Acts 5:27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, 28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name?".... 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. 40 ...."And when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
This passage of scripture teaches us that as Christians we must stand firm for the right, even if it puts us at great risk, or even if the temporal results of obeying the voice of God may be unpalatable. We are never to be deceived into thinking that following Christ will be a bed of roses, for no one enters the pearly gates without sacrifice. And the way of the cross sometimes leads to the place of execution, as was demonstrated in the untimely demise of all of the apostles, with the exception of John, who was placed in a cauldron of boiling oil to be cooked alive, but was saved by the good purposes of God. Even in our day we are seeing on the news, almost on a daily basis, where being a Christian in certain parts of the world could cost a person their life, and thus it is necessary that we do not adopt a tame, watered down version of Christianity, where we easily buckle under the slightest pressure.
It is a studied plan of the devil to increase the pressure on Christians to the point where we must choose between life and death, profit and loss, or popularity and stigmatization, for satan specializes in using both applause and heckling in order to get Christians to bow. Right here in America we are seeing the dawn of financial persecution, in which those who stand up against prevailing evils are squeezed out of the market, or otherwise bullied economically to adopt principles that are contrary to the word of God, and which violate their conscience. But there is also another type of persecution, the likes of which most of us as Christians would have never dreamed of, in which there is bullying at the ballot box, by which the popular majority are incited beforehand to vote against those politicians who dare to stand up for the right.
In our passage for today, the apostles were called into question for doing the right thing, for they were commanded by The Lord Jesus to present the good news of salvation to every member of the human family. But in so doing, they put themselves at odds with the authorities who were bent on suppressing truth, and when it came to a head, they were faced with the cold reality of having to continue preaching against all odds, or keeping quiet so that they could enjoy peace and tranquility. Their decision sheds great light on our current duties as Christians, for they murmured not at the results of doing God's will, but rather rejoiced greatly when they were beaten with many stripes.
Often when we are backed into a corner, and are threatened with financial loss, or public stigmatization, we are sorely tempted to join the crowd and continue our lives in peace and security. But if we can't "Win them", Christians should never "Join them" in doing evil, for then we will be making the religion of Christ subjective, rather than objective as it ought to be. The issue of traditional marriage, as ordained by God is now under fire, and serious pressure is now being exerted against all those who dare to stand firm for the truths of God's word. And with polls showing that more and more people are jumping on the bandwagon, together with priests, evangelists, and laity alike, the burden of remaining loyal to godly principle may seem harder and harder to bear.
But scientific polls, financial bullying, or the majority opinion, should never be deciding factors in Christians choosing good over evil, for God has not called us to popularity, and we should be prepared to face adverse headwinds if need be, in standing in defense of truth and principle. The Bible tells us that all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution of some kind, and though we may not be beheaded as yet, like fellow Christians in foreign lands, yet the same system of oppression will be brought to bear against us, and therefore, we should gain our strength not in the teeming masses, but rather in God who gave us His good laws to live by.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to be strong in The Lord, and not be swayed by the various methods and agencies, satan has now set in motion. Let us therefore remember that God still sits on the throne of the universe, and very soon He will shake down the systems and kingdoms of this world, and in their place will establish His own eternal kingdom of righteousness. Let us then be found faithful, even unto death, and God will give us a crown of life. Let's read:
Psalm 50:3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. 4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. 5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. 6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!