For Jesus' Sake

This week I’ve been listening to the audio book of The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected, by Nik Ripken, about the stories of believers in other countries who are regularly persecuted for their faith. One person in particular urged, “Don’t give up in freedom what we have not given up under persecution” —the right to share our faith. Dr. Ripken goes on to say that sharing our faith is not a matter of religious freedoms, but the choice of whether we will be obedient to God’s commands. It doesn’t matter whether we will be thrown in jail, tortured, mocked, or just slightly embarrassed for what we believe, God has commanded every believer to be His witnesses wherever we go (see Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28:18-20).

Hearing those words today built on the Good Friday message from our pastor on 2 Corinthians 5:11-15 that the logical response to the cross is to live for Jesus instead of ourselves. It also goes along with the meditations on Romans 12:1-8 that we were urged to dwell on today. Are we really willing to be living sacrifices? Is Jesus worth living for, worth dying for, worth giving up our freedom and family for? Missionary Charles T. Studd said, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” I think many of us want to believe those words, but when it comes down to our daily choices we can’t quite justify giving up our comfort, our habits, our pride, our self-sufficiency.

This morning I was trying to find a Christian song lyric that was running through my mind. The first CD I looked at was one produced by a person who later embraced a sinful lifestyle. Whenever I think of him I pray that God will convict him and bring him to repentance. He reminds me of 1 Corinthians 3:15 (ESV), “If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” There will be many at the judgment who see all their “good” works burned up. There will be many more who will be told, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matt. 7:23). The question is, will you or I be in one of those groups or will we be among those who hear “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 26:21)?

As it turns out, the song stuck in my mind was from Chonda Pierce’s A Mother’s Prayer: “If I die before they wake, they’ll know I’ve lived for Jesus’ sake.” I hope that is the clear message of my life, and it’s one of the reasons I write my blogs. I may not be good at sharing my faith in conversations with people, but I have to share it in some way. It is not just obedience to a command (though it is that), but the love of Christ compels me to do so (2 Cor. 5:14). I wasn’t planning to write anything today, but my thoughts needed an outlet. It is not always easy, and I’m certain there are people who immediately turn away because they don’t want to read what I have to say. But I believe that in Christ I am a new creation and that He has entrusted me with this particular ministry (2 Cor. 5:17, 19). Therefore I will offer myself as a living sacrifice to God, using the gifts He has given me to serve His body for as long as He enables me to do so. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2).

Will you join me in living for Jesus’ sake?

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

A Rocky Start

One of the arguments for the historicity of the Bible is the fact that the writers didn’t sugarcoat the narrative. They portrayed people with all their faults and failures. I was thinking about that particularly in relation to the Apostle Peter. The transformation that takes place in his life between the writing of the four Gospels and when he wrote his epistles has to be attributed to the grace of God. In addition, what he wrote in his letters takes on greater meaning when you remember the experiences behind it. Consider just a few examples:

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7 ESV). This comes from the man who denied Jesus three times when the heat was on. Luke’s gospel tells us that Peter wept bitterly over his denial (22:62). He was indeed grieved about failing the test.

 “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution… For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly” (1 Peter 2:13, 19). And yet Peter was known for having drawn a sword to fight against Jesus’ arrest in the garden (John 18:10). Jesus rebuked him and then set the example of enduring sorrow while suffering unjustly.

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10). Peter got a taste of this graceful restoration after Jesus’ resurrection when He met them on the beach (John 21:15-17). I’m sure he also remembered Jesus’ words prior to the crucifixion, “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). Peter continued to do this through his preaching and writing until the end of his life.

“As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5). Peter was the one that Jesus told “on this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18), and yet he did not claim any special authority greater than that of any other believers. He said we are all being built together into God’s house.

Peter experienced all the highs and lows of following Jesus, from the transfiguration to the crucifixion, from walking on water to breakfast on the beach. He had a lot to teach from what he had learned along the way, and we can still learn from him. If God can take someone like Peter—brash, speaking before thinking, easily swayed by circumstances—and make him a valuable contributor to the church, how much can He do with each of us? What lessons have we learned that we need to share with others? We tend to think that our lessons are too personal or too painful to be shared, or that we have nothing new to say. But God will work through anyone who is willing to be honest and open about what He has done and is doing in their life. Each of us has a different circle of friends who need to hear the truth. Our lives become the continuous, living testimony to God’s existence and ability to transform people.

Peter could have denied Jesus and then disappeared from history. On the beach he could have told Jesus, “Yes, I love You, but I’m done with this fishing-for-men thing. I’ve had all I can take.” Instead, fifty days later he was boldly proclaiming who Jesus was, and thousands of lives were changed as a result. Perhaps a bit of his boldness can rub off on us as we trust God to use us for His kingdom.

 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” -1 Peter 2:9

© 2014 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.