“The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.”
Ezekiel 22:29–30
As our society moves further away from the truth of God’s Word, and as those who still believe the truth are viewed as hopelessly out of touch with the modern world, the need for Christians to take a stand for what is right becomes even more vital. While we should never be obnoxious or offensive in our conduct and attitude, neither should we trim our message or soften our stand to be more acceptable to the world around us.
Dr. John R. Rice noted, “Jesus said, ‘Beware of false prophets’ (Matthew 7:15). In Jude 3 we are plainly told it is necessary to ‘earnestly contend for the faith.’ One is not a better Christian for ignoring God’s commands. If you would be true to Christ you must earnestly defend the faith and must beware and teach others to beware of false doctrine, false teachers.”
The cost of being a committed follower of Jesus Christ is meant to be high. There are many places in the world today when being a true Christian is literally life-threatening. But whether the cost is social disapproval, outright persecution, or even death, the willingness to stand and say that right is still right and wrong is still wrong is what God expects from us. The Christian who shrinks from speaking the truth in hopes of gaining acceptance from others will not impact the world for God. Only those who are willing to answer the call and stand firm regardless of the cost will truly make a difference.