Being a Christian means taking a stand for Christ. Although undoubtedly difficult, the decision to stand up for Jesus is absolutely necessary, and any serious Christ-follower should make it.
Here are some reasons why taking a stand for our Saviour is definitely hard, but absolutely necessary.
1. Amidst challenges, only those who stand strong for Christ till the end can make it
Yes, our salvation has been paid for in hot blood on the cross of Calvary, but the people who will enter the Kingdom of God are only those who stood up for Christ until the end. It's the only way.
"Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved." (Matthew 24:9-13)
2. We need to deny ourselves in order to truly follow Christ
Following Christ means denying ourselves of our fleshly pleasures and worldly comforts. The great thing about this, however, is that if we are in Christ, we are a new creation, fitted with the mind of Christ and the Spirit of God living in us. Still, despite the tremendous help we have, we still need to decide to deny ourselves in order to follow Him.
"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?" (Matthew 16:24-26)
3. The world will be against you, for you are a citizen of heaven
The Bible tells us that if we are in Christ, we do not belong to this world. We are not friends of the world – we are children of God. And if children of God, our agenda would be His very will for our lives and for others around us: the people we are to reach out to for Christ and their own sake.
"If the world hates you, remember that it hated me (Jesus) first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you." (John 15:18-19)
