Every week on Monday my work colleague would ask me what I did in the weekend. In my mind I would think my weekend pretty much usually consists of choir rehearsals, conferences, Christian events and church—nothing that could possibly interest her—so I would answer nothing much. Until it dawned on me that if she wasn’t ashamed to tell me her drunken tales from the weekend, then why should I be ashamed to say I had gone to church and had an amazing time? This is just a small example, but I’m sure you have your own example of a situation where you were the odd one out due to your biblical beliefs.
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
This scripture really puts things into perspective. The gospel is the power of God which has saved us and we should not be ashamed of it, but at every opportunity we should demonstrate and live out this gospel. God by His grace and love saved us and allowed us to come into fellowship with Him, that we may know Him and be saved from darkness and be brought into the light. Now that God has brought us into the light we are to be a living example of Christ, exemplifying and demonstrating what it means to be a child of God here on earth.
Ephesians 5:8
You yourselves used to be in the darkness, but since you have become the Lord’s people, you are in the light. So you must live like people who belong to the light.
However, this can only be done when we have a full understanding of our identity in Christ and what the word of God reveals about that identity. Once we understand the word of God and the power it carries, we won’t feel ashamed of the commandments of God; we won’t feel the need to compromise our stance in any area of our lives or succumb to the pressures and standards of this world.
Colossians 3:9-10
Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.
You must not allow anyone to make you feel like you are missing out, because you are not. You may feel that there are certain restrictions on you as a child of God, but every commandment of God was given for our own pleasure and benefit and the rewards will be evident in this life and in the next.
With all that is going on in the world right now, we must stand firm in Christ as His ambassadors. Wherever we find ourselves or whatever we are doing it should be evident that there is something different about us, that we are renewed, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and the love of God.
Matthew 5:14-16 explains that we are the light of the world and it further goes on to say that no one lights a lamp and puts in under a bowl, as it would not be performing the function it was designed for. The light that we have received is to shine on others that they might see Christ through us.
I want to encourage you to take a stand for Christ and persevere in your journey, knowing that the word of God has all you need to make it to the finish line, and not only that, but you are not alone in your journey; there are others who are running this race and who have committed themselves to live uncompromisingly for God.
Guest Contributor – Alessandra Oyeloba
