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Standing for God’s word is not about our opinion. What we stand on should be founded on biblical principals. A lot of our opinions have been shaped by what we were raised with. People can hold opinions very strong.
"And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all not teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Acts 4:18-20Peter and John were standing before the council. They stood for what they knew to be true. "Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for hey feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did we not straightly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other abpostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men." Acts 5:26-29
In Numbers 13, we read the about when Moses sent men to spy out the promised land and bring back word. Caleb and Joshua were subject to the same types of human emotions as their fellow spies. They too witnessed the giants who were the sons of Anak. The walls that they came against were tall and thick. Jericho’s walls were twenty feet thick and twenty five feet tall. However, Caleb and Joshua based their actions on their confidence in God, not the abilities of the Israelites.
We can’t avoid the big problems in life. We must face them with confidence in God’s word. Stand for what is true. It is not about your opinion. We will sometimes be put in situations where everyone else will go the other way. It can be uncomfortable. You can’t give in to group-thinking. Group-thinking is what the group has made a decision about to go a certain way but if it goes against the core principals of God you can’t go. You can’t allow what seems to be the majority to influence you.
Most of the spies sent out came back with an opinion concerning the fact that the land was good, but that they were not strong enought to go against the inhabitants of the land. Caleb and Joshua could have been taken up with the same emotion as the rest ot the spies. They were influenced by everything they saw, just like the other ten. But numbers cannot measure the truth. Often it stands against majority’s opinion.
Just because society or group-thinking has decided something is right, doesn’t make it right. Just because they think something is wrong doesn’t make it wrong. Social norms and majority opinions do not nullify the truth or cause us to no longer believe God’s promises.
Peter stood up and said, “you rulers of the people, and elders of Israel”. He didn’t care who it was, he just stood for what he knew to be right.
Our actions should not fall in line with societies expectations. It used to be that the mass wanted to do what was right. In 2009, the mass wants to go for what is wrong and a lone island wants to do what is right.
You just do what you know is right and you will receive your reward. We don’t know how the reward will come about. Witnessing the saving of a soul due to the impact of your stand for the truth can be the reward.
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