Saturday, October 27, 2012
Acts 20:32 Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
STRENGTHENED BY HIS WORD
America prides herself on being a tolerant nation. That is, she is supposed to be a place where various ideas, traditions, and customs can exist together peacefully. America is supposed to be a place where it is alright to be different, where disagreeing with someone else or with the government does not cause trouble for you. The reality, however, is that America is not nearly as tolerant as she thinks she is. Those who actually do depart from mainstream thinking are harshly criticized and often ill-treated, and those whose take the Bible as their guide typically experience this unfair treatment more than others. For example, the scientist who does not accept the common theories of evolution can find it difficult to get a job or obtain research funding. The college student who stands up for God's absolute morality in a public classroom is laughed out of the room by so-called professors.
More than five hundred years ago in Europe, things were much the same. Anyone who tried to strike out in a different direction than the majority had an uphill climb. Men with names like John Wycliffe, John Huss, and Martin Luther found themselves in mortal danger for speaking out against ungodly practices in the Roman church. Luther, who at first simply wanted to reform the existing church and not start a new denomination, eventually conceded that this would simply not be possible. The church was too entrenched in its customs and traditions to tolerate anything different, even when a change was directed by Scripture itself.
What happened when Luther and the others followed the word of God even though it wasn't popular to do so; when they were attacked for being different? As it turned out the attacks only drove them to search the Bible more diligently -- and through that searching, God built them up, strengthened their faith, and gave them the courage and determination to stand firm in their convictions.
God builds up His people through His word. When Martin Luther learned from the Bible that Christ's salvation was a free gift, that a person could not earn God's favor through any amount of good works, that a believer was not obligated to pay money in exchange for God's mercy, or that the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross was sufficient payment for all sin, this good news worked on his heart and gave him the courage to preach and teach differently.
God's word speaks to us too. His gospel strengthens our own hearts and gives us the courage to say (even if nobody else around us does), "Here, I stand, I can do no other."
