I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained lips, as you know, O Lord. I have not hidden Your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.
Psalms 40:9-10
When we accept Christ, we are supposed to tell it to the world. One way to do this is through baptism. But what about after that? Have you ever stopped and wondered about “after acceptance and baptism?” I have often wondered about it myself. We are supposed to show the great congregation, which is not just the church but the world as well, that we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We are not supposed to hide Him away within our hearts, as many today would like us to. We are charged to spread the good news about Jesus and the eternal message of hope and love He brings to us. In today’s world, it is often a fight to share the message and show our faith. But, it does not necessarily mean showing our faith verbally.
In 1st Timothy, Paul writes to his young colleague Timothy on how to fight the good fight of faith:
But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, Godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:11-12
Paul writes that, to show the world that you are a child of God, we (just like Timothy), should pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. We are to be Christ-like in our actions. Verbal communication about our love for Christ are not enough. We must also show it in our actions as well. Christ loves us, and He loves everybody in this world. Jesus knows that He is not going to be accepted by all. He even warned His disciples that His followers would be persecuted because of Him. But Jesus still expects us to act Christ-like even during persecution. Jesus expects us to be like Him—no matter the time or the place. We are not to conceal Him at anytime.
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Dear Lord, You are my Savior. You are my Lord. I accept You in this time of persecution and peril. Please be with me as I share Your message and Your love with those around me. In Jesus name.
Amen.
