Am I willing to die for the Lord Jesus? Am I willing to live for the Lord Jesus? Two different questions. Each needs to be thought through.
Acts 21:13 Then Paul answered, 'What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but event to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.'
Acts 24:14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.
Most of us have never been in a situation where death was a likely outcome of living for Jesus. We are tested by the daily grind of life. The only threat most of us face is being looked at as strange for our faith in Jesus Christ.
If we are willing to die for him we should be able to live for him. We should consider ourselves weird compared to the world. People of the world consider us weird when they know what we believe because they see the world from a different perspective.
We need to get comfortable in our distinction from the world. Get used to being a little weird. Get used to being seen as strange. Embrace it. Enjoy it if possible.
Let's love people no matter what they think about us. Let's invite people into our lives knowing there is a distinction. Let's engage in activities. Let's be in the world but not of the world.
Paul engaged in the Jewish life, although the Jews did not know Jesus. Paul witnessed to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul even engaged in Roman life. Paul was a citizen and even appealed to his Roman citizenship during his trial.
Paul was in the world but distinct from it. May we do the same.
Taken from reading Acts 21-25
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