Silent or Shout

John 17:17 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

I read, and found to be true myself, that in every generation throughout time, the secular culture around us presses us to adopt its humanistic ethical worldview, and to believe that right and wrong, moral and immoral, are determined by what is socially, legally, and culturally acceptable apart from the Word, Will and Way of God. This is understandable in light of the definition of “secular” as being the philosophy or life stance of or pertaining to worldly things existentially for this specific time and place in history or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred; temporal, and the definition of “morality” being to conform to “generally” accepted ideas of what is right and just in human conduct. Who has authority over us, who do we listen too and who do we follow?

Matthew 28:18-19 ““All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

An ethical and moral relativism has crept into the minds of many believers that what the Bible says is the wrong thing to do in the eyes of God, may be wrong for me, but I can’t push my beliefs on salvation issues onto others.” Maybe these is the affects of wanting to “fit in” to today secular society or to “get along” with everyone in this culture, but are driving Christians to keeping the gospel of Jesus Christ and the holy Scriptures of the Bible to themselves. Yet salvation issues do not deal with indifferent matters such as the choice of preferential issues in life, but of life and death issues for eternity. Are we concerned about that? Of course, those who are living in darkness do not want to hear about paying for their sins against a just and holy God. They may not want to believe in Creator God, Savior Jesus or hell, but they exist and that spiritual reality is their and my only hope.

Why is it that those who attackingly shout: “Keep your beliefs to yourself, you holier than thy!” never keep their secular humanist beliefs to their selves, but boldly flaunt their opinions and demand our conformance and compliance to their godless worldview? Why? Jesus said in John 3:18-20 “He who believes in Him (Jesus) is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

What is the process by which you and I make ethical decisions? Do we explore what the God’s Word has to say about discerning and differentiation between good and evil, and then apply those Scriptures to all of life? Creator God sits on the throne in heaven and has set the moral standards and has given them to all people to follow. Who reigns and rules in our heart? Who will we choose to follow the Lord?”

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

"Churches grow from the unchurched because their members and attendees talk about it to their unchurched friends. It comes up in their conversations like the mention of a good movie, a favorite restaurant, or a treasured vacation spot." -James Emery White

Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Reach the lost. Shout and shine for the Lord. Talk to someone about your church!

In Christ, Brian