“Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.” Acts 18:9 (NIV)
There are many parts of the Bible that most people have no problems embracing—like helping the poor. That’s something nearly everyone agrees on. But other parts of Scripture can be harder for the world to accept, and that can make it challenging for Christians to stand firm in their faith.
Some people won’t just disagree with you on these topics—they’ll feel strongly and won’t hesitate to challenge your perspective.
It takes an uncommon courage to stand up against that kind of pressure.
Here are three issues related to sanctity that Christians today need to stand up for.
The sanctity of life: God has a purpose for every unborn child. God planned your life before you were born: “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (Psalm 139:16 NLT).
When we put our faith in Jesus, it shapes how we see the world—including the belief that every life, born or unborn, has purpose and value.
The sanctity of sex: Sex is only for marriage. Sex is God’s idea. It isn’t dirty or wrong; sex is holy. Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral” (NIV).
God’s instructions never change: Premarital sex and living together without being married are unacceptable to God. Adultery and pornography and the objectification of women are unacceptable to God.
The sanctity of marriage: One man and one woman for life. That is God’s intended, original design. The Bible is very clear on the issue of marriage: “Haven’t you read . . . that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate” (Matthew 19:4-6 NIV).
People of goodwill can disagree over many issues in life. But as a believer, it’s important to line up with what God says about the sanctity of life, sex, and marriage. And you need to have the courage to stand up for them—even when it’s not the popular or politically correct thing to do.
When was the last time you spoke up for Jesus in a conversation about the sanctity of life, sex, or marriage?
What keeps you from speaking up more often?
How can you better prepare yourself to have effective conversations about these topics?
God is ready to forgive.
This is the Good News: No matter what you’ve done, God will forgive you.
The Bible says, “If we confess our sins to [God], he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away our sins” (1 John 1:9 TLB).
It takes courage to admit you’ve been wrong and then ask for forgiveness. So if you’ve sinned in any of these three areas, know that God’s grace is ready and waiting for you. He promises to forgive your sins.
Are you ready to make things right with God? Here’s a prayer you can start with: “Dear God, I know when I die, I’m going to give an account of my life to you. I know I have sinned against you, and I have lived by my plan, not yours. I want that to change, starting right now. I want to turn away from my sins and toward you.
“Thank you for sending Jesus to die for all that I’ve done wrong so that I don’t have to pay the penalty. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I know only your grace can save me, Lord. I could never be good enough to get into a perfect place.
“Jesus, thank you for loving me so much that you took all my guilt on yourself. You made me acceptable for heaven, and I humbly ask you to save me. I believe in you, Jesus. And I believe you will keep your promise to save me instantly, certainly, completely, and eternally. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.
