Will you speak boldly for Jesus?

Ten years ago I got a copy of a book to review called “The Embarrassed Believer” by Hugh Hewitt.
I get review copies of books all the time; or at least I used to. In 1998, when the book came out, it was one of many that came across my desk but was one of the few that didn’t go to the discard pile. Something about it intrigued me. It addressed an issue I struggled with at the time, and still grapple with today – being bold for Jesus.
Hewitt wrote the book after he completed a documentary for PBS called “Searching for God in America.” He discovered that there are an awful lot of Christians out there who hide their faith in public. There are a lot of us who are intimidated to talk about Jesus though as if he were the most important thing in our lives. There are many who would silently walk the walk but not talk the talk.
I’ve been reminded of this book recently during a Wednesday night men’s group at my church. There are about two dozen of us who meet regularly. We get into some pretty heady discussions. But the topic that seems to be the most humbling is the one about sharing your faith in the workplace, or in public.
I am not a very vocal person. I have an incredibly difficult time broaching the subject with people, even people I’m comfortable with. But I did take to wearing Christian T-shirts, putting bumper stickers on my car and writing about it in my column.
As I sat in class, I was stunned to hear other men talk about how difficult it is to be a Christian in their workplace. Some could become unemployed in a hurry if they were caught proselytizing. Even talking to a fellow believer could get them called on the carpet if someone became offended and complained.
It’s frightening when you look at what’s going on in America these days. People are afraid to stand up for their faith. We’ve already lost prayers in school and at many public events. There is a push to remove “In God we trust” from our currency; to remove “one nation under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance; and remove 10 Commandments monuments and other religious symbols from public places.
I’m not one to argue against the need for separation of church and state. But people need to remember the flip side of the issue as stated in the First Amendment. While the First Amendment to the Constitution says “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” it goes on to say “or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
The pendulum has swung too far on the side of political correctness. It is so far out of line that people can’t seem to see or understand the part about our government not “prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” We have the freedom and the right to live boldly for Christ in America. If not here, where in the world can we?
I know there is a perception in this country that Christians are narrow-minded hypocrites. Maybe we’ve been publicly abused by pundits for so long that we’re gun-shy of the intellectual establishment. They call us homophobic because we believe homosexuality is a sin. If we stand up for marriage, we are lambasted for denying the “rights” of a minority group. If we speak out against abortion, we are seen as being opposed to the rights of women, especially the poor and those who have been victimized.
They tell us that if we are truly Christian that we should live Jesus’ example – to love others unconditionally, to help the poor and marginalized. They want peace and love without condemnation. If that is the view people have of Jesus, they need to see the flip side. They need to hear the truth. And we Christians now more than ever need to be bold about it.
In Luke 12:49-53 Jesus says, “"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.”
We have forgiveness of sins through Jesus. But we do not receive that without repentance. To truly repent is to have a change of mind or heart; to confess your wrongdoings and to sincerely regret them.
Twice in the first five verses of Luke 13, Jesus says, “unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
Jesus may have “hung out” with prostitutes, but he did not partake or condone prostitution. He turned people away from that. Yes, Jesus visited the tax collectors, but he did not condone their bribes and thievery. He sought their repentance and offered his forgiveness.
Repentance and turning away from sinful behavior is the flip side of the coin to the “peace and love” side of Jesus that most people want to see. You can’t follow Jesus Christ and continue to live in sin. You can’t expect to go to heaven if you walk on the wide road to hell.
In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus tells us, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
Likewise, you can’t expect Jesus to acknowledge you before God if you don’t first acknowledge him to people (see Luke 12:8-9). You won’t find a more hospitable place to do that than right here in the good, ol’ U.S. of A. – that is, unless you’re too embarrassed or ashamed of the one who gave everything for you.