Being True To God
The Apostle Paul faced many excruciatingly difficult circumstances during the last parts of his ministry. He was held captive or under threat of death for many years. He knew that he would eventually die an unnatural death because of what he did and said.
Each time he was brought to trial, he was allowed to speak for himself because he fell under the jurisdiction of Roman law, being a citizen of Rome. When answering to the charge of sedition, Paul testified of his experience on the road to Damascus, where he was visited by the resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ. Paul, a man of conviction, told how he persecuted the believers of Jesus of Nazareth because of his life as a Pharisee. Paul described how he went about rounding up the believers and consented to their deaths. But his vision from the risen Lord made it impossible to continue his persecution of the saints. His life course took a 180-degree turn, and he went about preaching Christ Jesus with increased zeal.
The power of Paul’s testimony caused the judges to find no fault worthy of death as his accusers desired. King Agrippa exclaimed, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” This story shows the power of authentic testimony. By true testimony, I mean a statement of truth, a conviction more important than life itself.
Many of us hold convictions or beliefs that we cannot betray. The ideas we hold sacred inform all we do and say. However, it is possible that some of those beliefs are not based on eternal truth, such as those Paul held in life as a Pharisee. It took a vision of the Savior to convince Paul of his error. What will it take for us to abandon our incorrect non-eternal traditions? But faith in Jesus Christ cannot be swept aside for popular trends, social pressure, threat of cancellation, personal desires, or even at the peril of imprisonment or death.
We may sometimes be called upon to testify on our own behalf to justify our words or actions. These times may include confessing to behaviors contrary to our conscience or God’s commandments when the only threat is to our character, or they may be times when we are in danger of judgment by a corrupted society. Those in power in Paul’s time had corrupted and changed the Law of Moses to the point that they made the general population bow to their will.
In our time, we face a threat that is very much on the same level as that faced by Paul when he went against the powerful and influential forces of his time. Suppose we do not bow to the ideologies that glorify personal identity, environmental extremists, or conform to the global economic agenda. In that case, we stand to lose our ability to earn a living or own property. This threat is well on its way to punishing Christianity or anyone claiming that their agenda is contrary to the law of God.
The most effective way to combat corruption is to speak our testimonies of the Lord Jesus Christ. This witness is most effective when our actions match our words. Being combative is a last resort. Being persuasive is the key. We must appeal to the goodness that is in the hearts of almost everyone. Paul used this technique when he testified before Agrippa. He knew that the king knew the prophets and used logic to explain his position and that, coupled with pure testimony, he probably would have convinced Agrippa if he didn’t let his status get in the way.
Many people say that you should be true to yourself. That is so sneakily subversive to your character that if you fall prey to that notion, it will have the effect of placing yourself above God. Are your self-interests and self-image in harmony with the God of nature? If you take a minute to think about that idea and ask yourself—Am I perfect?, Do I have it all figured out? Do I consistently demonstrate impeccable judgment? Are you ultimately good enough to place trust in? I am not saying that you or I are not trustworthy or that we should be so unsure of ourselves as to render us worthless. What I am saying is that trusting in God is a better way. As we make and keep sacred covenants with Him, we can allow ourselves the luxury of trusting ourselves a little more. If there is ever a question about how we should act in a given situation, trust the instruction given in scripture, both ancient and modern.
All of us will face trials of faith. Some of us may face more public trials when we speak out about issues that seek to limit or destroy moral agency. I know that when we speak the truth, it will prevail in the long run, but it may be painful in the short term. My hope is that we will be faithful to God.