Articles
Unless You Confess
Unless you’ve completely unplugged from what’s going on in our world, you’ve probably been hearing about one famous person after another whose been fired, whose contract has not been renewed, or who’s faced calls for resignation or censure all because of someone's comments about the Hamas/Israel war. It is not my intent to wade too very deep-ly into the controversy; I would simply like to make an observation because I think there is a lesson for us in what is happening.
First of all, what would compel these people, all of whom are famous, and whose careers depend somewhat on public approval, to de-clare their opinions about such a controversial subject? We would say that wisdom would have caused us to refrain from speaking in such circumstances, especially when their words will have virtually no impact on the sub-ject at hand. And yet, even after seeing others become victims of the unfortunate phenome-non known as cancel culture, they still feel compelled to confess their support for a par-ticular side, regardless of the possible adverse effect to their livelihoods.
It is as the apostle Paul has said, “We believe and therefore we speak.” They believe and cannot keep from speaking. Do we have any-thing to learn from them? Will their examples not rise up and condemn those who were too afraid to stand up for Jesus and confess His great name? Will they not judge us as cowards if we are too afraid to speak in favor of Him and uphold His righteous judgments? Unfortunately for them, they are not inspired to speak about God, but in favor of an officially designated terrorist organiza-tion and its attack on unsuspecting women and children in Israel.
Aren’t you thankful that God has not called us to take a stand and weigh in on every controversial issue that comes our way? Wisdom teaches: He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a dog by the ears (Prov. 26:17). The world is not so gracious. Satan never misses an opportunity to use controversial is-sues to drive wedges between people. The world demands, “silence is violence” and insists that we choose a side, and involve ourselves in every political and social issue that comes along, thus alienating our-selves from about half of our country’s population. Failure to thrust oneself into these issues and comment upon them is tantamount to guilt for which one should be prepared to be punished.
That’s not to say that God just wants us to be completely passive people who never take a stand. It’s just that the cause of Christ is not furthered by polarizing people with points of view outside of the pur-view of our calling which is to preach the gospel— (Obviously, this does not apply to issues with a moral component.) Paul said that he sought not to do anything which would adversely impact his ministry and its effectiveness (2 Cor. 6:1-3). However, there is an issue about which we must not be silent. Silence is violence to our souls in this case. Listen to what Jesus demands in Matthew 10:32-39:
"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. 34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to 'set a man against his fa-ther, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against
her mother-in-law'; 36 and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.' 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not wor-thy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not wor-thy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
The issue about which we must choose a side and not be silent is “what do you think about Jesus?” Silence is violence, because a refusal to con-fess Jesus before men is tantamount to a denial, and anyone who denies the Lord will be denied before the Father in Heaven.
Christians know something of the cancellation being suffered by some of our celebrities today. Two thousand years ago Jesus taught that confess-ing His name and showing support for Jesus will often result in our own rejection by others. The difference between cancel culture for some ill-advised social/political issue today is that some may lose fans, some may lose followers or FB friends, or maybe even business connections, but there is nothing so polarizing as faith in Jesus. It is a contrast between light and darkness. Darkness is incensed by light because its deeds are evil. And therefore, confession of Jesus has the potential of separating members of one’s own family—”a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.”
Matt 10:21-22 "Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a fa-ther his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
The preacher in Ecclesiastes sums up our issue well: “There is a time to keep silent, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace (Eccl. 3:7-8).
May God give us the wisdom to discern the times.
