Luke 9:23-26
23 And he said to all, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
There is much in this passage that is challenging. Certainly the call to deny myself and take up my cross (verse 23), challenges the self-centeredness at the core of my brokenness. The contrast of gaining the whole world but losing my soul (verse 25) challenges my focus on things and pleasures rather than the kingdom of God. But what most strikes me this morning is verse 26, where Jesus says: "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels". I confess that there are times where I am ashamed of the gospel, for I know that its truths may not be received well in some circles. Smart, hip, cool people consider its messages about purity to be out-dated, narrow-minded, and restricting. I don't want to be ridiculed, I want to be loved and praised. So I'm tempted to be quiet about my faith, to stay silent about my desire for purity, to avoid talking about God. But which is more important: to be accepted by God, or to be accepted by our culture? Ultimately, God's opinion is the only one that matters, so I need to align my thoughts and words with His, rather than with those of my peers.
Heavenly Father, may I not be ashamed of Your glory and purity.
23 And he said to all, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
There is much in this passage that is challenging. Certainly the call to deny myself and take up my cross (verse 23), challenges the self-centeredness at the core of my brokenness. The contrast of gaining the whole world but losing my soul (verse 25) challenges my focus on things and pleasures rather than the kingdom of God. But what most strikes me this morning is verse 26, where Jesus says: "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels". I confess that there are times where I am ashamed of the gospel, for I know that its truths may not be received well in some circles. Smart, hip, cool people consider its messages about purity to be out-dated, narrow-minded, and restricting. I don't want to be ridiculed, I want to be loved and praised. So I'm tempted to be quiet about my faith, to stay silent about my desire for purity, to avoid talking about God. But which is more important: to be accepted by God, or to be accepted by our culture? Ultimately, God's opinion is the only one that matters, so I need to align my thoughts and words with His, rather than with those of my peers.
Heavenly Father, may I not be ashamed of Your glory and purity.