There are times when the Lord’s people are called upon to make a stand. This is true for the Christian firstly at the outset of his spiritual pilgrimage. When we have confidence in approaching God in prayer, when we delight in the company of the saints, when we feel a love to Jesus Christ, then we should be willing to profess our faith publicly. Examining our lives and our experience by the Word of God and discerning the gracious work of the Spirit in our souls we get strength to confess our Lord and Saviour before God and men.
Occasions arise in our personal lives when we must make a stand for the Lord. It may be within our family circle, in our place of work or in our community. The world is enticing us and encouraging us to accept its wicked ways, to overlook immorality in its various forms. However our conscience tells us that we must never comply with sin. Neither is silence an option for us. We have to speak up, particularly when our Saviour and His cause are directly involved.
Perhaps to our surprise it is in the church especially that we find we have to take a stand for truth and righteousness. When we began to walk with the Lord we could hardly imagine in the midst of our newfound wonder and joy that among believers, those whom we love in the Lord and rightly regard as the excellent of the earth (Psa.16:3), there could ever be controversy and division. Yet Scripture speaks of such things and we do well to take note of them.
There are clashes between genuine believers which arise for various reasons, both good and bad. Paul withstood Peter “to the face” over his attitude to the Gentile believers (Gal.2:11): he was correct to do so. Paul and Barnabas had a sharp contention over John Mark and parted company (Acts 15:39): we cannot easily say who was right in this case. On another occasion all twelve disciples disputed among themselves as to “who should be the greatest” (Mark 9:34): we can say without fear of contradiction that they were all at fault here! Grace will enable these sins and faults to be acknowledged and eventually overcome.
When Joseph sent his brothers back to Jacob their father he exhorted them: “See that ye fall not out by the way” (Gen.45:24). Christ is saying the same to His people today, those whom He is not ashamed to call His brethren (Heb.2:11), yet we do fall out on the journey of faith and hope which takes us to the celestial city. We say this to our shame and pray for help to keep “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph.4:3).
There are also conflicts between true believers and those who profess Christ and yet lack any real commitment to biblical doctrine and a scriptural form of holiness. This is the situation in many of the great denominations of our land which once had a name for orthodoxy but which have now departed from their confessional roots. They are adrift on a sea of relativism and the very gospel itself is at stake. If the way of salvation according to the Bible is not maintained by any church then it ceases to be a true church in the eyes of God.
Conflict here is not only advisable but essential. It is the duty of all the people of God, not only ministers and elders, to stand for the truths of the faith. Jude writes to Christians in general: “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). How has Satan got into so many churches? Because believers did not contend for the faith as they should! First they tolerated a little error, then they accepted great error until finally they became indifferent to error altogether.
We cannot keep putting off making our stand. If we do then all will be lost including our personal integrity and honour, which is not unimportant. In a denomination that is largely corrupt it is no dishonour at all to speak up for the truth so loudly and so clearly that the majority put us out. We must be willing to follow Jesus wherever He leads us by His inspired and infallible word, which may mean going forth to Him “without the camp, bearing his reproach” (Heb.13:13). So be it, for the truth’s sake.
Those in compromised denominations where Scripture is no longer the only rule of faith and practice and where there is no sound constitution to defend are surely right to seek to align themselves with a purer branch of the visible church. There they may worship and serve God as He requires with an untroubled conscience. May the Lord enable them to make their stand and bless them for it.
“Let thy strong hand make help to me:
thy precepts are my choice.
I long’d for thy salvation, Lord,
and in thy law rejoice.”
