Are your nativities put away and your Christmas cleaned up?
If you were a Christian in the 90s, you may remember a saying, “If it became illegal to be a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”
Maybe from that idea came the surplus of Christian bumper stickers, art and other swag. We decorated our cars and clothing with symbols and stickers. Consumerism to prove loyalty… to get that conviction.
But there’s a difference between marketing Christianity and obeying Christ.
Let your god flag fly
Waving and saluting the Christian flag… raising a religious banner before your army… making sure to point out to the lost that you are on the narrow path… or letting the brethren know you are on a “slightly narrower” path might get you convicted when Christianity becomes illegal—but I’m not convinced that’s the judgement seat we should be concerned about.
Psalms says my salvation and my honor depend on God. I like this verse because of course we are concerned about salvation, but we want to hide that we’re also concerned about honor. Our honor depends on God, not on how God looks. Not on him seeming to be victorious before his return.
The narrower path
I was once told that you can’t take stuff to heaven, only people. But that’s untrue. You can’t bring people—not if they don’t want to go.
Imagine your son telling you, “I know you would choose your God over me.” I don’t think that’s necessarily easier to hear when he has a strong, bearded jaw than when he has chubby, kissable cheeks.
Yet, if that becomes the choice, Christ said he came to divide families.
Though none go with me
How do you choose Christ over mother, brother, child… without steamrolling or trampling everyone in your path?
All I can think in regards to displaying your faith is: Christian! Christ does not stomp the downtrodden. When we have an agenda that tramples, we find a way to inject that agenda in every sentence.
So how do you share if you can’t even talk to your children or grandchildren about God because they think you’re unfair, insensitive, exclusive? Lyrics from one of my most listened to songs last year says, “The best way to be heard sometimes is not to make a sound.” The Audreys
Innocent until proven a believer
I know we are scared to deny Jesus because he will deny us. Sometimes silence is denial, but sometimes it is wisdom. When Jesus was asked by Pilate, “Are you the King of the Jews?”, he answered, “It is as you say.”
But when Herod questioned him, he “answered him nothing.” Luke 23:1-12
You don’t have to chase anyone down screaming Merry Christ-mas. Not just because the holidays are over, but because the culture war you are commissioned to fight is within your own body.
Sometimes silence is denial, but sometimes it is wisdom.
Thank you, Hilarey — good reminder!!!