I've hesitated to write this to you for almost a year or maybe even more than that. I have felt this weight of the reality that Christians are facing everyday. That reality is: are Christians going to choose to stand up to the Word of God or renounce their beliefs when it comes to the authority of the the Bible?
I have been living in fear to share this because of my deep struggle with the fear of man.
Yet, the Lord has given me a message and I can't stifle it any longer.
It is time for the church to speak up. We, as believers in Jesus Christ, are the body of the church. It is our time to speak the truth of God's Word because we cannot continue to stay silent. If the world is being very bold in regards to their choices, we also can be very bold, even if we will get canceled or have labels put on us.
I believe that there are several "hot topics" that the church stays silent on due to the fear of losing numbers or what people may say. There may be even more reasons that I don't know of. I feel it is our time to share the Word of God. "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12, NIV)
The Word of God leads us to conviction and it brings us to repentance. After repentance, we experience the grace, mercy, and compassion of our Father.
It is time for us to raise up generations that are not afraid to stand against the world and stand up for the Word of God. If we choose to be silent, nothing will get done. The world will never hear of the truth of Jesus. We cannot stand alongside cheering for those living in sin while knowing that, deep down, their souls are left to depravity. We cannot stay silent while the world is in deep need of God's truth and grace. We cannot idly sit by while the world keeps applauding sin even in His own people, the church.
I have wrestled with how to stand up for the Word of God without sounding "judgmental" or like a "traditional" or "legalistic" Christian. Judgement is not the approach any of us should be after. Love is what we need to lead with along with truth. We need both. I know that I can't go around cherry-picking verses and throwing it at people. The Word of God is the authority of God and it simply can't be used for our own agendas.
"Therefore, every one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. Do you think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?" (Romans 2:1-5, CSB)
If you're a follower of Christ, do not be silent any longer. If you are choosing to follow Jesus Christ, then you also need to believe in the authority of the Bible.
Today's hot topics that the church, the body of Christ needs to address are the pride movement, abortion, legalism, sex outside of marriage, transgenderism, and many more. The Bible addresses the root of these things so that we can be ready to share His truth, not our truth. It's not about our agenda. We are fallen, sinful human beings desperately in need of a Savior. We need the Bible plus Jesus, not the Jesus we've made Him up to be that fits what we feel like.
I have mentioned many times to you that I have a sinful past, but God by His great mercy, he saved me out of that darkness. He brought me into light even though I already was a Christian. Yes, I lived in two worlds. I lived a double life just like so many Christians are doing right now. I know what it is like to choose my own fleshly sin desires over God's desires. I chose what felt right in the moment, but it took me to a darker path. All of this, my real story, is what urges me forward to communicate to the body of Christ that we need to rise up and share the truth of His Word. I haven't written my full story because, frankly, I still struggle with fear of distortion or rejection. I believe that for now, my story belongs in the face-to-face moments where the Spirit prompts me to speak.
If you are wondering and searching for what God's truth says then start in Romans. Go to Romans 1 (click here) and 2 (click here). Then go to Romans 8 (click here). You'll find many of your answers there. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you up with conviction, truth, grace, and mercy. I so pray and call on the Holy Spirit to summon up generations who will not back down on the Word of God. Fear of man will tear at your soul everyday. I know because I've lived it out for so long. I believe that we cannot sit in our fear knowing that there are people in need of the real Jesus, not the legalistic, angry God with arms folded, standing off in the distance, kind of Jesus. It's also not only love and acceptance without truth, or a "genie in the bottle" version of Jesus.
We need to rise up and speak the truth in love when the Spirit prompts us to.
Let me remind you that it's also not your responsibility to convict people. The Holy Spirit does the work. We are simply His vessels.
My prayer and petition for the church:
I pray that the church of Christ will rise up and stand firm in their faith. I pray they will believe in the authority of the Word of God. I pray that the Holy Spirit will convict us when needed and also show us the grace of God. I also pray that the veil before our eyes will be removed that the enemy has placed so that we will be hindered from seeing the truth. I pray that the veil will be torn so that we can see the reality of our sin and see the fullness of Jesus. I pray that my words do not come across as condemning but boldly proclaiming the truth of His Word. I pray that that the fear of man will be silenced so that we can stand firm in the truth of the authority of the Word of God. I don't want us to lead a life of condemnation, but a breath of fresh air to the world. That our homes would be bright lights in this dark world. That we would speak truth when needed but that even our actions would cause people to notice a glimpse of who Jesus really is. Amen.
Image found on Unsplash.
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