SIN OF COWARDICE
By: Pastor Matt Morgan
The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. (Proverbs 28:1 ESV)
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9 NIV)
The answer to cowardice is courage. We must stand! The only way to illuminate a dark world is to not be like it. The world in which we live in has made it extremely difficult to stand for godly principles and moral values. A Christian cannot ignore God’s Word because it supposedly doesn’t fit into a modern context. We have a responsibility to speak the truth. We can find ourselves guilty of the sin of silence. When we play it safe, we are only avoiding criticism and neglecting our role in someone’s eternal destination. True love intervenes. What if you are the only resistance that keeps someone from eternal damnation—would you remain silent?
The Christian conscience has been desensitized. Many Christians and churches have decided to avoid calling sin sin. We have neglected spiritual issues in order to become more palatable to the world. We no longer engage the enemy, we accommodate him.
Spartan mothers would chant as their sons went to battle, “Come back with your shield or come back on your shield but never come back without your shield.” Coming back without a shield was a sign of a coward who threw his shield down to run faster.
In Revelation 21:8, we find that cowards will be condemned to the lake of fire. This is serious business! The coward is concerned with self-preservation. The coward epitomizes selfishness, not tolerance or compassion. He is not a friend to the lost, he is foe! He is not guilty of being unfriendly, he is guilty of being unkind.
Examine yourself today. Am I more concerned with momentary acceptance, or am I focused on the eternal? Ask God for guidance and wisdom to be a devout Christian in a compromising culture.
The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. (Proverbs 28:1 ESV)
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9 NIV)
The answer to cowardice is courage. We must stand! The only way to illuminate a dark world is to not be like it. The world in which we live in has made it extremely difficult to stand for godly principles and moral values. A Christian cannot ignore God’s Word because it supposedly doesn’t fit into a modern context. We have a responsibility to speak the truth. We can find ourselves guilty of the sin of silence. When we play it safe, we are only avoiding criticism and neglecting our role in someone’s eternal destination. True love intervenes. What if you are the only resistance that keeps someone from eternal damnation—would you remain silent?
The Christian conscience has been desensitized. Many Christians and churches have decided to avoid calling sin sin. We have neglected spiritual issues in order to become more palatable to the world. We no longer engage the enemy, we accommodate him.
Spartan mothers would chant as their sons went to battle, “Come back with your shield or come back on your shield but never come back without your shield.” Coming back without a shield was a sign of a coward who threw his shield down to run faster.
In Revelation 21:8, we find that cowards will be condemned to the lake of fire. This is serious business! The coward is concerned with self-preservation. The coward epitomizes selfishness, not tolerance or compassion. He is not a friend to the lost, he is foe! He is not guilty of being unfriendly, he is guilty of being unkind.
Examine yourself today. Am I more concerned with momentary acceptance, or am I focused on the eternal? Ask God for guidance and wisdom to be a devout Christian in a compromising culture.