Saturday, 13 September 2014

TAKING A STAND FOR CHRIST


Bittu M Mathew
Architecture
Batch of 2013




















‘Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him.’  – 1 Corinthians 7:17

‘You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.’  – 1 Corinthians 7:23

Jesus Christ took up the price of our sins and paid it in full because He loves us so much, the least we can do is trust Him and walk in His will.
In this present age where we cannot avoid isolation from the world, we all will definitely come across situations where we will have to take a firm stand for what we believe in.                                   

We need to take a stand when it comes to                                                                               

TRUTH...

’Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.’ – Hebrews 3:1

‘But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned.’ – Galatians 1:8

As a chosen people for Christ, it is our responsibility to hold onto the Gospel that has been entrusted to us. Being careful that we don’t give in to any false teachings or compromise on the truth, for we believe Jesus is the only way, the truth and the life!



TEMPTATIONS…

‘Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.’  – James 4:7,8

We are not going to be free from temptations but God can help us say no to the temptations. It is when we give in to our temptations that we end up sinning.




 STRUGGLES OF LIFE…

‘The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all’ – Psalms 34:

‘We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers.’ – 2 Corinthians 1:8-11

Our journey in this world will take us along paths that are painful, that seem hopeless or that make you feel like you’ve been waiting forever but this is where our faith needs to be a strong foundation that doesn’t shatter. God gives us the strength to move through it, trusting Him. When our eyes are on Him, we realise that there is something that God knows which we don’t know yet.



WITH FRIENDS...

 ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’ – 1 Corinthians 15:33

‘Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you, Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.’ – 1 Corinthians 15:58

We may look like fools to our friends when we refuse to be part of some unfruitful, worldly activities but as Christians it is our responsibility to be the light wherever we are. To fit into this world we needn’t compromise on what we believe in but instead when we take a stand even when no one supports us, it will definitely get our friends’ attention and we might sow a seed this way.



AT HOME…

‘No-one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.’ – Luke 18:29, 30

When we are at home, it maybe that mostly there is no one to be accountable to and we might feel like letting go of certain decisions we had taken as a Christian. We need to live as a Christian not only when we are around believers but every moment of our lives. We should be conscious that our lives are supposed to be testimonies, light in the midst of darkness.



WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO TAKE A STAND:

‘All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.’  – Mark 13:13

CONSISTENT & PERSISTENT WITH PRAYERS AND WORD OF GOD…

‘Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.’  – Hebrews 4:14-16

It is only with God’s help that we can take a stand in any situation, it is the Holy Spirit that gives us the boldness and wisdom at all instances.
Jesus Christ was a man of prayers on earth and also he lived according to the scriptures. We also read that Jesus Christ went through temptations and trials as all humans but yet He was sinless, He overcame the world.

Having set an example for us this is exactly what we need to do, we cannot expect to be strong to take a stand for God is we don’t take time to pray and read His word, this strengthens us with hope and promises of God. The Bible also shows us people of God who took a stand for God in different situations. (Hebrews 11)

DECISIONS & SACRIFICES…

God loves us so much that He doesn’t force us but lets us make our choices, but it is our responsibility to make sure we do what is right in God’s sight.
We have to choose to follow the principles of the Bible in our lives; this may lead us to make certain sacrifices. It may be acceptance from people, letting go of our comfort zone or things that were part of our lives etc.

Let us take a stand for God and move on to be the reflection of Christ in this world!
May our Lord Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.’  – 2Thessalonian 2:16,17





                                                                                                                                                            GOD BLESS YOU!!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

No comments:

Post a Comment