Monday 8 July 2013

On Being Christian

Read John Chapter 11
"Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany,
 the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
It was that Mary who anointed the LORD with fragrant oil 
and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “LORD, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God,
 that the Son of God maybe glorified through it.”
Now Martha said to Jesus, “LORD, 
if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
“But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Jesus said to her,
 “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me,
 though he may die, he shall live.
“And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?”
She said to Him,
 “Yes, LORD, I believe that You are the Christ, 
the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
                                                                                                           John 11:1-4, 21-27
This is a chapter in contrast.  Martha shows her faith in Jesus, she believes He is the Son of God.  The Messiah prophesied about by the Old Testament prophets.
Jesus states clearly that he is “the resurrection and the life, and He proves it by raising Lazarus from the dead, after he’d been buried.
The religious leaders of the time recognized that Jesus has done many signs, but refused to recognize the evidence before them.  Instead, they are worried about Rome’s reaction.
“Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”  John 11:47,48.
It seems as though politicians (and the scribes and Pharisees were religious politicians) never change.
All too many politicians, who claim to be Christians, don’t fear God.  Instead, they fear losing their position or status because of their beliefs.  They follow what is politically expedient. They only pay lip service to being a Christian.Something to think about
Politicians are not alone.  There are many business men, workers and other people out there, who refuse to take their stand in public out of fear of losing their position, their family and friends.
Christianity is a way of life. If we truly love God then our lifestyle should reflect Christ. People should know we are Christian without us saying a word.
Does your lifestyle tell people you’re a Christian?

No comments: