‘And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will lay a hand on you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.”’
- Acts 18:9-10 -
It takes courage to stand for your beliefs. Many Christians have a hard time standing for Jesus Christ in public. This is not a new problem, of course, as John’s Gospel admits: ‘No one had the courage to speak favorably about Jesus in public for they were afraid of getting in trouble’ (7:13). Even Paul, the prolific, bold apostle needed encouragement to be courageous.
One night, the Lord told Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid, keep on speaking, do not be silent” (Acts 18:9). Atheists aren’t afraid to share their world view, so why do we cower in fear when it comes to sharing Jesus? Why is it important to stand for God in this dark world? Because Jesus said: “If you stand up for Me against world opinion, I’ll stand up for you before My father in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My father who is in heaven” (Matt. 10:32-33). Place your hope in that future commendation the next time you consider hiding your faith.
Biblical truth is ours, yet we fear persecution. We’re more afraid of getting cancelled on Facebook than getting cancelled in heaven. Too many of us are influenced by the beliefs of this world. We listen to culture rather than God. We choose to avoid conflict and save our own necks. Too many of us don’t go to church, don’t read Scripture, and don’t pray or engage in ministry. We create spiritual frustration if we know the truth but don’t live or speak it, and yet we wonder why God’s promises aren’t seen in our lives. Paul warned that ‘for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger’ (Rom. 2:8). So don’t reject the truth! Embrace it and ask God for the courage to share it.
We gain courage when we remember this world is not our home. ‘Our citizenship is in heaven’ (Phil. 3:20). And if our citizenship is in heaven, that’s where we must turn for truth. We look to heaven and boldly accept God’s Word as the ultimate authority. Like God, His Word is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It was true when He first said it and it’s still true today. So reject claims that we’re living in a new world where what was wrong yesterday is okay today. If God says it’s wrong, have the courage to stand and say that.
We find courage by spending quality time with God. The more real He is in our life, the more courage we have to proclaim His moral standard. God will make us into shining lights that cannot be hidden. We’ll illuminate this dark world like the prophet Daniel did in his day. Daniel was a noble Jewish youth taken into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. He loyally served King Nebuchadnezzar and his successors with great ability, all while remaining faithful to God. In his long life, Daniel was promoted over and over by pagan kings. There were three important reasons for this.
Number 1: Daniel’s competence. He was a gifted leader who never stopped growing in wisdom and righteousness.
Number two: Daniel’s character. He wasn’t just gifted in knowledge, but he was a good guy. The Bible tells us he was honest and reliable, hard-working and incorruptible.
Number three: Daniel’s public commitment to God. This was the key to his success. He was public about his faith in the one true God. Everybody knew where Daniel stood. He prayed at meals, in public, and at home (with the windows wide open).
When Darius the Mede became emperor, he appointed three new governors. Daniel was one of them. The other governors and rulers didn’t like Daniel, so they schemed against him but couldn’t find a flaw. Daniel ‘distinguished himself…because an extraordinary spirit was in him, and the king planned to set him over the entire kingdom’ (Dan. 6:3). Therefore his enemies said: “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God” (6:5). They were cunning, but God was wise to their wicked ways.
They knew from Daniel’s faith that the only way to trap him was within his own religion. So they went and said: “King Darius, live forever! We’ve all agreed that for the next thirty days everyone should pray to you and only you” (Dan. 6:7). This stroked the king’s ego enough that he decreed that violators be thrown into a den full of lions. Little did he know, the whole purpose of this law was to either have Daniel hide his faith or suffer for it. It was a win-win situation, or so these pagans thought...
What did Daniel do when he learned this new law had been signed? Nothing. He went home and knelt to pray as usual in his upstairs room. It wasn’t politically correct, but he did it anyway. ‘He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done his entire life, thanking and praising God’ (Dan. 6:10). His windows were open toward Jerusalem for anyone to see and hear him praying to Yahweh. His faith stayed firmly public. Daniel knew the danger, but he had the courage to do it anyway. ‘So Daniel’s enemies went together to Daniel’s house to catch him praying and asking for God’s help’ (6:11). Why was Daniel fearless? Why did he publicly disobey the royal decree, knowing he’d be thrown to the lions? Because he remembered God’s faithfulness, that’s why!
Daniel had grown strong despite refusing the king’s food when he was first taken to Babylon. His friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) hadn’t bowed and worshiped Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol, yet God had rescued them from a fiery furnace. These past events spoke to God’s protective power. Daniel was also brave because he met God in prayer three times a day. This quality time with God made Daniel strong. His secret to standing strong was kneeling often. And due to his courage, King Darius witnessed God work miraculously by saving Daniel from the mouths of the lions. Daniel led his boss to God and all it took was standing strong in his faith.
The real kicker was that Darius then signed a decree saying all peoples, nations, and languages “must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for He is the living God and enduring forever, and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, and His dominion will be unto the end” (Dan. 6:26). What marvelous theology from a former pagan! All thanks to one man’s courage, God was to be honored and worshiped in every corner of Darius’ domain.
Daniel continued to live a successful life. His tale is one long success story where he passed every test with courage. Daniel wasn’t a wimp, simp, or a coward. He was a Godly man who modeled strength and courage. He was a man who stood for God when the cost was most severe, and God preserved him as a lesson to us all. It is just as Paul would tell the Corinthian church: ‘These things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction’ (1 Cor. 10:11). Thank God for His eternal Word and the courage it commends to us!
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