Stand for Christ

Matthew 10:32-33 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

A hundred years from today there will be only one choice that will matter to you: Did I stand for Christ?

We're not on a small subject here. Do you confess Jesus Christ? Not just at church but everywhere you go? Is there a growing pattern of loyalty to Him? Does your love and loyalty to Him resonate in your heart? Whatever else I get done in this world, God help me stand for Him. I will not lower the flag. I will not back up or shut up or hide the reality of my allegiance to Jesus Christ. I will not do that. I cannot do that. I choose to stand.

By standing, I mean a state of mind from which we are free from doubt. Allegiance. Assurance. Certainty. Certitude. Commitment. Confidence. Decisiveness. Fidelity. Firmness. Fortitude. Grit loyalty. Persistence. Steadfast resolve. Tenacity. Trust.

The opposite of standing would be things like backing down. Doubting. Faltering. Hesitating. Indecision. Skepticism. Suspicion. Unbelief. Uncertainty. Vacillating. Wavering.

The people who know you best should be absolutely certain that you love Jesus Christ as your highest priority. Something is desperately wrong if they don't know that. Do you need to go to work this week and say, "Hey, there's something I've never told you about myself before. Let me tell you what matters to me most."

Are you standing for Christ? I commend this question to you for the rest of your life. Wherever life takes you, whatever happens to you, whatever you face or deal with that you couldn't possibly know of right now, may your deepest passion and commitment be the reality that you stand for Jesus. Every chance I get, every place I go, this is what my life is going to be about.

That's a powerful commitment. God can do awesome things with a person who is totally yielded to Him. There will be a day (unless the Lord returns first) when you will have a tombstone. Written on it will be the summary of your life. It would be amazing if it said, This person confessed Jesus Christ. This person had a growing loyalty and an allegiance to Jesus, a growing pattern of standing with and for Jesus Christ. What would be more important to your eternity than this?

-James MacDonald

Monday, June 15, 2009