Taking a Stand
Thursday, October 8, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself."
Daniel 1:5-8
Fighting against sin is easier than paying the consequences of a life of sin.
The story is told of a young American soldier during World War I that accepted Christ while on the battlefield. Afterwards, he was faithful to attend chapel services and study his Bible. The war soon ended and he was scheduled to return to his family. Because his family was wealthy, he was well-known in town and had many friends, many of whom were not Christians. Fearing his return to his old life, he asked his chaplain how he could avoid falling back into the old sin. His chaplain replied, "Determine to tell the first ten people you meet about your acceptance of Christ as your Saviour. As soon as word gets around of your decision, you won't have to break ties with your old friends-they'll break ties with you first."
Taking the chaplain's advice to heart, the young man accepted the challenge and returned home soon after. Sure enough, a girl he had known in high school was at the train station when he got off. She approached him and excitedly stated, "It's so good to have you home!" He replied, "One of the greatest things happened to me while I was away. I accepted Christ as my Saviour!" Shocked, the girl muttered a few more words of greeting then walked away. "Well, that's one," the young man thought. Then, another one of his friends approached him and said, "Hey you're home! Wait until we have some more parties like the old days!" "I found Jesus while I was away and He is now the center of my life" the young man replied. Yet again, shock overtook the man and he quickly left. After he had fulfilled his commitment to spread the good news to ten people, he noticed that none of his old friends frequented his house. They had gotten the message and he had avoided the temptation to return to a life of sin.
As Christians, we are well-aware that our world doesn't appreciate the Christian life. Movies mock it, people scorn it, and temptation seems to abound. It can be difficult for a new Christian to avoid falling back into a pattern of sin, but it can also be difficult for those of us who have been saved for years.
Notice a young man who had the strength to take a stand in the midst of a corrupt and pagan land: "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank." Daniel knew what was right and through God's strength, he determined to not give in to the king's demands. The meat the king served the young men had been offered to idols, and Daniel didn't want to defile himself with the meat. Rather than giving in, like so many of the young Israelites did, Daniel took a stand and chose to obey God.
Whether you're eighteen or eighty-one, you will be faced with the temptation to give in to sin. The devil is quick to subtly tempt and coerce Christians to sin. But rather than sinning, God desires that we would, like Daniel, choose to take a stand.
Taking a stand against sin won't be easy. It may mean giving up some friends, spending less time at the water cooler at work, or safeguarding your computer; but fighting against sin is easier than paying the consequences of a life of sin.
What sin has been consistently tempting you? In what area of your life are you weak? The devil knows these places and will do everything he can to exploit them. Choose right now to take a stand against sin. Choose to, through God's help, resist temptation and fight the devil's attempts to ensnare you in sin. As you take your stand against sin, seek God's help every morning (and throughout the day), and purpose to serve Him rather than the devil.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself."
Daniel 1:5-8
Fighting against sin is easier than paying the consequences of a life of sin.
The story is told of a young American soldier during World War I that accepted Christ while on the battlefield. Afterwards, he was faithful to attend chapel services and study his Bible. The war soon ended and he was scheduled to return to his family. Because his family was wealthy, he was well-known in town and had many friends, many of whom were not Christians. Fearing his return to his old life, he asked his chaplain how he could avoid falling back into the old sin. His chaplain replied, "Determine to tell the first ten people you meet about your acceptance of Christ as your Saviour. As soon as word gets around of your decision, you won't have to break ties with your old friends-they'll break ties with you first."
Taking the chaplain's advice to heart, the young man accepted the challenge and returned home soon after. Sure enough, a girl he had known in high school was at the train station when he got off. She approached him and excitedly stated, "It's so good to have you home!" He replied, "One of the greatest things happened to me while I was away. I accepted Christ as my Saviour!" Shocked, the girl muttered a few more words of greeting then walked away. "Well, that's one," the young man thought. Then, another one of his friends approached him and said, "Hey you're home! Wait until we have some more parties like the old days!" "I found Jesus while I was away and He is now the center of my life" the young man replied. Yet again, shock overtook the man and he quickly left. After he had fulfilled his commitment to spread the good news to ten people, he noticed that none of his old friends frequented his house. They had gotten the message and he had avoided the temptation to return to a life of sin.
As Christians, we are well-aware that our world doesn't appreciate the Christian life. Movies mock it, people scorn it, and temptation seems to abound. It can be difficult for a new Christian to avoid falling back into a pattern of sin, but it can also be difficult for those of us who have been saved for years.
Notice a young man who had the strength to take a stand in the midst of a corrupt and pagan land: "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank." Daniel knew what was right and through God's strength, he determined to not give in to the king's demands. The meat the king served the young men had been offered to idols, and Daniel didn't want to defile himself with the meat. Rather than giving in, like so many of the young Israelites did, Daniel took a stand and chose to obey God.
Whether you're eighteen or eighty-one, you will be faced with the temptation to give in to sin. The devil is quick to subtly tempt and coerce Christians to sin. But rather than sinning, God desires that we would, like Daniel, choose to take a stand.
Taking a stand against sin won't be easy. It may mean giving up some friends, spending less time at the water cooler at work, or safeguarding your computer; but fighting against sin is easier than paying the consequences of a life of sin.
What sin has been consistently tempting you? In what area of your life are you weak? The devil knows these places and will do everything he can to exploit them. Choose right now to take a stand against sin. Choose to, through God's help, resist temptation and fight the devil's attempts to ensnare you in sin. As you take your stand against sin, seek God's help every morning (and throughout the day), and purpose to serve Him rather than the devil.
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