Stand firm in the faith

1 Cor.16:13-14

1 Peter 3:15

What would you do if you found yourself in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and early '40s? How about if you were staring into the eyes of a Gestapo Commander? He has come to search your house for secretly hidden Jews—the very Jews that, perhaps only moments ago, you had just hurriedly helped to squeeze into a narrow crawl space, located right under the kitchen table.

The Commander demands to be let in and informs you his men are going to search the vicinity. "Are you hiding any Jews?", he inquires skeptically. "If you are and don't tell me, your whole family and the Jews will be shot on the spot!", he casually states without blinking. Thoughts of the two little girls, their baby brother, and the widowed woman cross your mind. Now you need to answer. Hesitate too long, and the hidden-away Jews are dead; denying their occupancy puts your family in jeopardy. What do you do?

If I asked you what you believe, you would probably have a quick answer. Almost everyone can muster up that. Where I find that people have a big problem is in the follow-up question: “WHY” do you believe it?

At this point, I see a much different reaction from the person who is giving the answer. Some hesitate, while some may blush and awkwardly say, "Well, because of my mom, dad, denomination, professor, friend…" etc. Most, however, don't really know. Following the second question comes the breaking point for many. Why? Because it's hard to stand firm when you don't know what you believe; when you have just adopted someone else’s beliefs.

1 Peter 3:15 NIV says, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

Hundreds of people during the reign of Nazi Germany had to make a split-second decision. If they didn't know why they hid the Jews, it could spell out catastrophe in the moments to come.

Leadership guru and former pastor, John Maxwell, said it best: "Decisions are made easy when you know in advance what you stand for." Occurrences like this with the Gestapo aren't exaggerated stories, retold to make people look good. Nor were they written to gain the admiration of men. They were real-life situations where “average Joes” stepped up to protect the lives of thousands. Many of those who put their very lives on the line thought that the people they protected were precious, valuable, and created in the image of God! The decision to stand firm for their beliefs in these critical moments was made clear.

The same is true for you today. Staring at the Commander, what would you say? Do you know what you believe and why you believe it? If you do, don't waver in your belief. To stand firm, you MUST get into His Word. Study it! Apply it! AND LIVE IT OUT!