Debbie and I watched a movie last night called “Silence”. It gives a depiction of the introduction of Christianity into Japan in the 1600s, and the backlash that occurred against the Christians and Priests from the established religion of Japan. According to the story, several hundred thousand peasants of the working class were converted to Christ, but in the end many were forced to deny Christ or be put to death in any number of horrible ways. Some recanted their conversion and lived, and many who would not, were summarily executed. At one point in the movie, a priest who had recanted his beliefs and adopted the nations religion, told another priest that all the people who were converted to Christ couldn’t really have understood what they were doing because they thought the Son of God was the sun in the sky. The faithful priest didn’t agree, and told him he was just making excuses for his own failure to remain faithful.
So, the point of this story is that whether we have a belief in God, or not, we need to be fully aware of where our beliefs will lead us. The Bible talks about our being in a race, and training for the race;
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we, an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”
We are not to be innocent as babies, we are to be fully aware adults, knowing where our path leads, and fully aware of the struggle in front of us. Knowing that the Son of God is not the sun in the sky, but He is God in us. We are to be ready to confront every obstacle, willing to make the hard choices, and refusing to compromise when faced with temptation. God has the power to see us through any difficulty, and He is ready, willing and able to give us the power to make right choices. But, we still have to choose rightly. Will I choose what is right, or will I give up and follow the easy path.
I for one desire to choose what is right, how about you?
Tom Zimmer - PhotoBubba 