Renouncing Christ

The church we went to when I was a kid had regularly-scheduled annual Revivals.

A Revival meant going to church every night of the week ... and that meant missing just about everything on TV for that week (no VCRs in those days).

But it was usually during Revivals that we heard the most harrowing tales of how others had suffered for Christ. Stories of Christians who'd been persecuted, tortured and murdered rather than renounce their faith in Christ.

Revival messages often left us tearfully challenged, "What would you do? If you had to make the decision, would you deny Christ to save your life? Or would you put yourself aside, and die for him instead?"

Of course none of us hopes to ever be put to such a transcendent test, and merely pondering the possibility of having to make such a choice leaves us feeling queasy.

Shoot, we don't need to be persecuted or confronted to know where we stand ... because we already know how much easier it is to deny Christ than it is to deny ourselves.

Like when facing the choice of denying ourselves, or denying Christ so we can:

- get the raise or promotion we covet
- lie to avoid the consequences of our actions
- church-shop till we find one promising to soothe every need
- pursue a romantic interest or relationship
- seek ambition, wealth, or popularity
- avoid creating friction or inconvenience in our hectic "lifestyles"

"Jesus replied, 'If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.'" - John 14:23

"Then he said to them all: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'" - Luke 9:23