If I may I just want to share with the men of the church the question that God has been dealing with me about lately. This question has repeatedly come to my mind. I can't shake it.
Would we die for this truth?
"And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:" (vv 36-39)
There are numerous examples of people in the bible who through faith did mighty things for God. Noah, Moses, Abraham, Joseph, and many more we all could name. What of the people who were not mentioned? Their names are unknown to us. Their age and gender is a mystery, but however their sacrifice was, their life! Their goal was heaven. Their minds were set. Their hearts were fixed upon a promise in which they had not received. Their true love was Jesus!
They were not conformed to this world, but they were transformed. They did not apologize for their belief; rather they were applauded by all of heaven. They did not beg for mercy, for through Jesus Christ they had already obtained it. They did not ask the question "where is God", for they knew he was waiting for them with a crown of righteousness. They did not feel unwanted and unloved for they knew that we have been bought with a price, and we belong to Jesus!
Do we have enough faith to die for this truth? Is our faith based upon what we feel, or how comfortable things are in our lives? Is our faith the strongest when we are on the mountain? Does our faith diminish when troubles come our way, and we are in the valley of the shadow of death?
I pray that our faith would be increased! That we would reinforce the pillars of the truth, that there would be a renewed passion, a deep fervor in us to buy the truth and sell it not! Let's not place a price tag upon our souls!
Let's pray that this generation of young people would grab hold of the truth! That they would not compromise the foundation of our doctrine. Let us not fail to pass the baton to them. There is no other way! Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life!
Through faith stand fast in the truth.
Ryan Denard
