
Question: Are you a mediocre believer, living like a chameleon,
or are you a radical, sharing the truth and living the life you claim? Only you can answer that question, if not, I hope
you are somewhere between a radical and a mediocre chameleon. Something to think about, have a super day and
may the Lord bless you and yours!!
No comments:
Post a Comment