He will strengthen you to face anything. Do not be afraid of your teachers or your classmates. God’s power and wisdom is far stronger than theirs. Do not be afraid of your boss. Simply ask God to give you the strength to tell others you believe in God and He will do it.

Matt 5:14-16 says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” These verses teach us that if we are children of God we are the light of the world. It is nonsense to turn on a light and then cover it up.

So also it is nonsense to say you believe in God and then to keep it a secret. Instead you should proclaim it freely to others and let your light shine out before men! So do not keep your faith a secret from your friends, teachers, family, or colleagues. God doesn’t want us to have a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). He says that if we are ashamed of Him, He will also be ashamed of us (Luke 9:26). So what does God expect of us? He expects us to boldly tell others our faith without being ashamed.

Sacrifice

God created people with a will, intellect, and emotions. He gave us the ability to think rationally and to make decisions for ourselves. As people, we set goals for our lives. We have hopes and dreams for what we will do in the future. We also make decisions for what we will do today. We decide how to spend our time and our money. We choose to be friends with one person and not to spend much time with another. It is natural for us to desire relative freedom to pursue our hobbies and interests. But most people are unaware what direction they are going in life. They don’t know that their decisions are leading them away from God.

Since sin came into the world through Adam our “free-will” has become enslaved (Ephesians 2:1-5). It is a slave to sin and to our own wrong desires. It will lead us away from God. Matthew 7:13 says, “the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.” This verse tells us that if we keep pleasing ourselves by following the easy path in life we will end up being destroyed. This is the way that unbelievers go.

Most of the world is going down this terrible path to hell. What about those who believe in God? What should we do?

The same verse in Matthew 7:13 tells us to “Enter through the narrow gate.” If we want to follow God we must be willing to take the difficult path. Quite simply this means that we must be willing to make Christ the Lord of our lives, putting Him first in everything. Matthew 16:24-26 records what this means when Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”

If we really want to follow God we need to be willing to give our very lives to Him. We must put all our dreams, goals, desires, ideas, time and decisions under the hand of God and decide to do what He wants rather than what we want (Luke 22:42). That means if you have a desire that is against God’s Word, you should reject your desire and follow God instead.

God also makes a promise to us if we are willing to do this. He promises that we will gain our eternal life. Sure, by pursuing this world we may gain some temporary and material things. But by pursuing God we will gain the eternal, lasting things (1 John 2:15-17). He will give us abundant, overflowing lives, filled with blessings and the joy that only God can give (Luke 12:13-21).

Another way to describe the commitment we should have to God is sacrifice. Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.” To sacrifice means to give up something valuable for somebody else. We are supposed to sacrifice our very lives (which is most valuable to us) to God. Each day we can serve God with our thoughts, actions, and words.

Think how you can please God with your life. Maybe it means not cheating on an exam. It could mean going to work on time and being diligent and faithful to the company. Perhaps it requires you to respond gently when somebody cheats you on the basketball court or in the market (Colossians 3:23-24). There are two ways to go, the way of self and the way of sacrifice (Philippians 2:3-4).

The world teaches that the individual is all important and we should pursue self-satisfaction. But Jesus says that it is the servant who is great (Matthew 23:11). Why should believers serve God like this? The verse above (Romans12:1) says it is “in view of God’s mercy”. God created us. He gave us this wonderful world to live in. Most importantly He sent Jesus to die for us and save us from our sins. God has been so merciful to us. We should put Him first and serve Him with our lives.

Some will say that this makes us slaves. But God says in Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” By serving God we are free from the slavery of sin. We are free to do what is right and truly enjoy the blessings from God and the richness of His perfect plan for our lives.

So if we are committed to God, firstly He wants us to be bold and make a stand for Him. Secondly, He wants us to put Him first in our lives and to make our lives a living sacrifice to Him. Make the decision today to do this. Do not hide your faith from others, but be a light! And do not follow the broad path of the world to destruction. Enter the narrow gate by following God’s way for you! You will not regret it.

Bible Study Questions: Lordship

1. What is the practical difference between believing in Jesus Christ and believing in the “Lord” Jesus Christ? (Acts 16:31)

2. What is God’s view of the person who goes through life pursuing wealth? (Luke 12:16-21)

3. What must you be willing to do if you want to follow God in your life? (Luke 14:33)

4. Is it possible to serve God and the world or ourselves? (Matthew 6:24)

5. What kind of belief are we supposed to have in God? Is belief just an intellectual agreement to the fact or just saying something with our mouth? (Matthew 7:21-23)

6. What is a major difference between the things of the world and the things of God? (1 John 2:15-17) So what should you do?

7. Where should you store up treasure? (Matthew 6:19-21)

8. What is real love for God? (John 14:15)

9. Explain in your own words what it means to “do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men”. (Colossians 3:23-24)

10. What promise do we have from God if we are willing to put Him first? (Matthew 6:33, Philippians 4:19)