Where to Stand

We live in troubling times. Our world is telling us that our Bible is not reliable, that our religion is a delusion, that our faith is pointless. Self-identified Christians tell us that all of Christendom has been wrong since the beginning on issues like the sin of homosexual behavior or the sufficiency of Scripture. We are, more and more, being told that we are "on the wrong side of history." And in more and more places they're saying it with threats, laws, and legal actions. We here in America don't really face any serious persecution like they do in other lands yet, but Jesus said that being reviled and falsely accused is persecution (Matt 5:10-11) and we're certainly there. And it looks a lot like it's a precipice we're on rather than a momentary difficulty (2 Cor 4:17).

Christians I've talked to tell me they're worried. "If things keep going as they are, I can't see how Christianity can survive." Certainly a troubling thought, but I suspect it's premature. You see, Jesus said, "I will build My Church" (Matt 16:18). That doesn't sound a like a Church that can fail. So where can we stand with some sense of safety? A repeated theme we see in the Bible is two little words: "Fear not." So how do we do that? How do we "rejoice evermore" (1 Thess 5:16)? How do we "not be anxious about anything" and "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds" (Php 4:6-7)? Is there a safe place to stand?

Yes. We have promises. We have God's promise, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb 13:5). We have the assurance that "my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Php 4:19). We can be sure that "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Rom 8:37). The Word tells us that He "is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us" (Eph 3:20).

Now, let's be honest here. We have this promise that He won't forsake us, but do you ever feel forsaken? We know that He will supply our needs, but do we feel like He doesn't sometimes? We are "more than conquerors," but doesn't it feel like we're losing sometimes? Just how real is His power in us? These promises and more are marvelous and absolutely sufficient, but sometimes ... sometimes ... it just doesn't feel like it.

So you need to ask yourself, who will you believe? Will you believe your sight or walk by faith? Will you believe the waves and the wind, or look to the Savior? Who are you going to trust? I would suggest that a God who cannot fail to do right, who cannot fail to love, who promises all this and more is more reliable than our feelings. It is better to stand on His promises based on His heart than to trust in your own feelings. Then the peace of God which passes understanding can guard your hearts and minds. The world intends it for evil; God intends it for good. That's where we can stand.