When we read through the Bible we quickly begin to see those who successfully stood for God and His message to man, and those who didn’t.
Who stood for God? We see that Noah stood for God in the face of the entire world’s disobedience. He and his family alone were spared from the great deluge because of their love and respect for the Creator.
Moses stood for God in the face of the most powerful king in the world at that time. However, Moses also had to stand with God in the face of all the Israelites who would frequently rebel against God’s orders.
Joshua stood for the Lord and made his most remembered quote, “As for me and my house we shall serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
Nehemiah stood for God and His holy city of Jerusalem when the Israelites had no place to worship. In just fifty-two days all of the walls of the city were rebuilt, a work that should have taken several years. In this course of building, Nehemiah had to deal with outside skeptics and some unjust quarrels on the inside. The strength to deal with it all came from his stand with God.
John the Baptist stood for Christ when many were unsure of His coming. John taught repentance and preparation for Jesus appearance and entrance into His kingdom. John lost his life when he stood behind his God-sent message for King Herod’s repentance of adultery.
Most importantly we must know that Jesus stood for us, and He still stands. Once He stood in our place and was sentenced to death on the cross for our sins. Now He stands as Mediator between His Father and us.
The great question to ask now is, “Who shall stand for Christ?”
Who will stand now? In Isaiah 66:1-2 the scripture quotes God as saying He would look on those who feared and trembled before Him. Paul says that we should “stand fast” or hold on to the freedom from sin and the promises that Christ has left us.
Who shall stand for Christ in our homes? The New Testament teaches Christians how to take care of their homes. This home life grandly demonstrates our love and respect for the order that God has created. I Timothy 5:8 teaches that there must provision for the needs of the home or there will be unwanted consequences to pay. Of course, there must be physical provision, but there must also be spiritual provision to give God His glory. A well kept home stands for Christ and honors God.
Who shall stand for the congregations? The congregations need solid leadership. Every person must do his or her part to ensure that this occurs. This means leadership and submission. I Peter 5:8 teaches us that we should have elders and deacons. In order to have that caliber of leadership we need to consider our future placement in these positions and live our lives to fulfill them.
Who shall stand for preaching? Romans 10:13-15 gives us the urgency to have preachers and to send them out to spread that divine message. If an individual member cannot fulfill the role of preacher then that one should support the one who can. Prayer and spiritual backing is quite necessary to keep a stable supply of preachers. With the congregations behind them more men will have greater assurance to keep standing for Christ and thus the message is preserved.
How shall we stand? Romans 5:1-4, II Thessalonians 2:15, Ephesians 6:10-13 teach that we stand by faith and the grace of God, the traditions of the gospel, and by the power of Christ’s might with the armor that He has provided us.
Know this, that one day every person who has ever lived or who shall ever live, will stand before the great throne and give an account for the life lived. If we stand for Christ now, the standing at the judgment need not be done in fear.
Sean S. McCallister