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Do You Fear God Or Man? |
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It was a chilly night in Jerusalem. Some officers and servants huddled around a crackling fire in the courtyard of the high priest warming their hands. It was business as usual for them. A seemingly harmless man had been arrested and was being interrogated in the wee hours of the night. He was probably a troublemaker, but no real threat to the people. He would likely be reprimanded by the council and then released. But there was one person who was interested in the outcome of the proceedings. He was a friend, but he wanted to remain an anonymous face in the crowd. He did not want to be involved except that a young servant girl continued to press him about his identity until he denied even knowing his friend, not once, but three times... Do you ever succumb to peer pressure instead of standing up for Jesus? Do you ever remain silent about your convictions instead of sharing your faith with others? You are not the first nor will you likely be the last follower of Jesus to battle the temptation to blend in with the crowd, but why do we sometimes live contrary to what we have boldly confessed in the past? The reason is fear. We fear man more than God! It is a tool that Satan uses to demolish our faith and undermine our influence in the world. We must overcome our fear of man, if we are to make an impact in the lives of others. Prior to the Limited Commission, Jesus mentally prepared His disciples for persecution by instructing them to fear God who sees and judges all: "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than they" (Matthew 10:28-21). We should have the same mindset as disciples of Jesus today. We should teach the lost because we fear God more than man. We should defend our faith because we fear God more than man. We should refuse to be like the world because we fear God more than man. Do you fear God or man? ...The man who was on trial that dark night in Jerusalem was put to death without his friend even speaking a word in his defense, but this time it would be different. He was a changed man. In a city crowded with out-of-towners, and the execution of an innocent man fresh on the minds of the locals, he stood before an audience and cried out with courage and passion, "This Jesus, whom you crucified, is both Lord and Christ." He was now at peace with himself and his friend and the world would soon know the Prince of Peace!
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