Denial of Christ Comes in Many Forms
by Stuart DiNenno
When professing believers search into what it means to take a faithful stand for Christ, many look back at the examples set by Christian martyrs in the past and, quite rightly, are inspired by their actions. They read in the history books about men and women who chose to sacrifice their own lives rather than deny Christ, and they see such people as the model Christians they need to emulate.
Certainly, it is true that numerous saints of old set a high water mark in this regard, and we should endeavor to follow their faithful examples if it ever becomes necessary for us to do so. However, many of the same people who reverence Christians of earlier times for their courageous stand unto death, do not realize that they themselves are denying Christ in their everyday lives and are already in danger of damnation, regardless of whether they ever vocally repudiate their faith.
What they fail to understand is that there are many ways of denying Christ that will earn us eternal punishment, regardless of our zeal for religious observances, the orthodoxy of our professions, or even the heroic endurance of a torturous death.
Some examples:
If we call ourselves Christians but break God’s commandments willfully and routinely, we deny Christ and will pay the penalty for doing so.
If we call ourselves Christians but add to, or take away from, God’s commandments, we deny Christ and will pay the penalty for doing so.
If we call ourselves Christians but are living for our own pleasure, gain, or glory, we deny Christ and will pay the penalty for doing so.
If we call ourselves Christians but much of our thinking is conformed to the spirit of the age, rather than to the Spirit speaking to us through the Holy Scriptures, we deny Christ and will pay the penalty for doing so.
If we call ourselves Christians but compartmentalize our religion so that the Bible is the rule for some parts of our lives but is ignored in others, we deny Christ and will pay the penalty for doing so.
If we call ourselves Christians and profess many orthodox truths but our worldview and the values that actually guide us in our daily lives are derived from the ungodly society which surrounds us, we deny Christ and will pay the penalty for doing so.
If we call ourselves Christians but fear the wicked more than we fear God, so that we remain silent in the face of evil and do not take a stand for what is right, we deny Christ and will pay the penalty for doing so.
It is in the course of our daily lives that we manifest what we really are in our hearts and show where our loyalty truly lies. Even if we one day give our body to be burned rather than deny Christ in our words, if the manner of our life prior to this event consisted of habitually and unrepentantly practicing any of the above, then we will have already denied Christ and our last minute resistance will count for nothing.