It is very dangerous for a person to believe in religious falsehood, particularly because the love a person has for what he or she worships can be stronger than death. We can see the negative impact of this manifestation in the proliferation of suicide bombers in the world we live in today. The unfortunate and sad aspect of this satanic phenomenon is that people engaged in such acts believe that they are dying for God’s cause, but nothing could be further from the truth. No wonder Jesus, in John 4:22, said to the woman at Jacob’s well in Samaria:
“Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.”
One man who knew who he was worshipping and worshipped Him in spirit and truth was Paul. His worship of God was based on his love for Him and his love for fellow men. This is unlike some today, whose worship is based on the hatred of others who do not share their ideology; hence their commitment to bring sorrow, tears and even death to them. A demonstration of the strong love Paul had for God is seen in Acts 21:8-14. His determination to please the Master is highly intimidating to those of us living in such times as these. He was determined to pay the supreme price, if that was the will of God for his life. This contrasts with what’s happening in the Church today, where people are still arguing about whether they need to give up the worldly lifestyle they were living before becoming born again. Some people find it difficult to change the content of their wardrobe which contradicts the new life they profess to have embraced. Some so-called Christians do not have the love of Christ that is strong enough to make them abandon their appetite for alcohol and other sinful substances. The commitment some people have for Christ does not take their eyes away from women other than their wives. Unlike such people, Paul refused to back down from proclaiming the Name of Jesus to the world, despite the accurate prophecy concerning the suffering his commitment to the cause of the gospel would bring to him (Acts 21:13). How God would love to have many more Christians like Paul today! Heaven clearly acknowledged and recorded the sacrifices and trials of those who have gone ahead of us in Hebrews 11:36-37:
“And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;”
Is your committed to Christ comparable to the commitment shown by them? Examine your commitment to Christ today and determine whether you are worthy of being called His disciple.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.