Numbers & Popularity (3)
Tim Haile
Tim Haile
We have learned in previous articles that mere numbers do not represent religious correctness or divine approval. I pointed out that we should be more concerned with pleasing God than with pleasing men (Galatians 1:10). The apostle Paul defined a true “Jew” as being one whose praise is “not from men, but from God” (Romans 2:28). Such a person seeks acceptance from God, and he understands that his service to God may affect the way in which he is perceived and judged by others. The Christian is often criticized and ridiculed for his doctrinal and moral stance. The New Testament condemned certain believers for their unwillingness to confess Christ. And what was their reason for refusing to do so? “… they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42, 43). We must not allow our desire to be accepted by humans to interfere with our effort to please God. Bible history shows this to be one of the primary causes of sin and rebellion against God. Why did Old Testament Jews want a king? So they could be “like the nations around them” (1 Samuel 8:5). People conform to certain political, social and religious norms in order to be liked and to be accepted by the people that are around them. Paul told the saints at Rome to “be not conformed to this world” (Romans 12:1), and John told saints to “love not the world, neither the things that are in the world” (1 John 2:15). What can we do to help ourselves and others to avoid the pitfalls of sinful conformity?
1. We must do God’s will, and not worry about what this makes other people think of us. I have observed that people, including many religious people, often have a great weakness in this area. It is much easier for us socially, if we will draw back from taking firm stands. A “thus saith the Lord” approach to ethical, moral and doctrinal issues can cost us our popularity. And so, on one level people want to serve God, but on another level they wish to keep their old friends and even win new ones. What do we do? The apostle Paul gave us the solution when he wrote, “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not judge myself” (1 Cor. 4:3). These words are a shock and an affront to the thinking of a politically correct generation. Can we really do that? One might ask. And the answer is YES we can! The Christian’s motto in this regard should be to worry more about the well-being of a person’s SOUL, than what that person thinks of us, or what we believe, teach or practice. Paul’s faith did not cave in to the “court” of human opinion. He did not fret over what others thought or said about him. We “stand by faith” (2 Cor. 1:24). Genuine faith does not bend itself in order to accommodate the whims, wishes and expectations of the crowd. It stands as uncompromising and as unchangeable as the very word of God, upon which it is constructed (Romans 10:17; Psalm 119:89). Our ultimate eternal fate will not be determined by what others think of us, but by what God thinks of us. “Therefore,” as James says, “speak and act, as those who will be judged by the law of liberty” (James 2:12).
Look for our next article in next week’s paper. Please join us for worship and Bible study at our building located at 125 Hilltopper Ave, Bowling Green, KY 42101. We meet each Sunday at 10:00AM and 6:00PM for worship, and Sundays at 9:00AM and Wednesdays at 7:00PM for Bible study. Our radio program is aired each Sunday morning at 8:00AM on the WKCT 930AM band. Phone: (270) 842-2049 – Email: parkwaychurch@yahoo.com or timhaile@mac.com.
Tim Haile, for the Parkway Church of Christ
