Christianity Requires Action, and Action Requires Courage
10/1/24
Have you ever been afraid to talk about your faith, God, or the Bible because you’re afraid of being called hateful, judgmental, or a “Jesus freak”? Have you ever gone along with a woke policy at work because it’s not worth losing your job over—even though it went against what the Bible says? How about this one: have you ever skipped praying over your meal in public because you didn’t want the people around you to think you’re weird?
Christians all over the world are being faced with intense spiritual conflicts at every turn—at school, at work, in entertainment, on social media, and from our political leaders; it’s a lot and it can be exhausting and overwhelming. Even the Olympics (and I love watching the Olympics) took a turn at mocking Jesus in this year’s opening ceremonies. But, we shouldn’t be surprised by the current onslaught of debauchery and hostility toward Christianity in our culture, because Jesus told us this would happen.
“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” John 17:14-15
Jesus told His disciples they would be persecuted in this world and that the world hated them because the world hated Him. Even though Jesus knew His disciples would face intense spiritual struggles, He didn’t ask God to take them out of this world or spare them that suffering; instead, He prayed for God to keep them from the evil one.
This passage struck me recently, as I’ve been thinking a lot about what it looks like to be a Christian right now, in a culture that’s become aggressively anti-God, anti-Bible, and anti-Christianity. Spiritual conflict is inevitable in the life of a Believer—it’s going to happen! But instead of working to avoid these conflicts or praying they never happen, maybe we should pray—like Jesus did—and ask God to keep us from the evil one.
“Therefore, whoever confesses me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in Heaven. But whoever denies me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in Heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33
Christians (followers of Jesus Christ) are required to confess their faith in Him publicly, without reservation, and without compromise. But many Christians today, maybe even most Christians, are afraid to talk about their biblical beliefs in public—even among family and friends—because they’re afraid of being cancelled, labeled as a hater, or being in an uncomfortable conversation. I’ve been there myself.
We’ve experienced a decades-long moral decline and research shows the number of Americans identifying as Christians has declined with each generation, and the number is still dropping. This means parents are failing—and have been failing for generations—to pass their faith on to their children. One consequence of this decline is that the majority of young Americans now describe themselves as socialist, which essentially replaces the God of the Bible with the State. This is a serious problem because it means more and more of our society is looking to the government to set its morals and shape its beliefs.
“We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that He has done.” Psalms 78:4
All Christians have been given the Great Commission, which is to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). No Believer is exempt from this obligation to act. We have to get up and go, regardless of the opposition, awkwardness, difficulty, or fear of consequence.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve failed in this way before; I’ve been cowardly. I hid my faith when I should’ve let the Light of Christ shine through me; I bit my tongue when I should’ve spoken about the hope that’s inside of me; and I chose not to engage when the Holy Spirit told me to get up and go—to act!
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8
In the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary, a coward is defined as being “Destitute of courage; timid; proceeding from or expressive of fear.” God places cowardice alongside non-belief, abomination, murder, sexual immorality, sorcery, idolatry, and lying—actually, being cowardly is first in that list. That should be a stark warning to every Christian and, at the very least, it should motivate us to seek courage.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12
The type of fear I’m talking about—the type that keeps us from living out our faith and telling others about the hope we have inside us—is keeping Christians from engaging in spiritual warfare and actually being Christians. We have the “Good News” to share in a society that is increasingly hopeless, and is looking to the government, social media, and so many other people, places, and things—all of which are incapable of bringing real hope, joy, and peace. This has to change, but how?
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
How can a group that’s chosen to stay silent and complacent for so long finally overcome that crippling (and understandable) fear and instead, be resolved to act on their beliefs and live out their faith with boldness? One answer is to act with Godly courage.
You could think of this as a “call-to-action,” but I think of it more as a “call-to-seek-God-for-wisdom-and-guidance” for your life. You might pray and ask God something like this: “Lord, how can I have courage in my life? What does that look like?” And to be clear, I’m not suggesting that we go and pick fights, or lash out at non-believers with harsh judgment rather than grace; those things can cause more harm than good and can push people further from God rather than draw them closer to Him. I am suggesting, however, that we be intentional about seeking God’s guidance, and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit about how and when to speak, how to stand up for our faith, and share the joy, hope, and peace that’s found only in Christ.
If we need something from God—whether it be courage, peace, strength, wisdom, or food—it’s wise to ask Him for it, and to keep asking.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8
We can find hope and encouragement by remembering the inspiring stories of courage found in the Bible and throughout history.
In my book, Courage to Stand: Profiles of Enduring Faith, I share nine stories of courageous Christians who stood on God’s Word and faced their conflicts despite their fears. These true stories and inspiring individuals—from ancient biblical times to present day—experienced the type of troubles that Jesus warned His disciples of (i.e. high-stakes spiritual warfare), and just like Jesus prayed for His disciples not to be removed from this world but to be kept from the evil one, the people in this book were not removed from their conflicts either. Instead, they did something quite radical—they stood in the midst of chaos and conflict and made it a point to honor God and to seek His guidance; they believed His Word, and they actually did the things He instructed them to do, no matter the consequences; they walked into the fire—literally, for some. This is the type of courage and faith I’m promoting as the solution to the fears we all experience as Christians.
“Therefore, He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25
Experiencing troubles, facing conflicts, engaging in spiritual warfare, even having awkward conversations…none of that sounds very fun (especially the part about walking into the fire). But the really important and encouraging part we must all remember is that the God we serve—the God of the Bible—is all-powerful, mighty to save, and will never leave or forsake us. We can stand firm in Him knowing that no conflict is too big for Him—and, thankfully, He handles the low-stakes conflicts, too.