Standing Firm
Ephesians 6:10 - Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
Ephesians 6:13 - Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
Rachael Denhollander, the gymnast who called out Larry Nasser for his sexual abuse of Olympic gymnast hopefuls, spoke at the Indiana Leadership Prayer Breakfast. She stood up for the truth by asking, “What is the right thing to do, and why am I doing it?”
Abby Johnson did something similar in her book, Unplanned. The movie, Unplanned, about her exit from the abortion business, is in the theaters now, and should be viewed, and promoted.
A speaker at another event talked about asking ourselves, “What is the wisest decision I can make, under the present circumstances?”
These questions deal with the issues of good and evil, and where we draw the line. The placing of the line is crucial, when we consider the consequences of our decisions.
God established some clear lines of demarcation a long time ago, when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments, which defined sin for the Israelites. These have been used for centuries to establish the laws of nations, and they are the basic truths that support the Constitution of the United States of America.
Today, we have those, in Congress, who seek to move these boundaries to support their selfish desires for power, prestige, and self-gratification. They feel that mankind has the power to choose what is right and wrong, and that God’s laws no longer matter.
It is important for us, as Christians, to stand up for what is right and what is true, and apply God’s wisdom to the situations at hand, instead of the distorted wisdom of society.
James, the half-brother of Jesus, showed us the distinct difference between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of man. James 3:13-18 presents two kinds of wisdom. One, is the wisdom that comes down from above, Godly wisdom, which is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, sincere, and without hypocrisy. The other, worldly wisdom, comes from the senses, is full of envy and selfishness, and leads to disorder and confusion.
We, as Christians, need to make good decisions, based on the sound Godly wisdom of the Bible. We need to be focused on purpose and Godly principles, forthright in presenting the truth, in love, and forbearing those who disagree with us, being willing to forgive them for their wrong attitudes and lack of understanding of the truth.
Their responses to the truth will confirm the Word of God, which says that they will suppress the truth by their wickedness. (Rom 1:18) They will claim to be wise, but will show themselves to be fools, (Rom 1:22), thus, exposing themselves to those who see through their flimsy arguments.
I Peter 2:24 - …and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness;