This week I’ve been listening to the audio book of The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected, by Nik Ripken, about the stories of believers in other countries who are regularly persecuted for their faith. One person in particular urged, “Don’t give up in freedom what we have not given up under persecution” —the right to share our faith. Dr. Ripken goes on to say that sharing our faith is not a matter of religious freedoms, but the choice of whether we will be obedient to God’s commands. It doesn’t matter whether we will be thrown in jail, tortured, mocked, or just slightly embarrassed for what we believe, God has commanded every believer to be His witnesses wherever we go (see Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28:18-20).
Hearing those words today built on the Good Friday message from our pastor on 2 Corinthians 5:11-15 that the logical response to the cross is to live for Jesus instead of ourselves. It also goes along with the meditations on Romans 12:1-8 that we were urged to dwell on today. Are we really willing to be living sacrifices? Is Jesus worth living for, worth dying for, worth giving up our freedom and family for? Missionary Charles T. Studd said, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” I think many of us want to believe those words, but when it comes down to our daily choices we can’t quite justify giving up our comfort, our habits, our pride, our self-sufficiency.
This morning I was trying to find a Christian song lyric that was running through my mind. The first CD I looked at was one produced by a person who later embraced a sinful lifestyle. Whenever I think of him I pray that God will convict him and bring him to repentance. He reminds me of 1 Corinthians 3:15 (ESV), “If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” There will be many at the judgment who see all their “good” works burned up. There will be many more who will be told, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matt. 7:23). The question is, will you or I be in one of those groups or will we be among those who hear “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 26:21)?
As it turns out, the song stuck in my mind was from Chonda Pierce’s A Mother’s Prayer: “If I die before they wake, they’ll know I’ve lived for Jesus’ sake.” I hope that is the clear message of my life, and it’s one of the reasons I write my blogs. I may not be good at sharing my faith in conversations with people, but I have to share it in some way. It is not just obedience to a command (though it is that), but the love of Christ compels me to do so (2 Cor. 5:14). I wasn’t planning to write anything today, but my thoughts needed an outlet. It is not always easy, and I’m certain there are people who immediately turn away because they don’t want to read what I have to say. But I believe that in Christ I am a new creation and that He has entrusted me with this particular ministry (2 Cor. 5:17, 19). Therefore I will offer myself as a living sacrifice to God, using the gifts He has given me to serve His body for as long as He enables me to do so. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2).
Will you join me in living for Jesus’ sake?
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11).
© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Image copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.
