Don't Compromise

    I finally got the opportunity to watch the movie 'God's Not Dead' and I was pretty happy with it. To me it was a good intro-to Christianity for someone who may not have grown up in a Christian home, or wasn't spiritual. But, what I really enjoyed about the movie was the faith displayed in the characters of Josh Wheaton, and the two Christian women that the movie followed. I loved the way they stood up for their faith even when it meant they might lose someone they love, I admired that they understood that if they compromised their faith to please the people around them that they would be failing God. And I liked that in the movie they weren't somehow magically all friends and family back together again at the end.
       The last thing I liked about the movie probably sounds weird, but the reason I liked that they didn't work things out with the people who were trying to get them to renounce or compromise their faith is, that is life. I don't mean to sound harsh, but that is more often the truth of those kinds of relationships and for good reason. In 2 Corinthians 6:14, Paul writes that we shouldn't be unequally yoked, meaning we shouldn't be in relationships with someone who isn't also a follower, a similar command was given to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 7:3-4, where God gives the reason for this as that they would be turned away from Him to serve other god's. Now in the movie, two of the main characters were unequally yoked, one with a total non-believer, and the other with someone who on the surface appeared to be a Christian, but wasn't willing to support their partner standing up for it. The third character they followed was Muslim hiding their Christian faith from their family. This character lost their whole family, but choose Christ.
        I don't want to make light of any these circumstances but to me, the same "good reason" for the separation can be applied to each of these scenarios, I am not sure if this movie was based on a true story or not; I heard it was but I don't know for sure; but I do know that these same stories, and same struggles are being faced everyday. Everyday someone is being faced with the decision of faith over someone they care about, or even their entire family. Christ gave a very clear warning that this was the price we would pay for following him.
       We cannot compromise our faith to please others, the cost is so much greater than the here and now. I am not saying that you can't associate with non-believers, of course we have to, how else can we share the gospel? What I am saying is don't be surprised if after a while it comes to down to the choices I referenced from the movie, and don't be surprised if you aren't able to get back in with your old crowd after choosing Jesus. Know though, as much as it hurts to loose these people, and trust me I do know that feeling, it gets better. Speaking from experience God heals the heart after the loss, blesses you in your spiritual growth and before you even realize it, you look back and realize it was for the better, and you are happier now. Do not be ashamed, if you have been struggling with this, please trust Him.     

Deuteronomy 7:3-4        
You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18        
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

Matthew 10:34-39

32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn

“ ‘a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—

36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.