LIVE FOR CHRIST AND YOUR LIFE WILL NOT BETRAY HIM
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“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” – Kevin Max, DC Talk –
Are we making Jesus believable to the world? Do our lives reflect that of our living Lord? Or are we denying Christ by our lifestyle?
When we think of denying Christ, we think of Judas Iscariot… one of Jesus’ own twelve apostles who shared His life and ministry. After partaking in their last Passover meal together, a time of fellowship with all the apostles, Judas left to betray Jesus to the Jewish leaders. He heartlessly and unrepentantly denied his Lord.
Perhaps we believe we would never do the unthinkable by denying our Savior. Yet we see in Scripture that the apostle Peter believed the same…
“Even if all fall away on account of You, I never will.”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus declared, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
Peter replied, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You.” – Matthew 26:33-35
All the apostles agreed with him. That evening, Peter denied Jesus three times, just as his Lord had prophesied. At their Savior’s darkest hour, nearly all the apostles abandoned Him and scattered. The very ones closest to Jesus betrayed Him.
“When we Christians behave badly, or fail to behave well, we are making Christianity unbelievable to the outside world.” – C.S. Lewis
Our lives are to be a Bible lived out for all to see. Remember, we may be the only Bible some people will ever read. What will they read from the pages of our lives? If we claim we are committed to Christ, and deny Him with our lifestyle, we are betraying Him. We are making Christianity unbelievable.
Judas left a door open for the enemy in choosing to betray Christ. This apostle was lured down the path of evil by the evil one himself. We dare not be a Judas. Following our own desires and plans leaves us open to the manipulation and deception of the enemy of our souls. For he wants us to turn from God’s will and pursue our own path.
We may be living for our Lord… yet denying Him in a key area of our lives. Any area where we deny Him control… where we are living under our own strength… is vulnerable to the enemy. It is like throwing out a welcome mat for him. The enemy will move in and take control… to our great detriment. His power will influence our decisions and actions in that area. Once settled, he is difficult to evict.
“Whoever denies Me before others, I will deny before My heavenly Father.” – Matthew 10:33
We deny the love of Christ when we disobey Him. For He is the love of God made manifest. Jesus said that if we love Him, we will keep His commands (John 14:15). Hearing, yet not heeding, is like acting as one who does not know Jesus. We prove our love for Him by obeying His words and seeking His will.
We deny the truth of Christ when we fail to trust Him. For He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). When our faith is misplaced… in people, possessions or our own power… we are following the ways of the world. When we place our faith in our Good Shepherd, trust Him with our hearts, and give our lives over to Him, He will guide and protect us.
We deny the deity of Christ when we reject His authority. For He is the eternal Son of God. All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him (Matthew 28:18). By refusing His control and denying His reign in our lives, we open the door for the enemy. When we yield to Christ’s authority, we are tapping into the power source of the universe. He will work in us His power to be victorious.
“We must show our Christian colors if we are to be true to Jesus Christ.” – C.S. Lewis
If we fail to live out our lives boldly for Christ, we are denying Him. When we relinquish control to Jesus, He moves in with all power and authority to govern our lives according to the will of God… to our eternal benefit.
When we trust our lives to our victorious Lord, the enemy loses power over us. We are free to live for Christ alone, displaying our true Christian colors for the world to see. Let us, then, live a life of faith that glorifies our living Lord so others will want to know Him. Let us seek to make Christianity believable to an unbelieving world.
