Skip to main content

If You Aren't Ashamed....


Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.  (II Timothy 2:11-13) 

My study Bible says may have been an early hymn. If you want a fascinating study, read John 14:1-17:26 and notice the parallels. There are a lot of great truths in this passage, things that we should turn to when we’re suffering. If we die, we gain. If we endure, we gain. Even if we are faithless, He’s faithful. This morning, my focus is on “If we disown him, he will also disown us.” 
           People on social media seem to like to quote this as a means of forcing others to share or like their post. If you don’t share or like it, they say, you are disowning Jesus and (ominous sounding music) He’ll disown us. It’s emotional blackmail. 
          If you call someone on it, they’ll say they were just giving people an opportunity to acknowledge Christ in their lives, or they’ll try to defend themselves. “That is what it says.” Yes, it is, but that doesn’t mean that it’s their job to test anyone and everyone or to try to publicly shame someone. It also doesn’t mean that God will be happy with your using a test of someone’s relationship with God to gain status on social media, where likes and shares mean power. (Is your name Simon, the Magician?) We just need to not be ashamed to confess that Jesus is the Christ. I agree. We need to not be ashamed. But not being ashamed does not mean being a performing circus poodle so that you can put on a good show for others. A little harsh? Perhaps – so is “Share or like or God will disown you.”
         For me, here’s the bottom line. “If you aren’t ashamed…” and “If you love Jesus…” then like or share echoes in my ears. Here’s the echo I hear: “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread…If you are the Son of God…throw yourself down….” (Matthew 4:3 & 6) Recognize who was speaking? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pure...

            The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (I Timothy 1:5)   I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16) I’m probably cheating - or mishandling the Bible, but earlier I was thinking about love being pure and purifying. And hatred being pure and purifying. And anger…joy…patience… fear… jealousy… courage…lust… and other strongly felt feelings, attitudes, and beliefs. Today’s verse brings purity and love together, so it’s the verse of the day, but it’s not really the focus. That means my motive for sharing it with you probably isn’t pure. As you read through my list, you   probably thought, “Yeah” about some, and “What’s she on?” about others. But consider how much hatred, anger, fear, jealousy, and lust can crowd out everything else. This is like
Post a Comment
Read more

The Right Road

          Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12)                  For years before GPSes existed, I told people I wanted something in my car that would tell me, “Turn left in half a mile…turn left in a quarter mile…turn left in 500 feet… turn left in 100 feet…turn left now …You missed the turn, Dummy!” The problem isn’t necessarily that I get lost so much as I’m afraid I’ll get lost. I don’t want to have to spend my whole trip stressing over the next turn. I have the same problem with my spiritual journey.   
Post a Comment
Read more

Not Sharing

            Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure . (I Timothy 5:22) Today’s is a hard one. The part about not being hasty in the laying on of hands isn’t so much the problem unless your love language is Touch. We aren’t pastors. We don’t tend to be involved in commissioning anyone. What we don’t tend to think of when we hear “laying on of hands” is that it involves relationship and approval. Our sending them away as our representatives may not seem real to us, but just think about what being seen with the wrong folks can do to a reputation. I’ve heard that Billy Graham would not be in a room alone with a woman. Others follow the same policy, or at least make sure the door is open so that anyone who wants to can see that nothing’s going on. But the hard part is not sharing in the sins of others. What does it mean? It’s comparatively easy to say that being pure means not having sex with someone who is not our spouse.
Post a Comment
Read more