“And I tell you, every one who acknowledges me before men, the Son of man also “And I tell you, every one who acknowledges me before men, the Son of man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God” (Luke 12:8-9). acknowledge before the angels of God; but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God” (Luke 12:8-9).
How important it is to confess Christ in the world and not be ashamed of him before nonbelievers! God put us in the world for this, to be his witnesses. Christ sent us out to proclaim the gospel and give witness. “As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world,” (John 17:18). “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you” (John 20:21). Jesus “sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal” (Luke 9:2). We proclaim the gospel and preach Christ by our words and by the way we
present ourselves and behave in the world. There are many who, more than anything else just want to blend in with their surroundings and with everyone else and live like everyone else. They do not want to be different or stand out in any way. They fear being different than others and do not want to swim against the current. They are often ashamed of their faith in public and do not want to be known or recognized as Christians or priests or religious. They want to be anonymous in the crowd. So they dress like secular people. They do not want to be signs of the kingdom or give the much needed witness of their faith and consecration to God. They are embarrassed to be known as priests or religious in public places. But “Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).
It is not only with our words and sermons that we give witness to Christ. Our very life, our way of life, and our consecration to God will always be our first and most important sermon and our best witness. We should not put our light under a basket, but on a stand that it might give light to all who are in the house (Matt. 5:15).
We should live as the Holy Spirit guides us; and if this guidance makes us different from others, we should not be ashamed of this difference or refuse to follow the Spirit’s guidance. Our difference will be our own particular witness that God has given to us for the edification of others. Our ideal should not be just to blend in with the rest or not to stick out in any way but rather to give witness to Jesus Christ. Thus you will be “blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15). This is your vocation—to be lights in the world. Do not be ashamed of it.
EmoticonEmoticon