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Real Answers™
jj95
Copyright: © ©2006 James J. Jackson
690 words

ASHAMED OF BEING A CHRISTIAN?

By: James J. Jackson

It becomes clearer each day that Satan is very busy trying to hold back the work of the Christian church.  Many people in the media and leading social personalities have succeeded in demonizing Christianity, speaking of The Christian Right with disdain, as though being a Christian is something to be ashamed of.  

Many in the media gleefully report each and every human failing within the church.  As a result, many Christians are ashamed of being easily identified as such.

Even Christ’s disciples, at times, were ashamed or afraid of being exposed as Christians.  Peter denied Christ three times.  And the world believes that if it can stifle even the mention of God’s or Christ’s name, it will somehow cause Christ and His church to cease to exist.  But, Christ tells us in His Word that if we remained silent, the very rocks and stones would testify that He is the Savior of the world.

Christ warns us that if we are ashamed of Him before mankind, He will be ashamed of us before His Father.  Christians are asked to be prepared to declare Christ as Savior and Lord, even in the face of death.  That’s a heavy responsibility, but it is nothing when compared to what He has done for us.

An elderly pastor who had suffered persecution in prison for many years in the former Soviet Union once told a story about an underground church service that was interrupted by armed men who burst in, loudly demanding that all Christians stand up and move to one side of the room.  They then commanded all of the others to leave, as the Christian believers prepared to die.    

The “attackers” then told the believers to relax.  They were also believers, but, before they joined the group, they had to weed out the deceptive non-believers in their midst.  The group could then worship in earnest.

This same pastor made it through the persecution by holding onto the truth that man can destroy the body, but not one’s soul.  The moving hymn, “It is Well With My Soul,” became his theme song throughout his  captivity and afterward.

When traveling in foreign countries, I have often found myself in an area inhabited by groups that are antagonistic to Christians.  I have played a scenario over in my mind in which I am confronted and asked whether I am a Christian.  I believe that the Lord would have me answer in the affirmative, even in the face of harm or death.  It would be a true test of my faith, but I believe that the Lord would deliver me, one way or the other.

However, I cannot even take credit for the faith, courage, and whatever  else gives me the peace to be ready to declare my love for the Lord in any  circumstance.  He gives me the faith to believe and the courage to stand strong on those beliefs.  Who couldn’t trust a Savior like that?

I once was afraid to pray out loud in a group.  I told myself that prayer is such a personal time with the Lord, that it might be construed by others as boasting if I prayed out loud.   

Through growth in my walk with Christ, I now know that He wants me to lead others, particularly my family, in prayer.  He gives me the words to say, and, by praying, I am teaching my family valuable life lessons, such as being bold in declaring Christ as Lord,  and thanking Him for our blessings.

Not every Christian feels led to stand on a street corner with a mega-phone, shouting Scripture verses and calling others to repentance, but we are called to express and share our faith with others, and to proudly display Scripture references in our homes and wherever we go.   

Hanging in a high and visible place in my home is a plaque, reflecting a verse from Joshua: ”As for me and my house, we will serve the  Lord.” Anyone who enters will have no problem identifying that we are, indeed, a Christian family.  Ashamed?  Absolutely not!  We are proud to have been picked as heirs by the King of all Kings.

"Real Answers™" furnished courtesy of The Amy Foundation Internet Syndicate. To contact the author or The Amy Foundation, write or E-mail to: P. O. Box 16091, Lansing, MI 48901-6091; amyfoundtn@aol.com

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