Day 2668 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

Philippians 2:4 NIV

We've been talking about how genuine love must be grounded in the truth because the truth of God's word provides each of us with the foundation upon which we can build something that lasts. Problem is that our society has taken it upon itself to craft a new, weak, and honestly just sad definition of love that has left those of us who are following Christ scrambling trying to figure out how to keep doing what we're called to do without ruffling feathers or facing backlash from the angry horde that we're now living along side.

But the thing we need to understand is that just because this world has changed what it wants from us, it doesn't mean that God has changed what He wants from us. And when it comes down to the nitty gritty, we have to choose who we're serving with these lives we've been given and the time we have to live them. Are we going to alter everything we say and do in order to please a world that loves all the ways in which it is broken? Or are we going to aim more toward the message we find in 2 Timothy 4:7? "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Unfortunately, in the face of such extreme pressure to conform to the standards of this world, many are willing to become lax in their sharing of this message with which we've been entrusted. They're willing to tweak things, avoid topics, and sugar-coat the reality of sin and the Gospel in order to appease a fallen humanity. They're willing to cherry-pick verses and passages of Scripture that please people and make them feel good and remind them that they're okay. They're willing to turn their heads at the sin they see because pointing it out may hurt feelings, ruin friendships, and bring personal cost that they don't really want to pay.

But in doing so, we're going against what this verse in Philippians tells us to do. To put other before ourselves. The verse just prior tells us to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but to humbly value others more than ourselves. But is that what we're doing when we allow others to instruct us on how they're to be addressed, taught, rebuked, and assisted? If we cave and do as people tell us to do, are we not putting ourselves and our concerns and our fears above their needs?

You see, living in fear of the hateful mob that much of our society has devolved into only keeps us from doing what we're here to do. We become more worried about the anger we face than our calling to share the Gospel. We focus more on our comfort than the need to help others see the danger of sinful lives. We do and say whatever it takes to avoid being hated and persecuted, which requires us to avoid the truth of God's word as that truth is no longer widely welcome down here, all so we get what we want in lives free from hardship and hatred.

Putting our fear of backlash before our duty to share the Gospel isn't acceptable. We're to put the needs of others above ourselves. And friends, people need to hear the truth. They need to hear the message of Christ and the cross. They need to know that their sins have separated them from God and set them on a collision course with eternal damnation. They need to know that they have the chance to turn and repent and accept the gift of eternal salvation instead of what their sins fully deserve. They need us to stand firmly on God's word and never run, never falter, never back down from our post for any reason whatsoever.

But when we stop short of calling a sin a sin because we know people will hate us for it, then we're putting our fear of being hated before their dire need to realize the evil in their lives. When we don't share the full truth of Scripture because we know people won't like it, then we're saying that their preferences are more important than the message we're called to share. We cannot put ourselves, our comfort, our worldly peace, our social acceptance above our calling to love others as Christ loves.

As we discussed a bit yesterday, the example of love we have in Christ is one of complete humility, complete courage, complete surrender. He knew this world would hate Him. He knew people would call Him names and fight against Him. He knew this world would eventually torture and kill Him. And yet, even knowing all that, He never stopped sharing the full truth of God's word with everyone, whether they liked it or liked Him. That's exactly the bar that we're all called to aim for with our own lives. But it’s a bar we absolutely cannot reach when we avoid doing what’s hard because we fear difficulty.

We will be hated. We will be persecuted. We will be labeled things like hateful, monster, offensive, hurtful, unloving, unkind, uncaring. But that comes with the territory! If we're not willing to endure similar hardship as that of our Lord and Savior, then who are we really serving? If we're so afraid of this world and the foolish opinions and preferences people have that we shy away from speaking the truth, then how can we say we truly love people? Do we love someone if we're willing to let them remain lost in sin and hurtling toward hell so long as it means we avoid a little strife? Are we really living our lives following the example of Christ when we put our desire to be liked and accepted above our calling to lay down our lives for those around us?

Friends, we cannot put ourselves or our comfort before the needs of those that God gives us the opportunity to help. And when you look at how rough things are getting, it's all the more evident of Who this world needs and how strongly we should be presenting the only message and the only Name that can save. If we're hated, fine. If we're called names, fair enough. If the world throws stones, consider it an honor. If it eventually costs us our friends, our jobs, our dreams, our very lives, then we're in the very best company there is!

We can't allow anything to come before our mission to share the Gospel and do whatever we can to try and help save folks from the very real destination that unrepentant sins will endure for all eternity. It's simply bigger than us, and that's a fact that we'd do well to always keep in mind. So stop worrying about your comfort. Stop worrying about trying to make people like you. Stop shying away from sharing the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth of God's word. We shouldn't be liked by a world that loves sin. But we also shouldn't run from our task just because many won't like it. This is about salvation, and we owe it to everyone around us to give them that opportunity, even if our lives are quite uncomfortable for doing so.

It may be in our best interest to fly below the radar and try to quietly sail through life without facing any more trial or hardship than life already brings our way. It may be in our best interest to live to please people and only do or say what they want us to do and say. It may be in our best interest to live in fear of hurting feelings and going against the grain as doing so will be uncomfortable and keep us from being popular and praised. But the best interest of everyone is to have the opportunity to know Jesus and accept His gift of eternal peace in Heaven. Giving someone that chance to save their eternal souls from suffering is and will always be worth far more than a life of comfort and peace that only benefits us while we sit back and watch those around us live lives that lead them to misery that is inescapable.

Do not trade someone’s salvation for your comfort. It may be easier now, but I can’t even imagine how hard it would be to see folks pointed toward hell and know that we could have done something to help them avoid it.

#LeaveNoSoulUntold