Their God is My God

Acts 24:16

So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.

Paul spoke these words when he was giving an account of himself to his followers.  He was under attack from his enemies at the time.  He wanted his followers to know that he was under attack because he was leading a life that conflicted with how his attackers wanted to live their lives.  Paul may have been the first to warn us about living our lives according to political correctness and not according to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

How many of us would feel more comfortable being accused of any weakness rather than be accused of being a fervent believer in Jesus Christ, devoted to His service?  Unfortunately, this is exactly where the world wants us.  Everything we see, hear and read that comes from the world is designed to desensitize us to evil and to move us away from the holy life style to which Jesus Christ calls us.  When we give in to what the world wants to hear, we give in to Satan.  We diminish our testimony that goes out to those who need to hear the truth.

You probably have heard of the rather recent beheading of 21 Christians in a mid-east massacre.  You may not have heard the entire story.  One by one, each of the first twenty were asked if they would like to deny Christ.  Each one of them, one by one, proclaimed their loyalty to their Savior and were subsequently beheaded.  When the twenty first person was asked if he would deny Christ, he said, "Their God is my God.  I will not deny Him."  Then he was beheaded.  If any of the first twenty had denied their Lord, it would have opened the door of temptation for the next person.  We are and will be held accountable for our testimony.  What we stand for does make a difference.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing the Holy Spirit to keep us mindful of the truths that You have revealed to us through the life of Your Son, Jesus, and through the writings in Your Holy Word.  Strengthen us, Lord, to stand up to the ridicule and hatred of the world.  In the flesh, we are destined to fall for the tricks of the enemy.  Teach us, Lord, to call on and to rely on the Holy Spirit to help us to live in the spirit of the one who dwells within us.  May it be the passion of our hearts to please You and not the world.  We ask all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life.