Where Are All The Godly Men? - Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

A popular radio talk show host seems to have gotten himself into big trouble with his response to a  college students testimony before Congress concerning her partition for health insurance coverage on contraception. Her request ignited a controversy across the nation as to whether this should be included as a mandate and paid for by tax payers. The radio host took a stand against the proposal based primarily on these two principles. The real principle, which seems to be lost in the subject, is the condoning and acceptance that pre-marital sex is normal and accepted. His reaction and grounds for his stand were on a viable principle, but the wrong principle. It only shows how far we have come in dumbing down our moral and spiritual values.                 

Could our culture be where we are today because good God fearing men refused to take a stand? How did premarital sex get to be the accepted value? How did prayer get removed from our schools? How did we let abortion become a way of life, or, non-life I should say? How did we let the entertainment industry fill our televisions and movies with all kinds of filth.      

There is debate on how a Christian should take a stand against those issues we believe are contrary to God and his ways. Some believe we should openly and loudly demonstrate in all public avenues we can. Others believe that we should show our stand by the simple way we live.  In chapters 6 and 7 of Acts, two men took a firm stand on their beliefs. Stephen, an apostle of God, quietly gave his life for the cause of boldly presenting the gospel to the Jewish people. Standing there, watching the people stone this man of God to death was another man, Saul, a man who was committed to destroying all those who believed that Jesus was the Messiah. Both men were totally committed to their cause and were willing to stand before all, even to the point of death.

It is not only critical today that we take a stand on the things in which we believe, but that we take a stand on the right things. Saul took his stand against the things of God. Later God turned his life around, and now, Paul became the greatest witness for God to the Gentile nation. As we seek God and begin to understand who He is and what He stands for, hopefully we have come to the point of submitting all we are to Him. That surrender, along with abiding with Him on a daily basis, will reveal to us when, how, and on what, we should take a stand. The key is getting to the point that we are so committed, we are willing to step out into the arena to stand up for Jesus. Our life, our family, our nation, in fact, our entire culture, is dependent on us taking those stands for Kingdom causes.

Stephen gave his life for his Kingdom cause. Others have done the same. Just recently, a Christian was put to death in a Muslim country because he would not deny his Christian faith. I have had the privilege to meet several young Christian couples who are willing to give up the pleasures of this country to go and stand for Christ under extreme life threatening situations. I know business men who are willing to put the deal on the line over a Biblical principle, or the opportunity to share the gospel. I know men who are willing to expose themselves to public ridicule in order to take a stand on a Kingdom issue.

They do all this while so many never leave their comfort chair, or never risk the slightest criticism. While some risk death, many just fear what others would say if they knew we were a Christian(John 12: 42). It cost to follow Jesus. Philippians 1: 29 tells us that it is not only been granted to us to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him. But we are weak vessels. We hesitate to take the stand because we may loose our position in the world(John 11: 48). We hesitate because we may be disgraced by those we count friends(Acts 5: 41). We hesitate because we may be dishonored in the arena of our world( 1 Corinthians 4: 10) But most of all, many are being deceived on what is right and moral(Colossians 2;8). 

We men have been characterized as rough and rugged people looking for a challenge, a ideal to conquer, a way to significance in life. Have we placed all our efforts on the temporal things of this world and not on the eternal things of God's Kingdom? Dare we take a stand and be willing to be a Stephen and give all.