COURAGE

The book of Joshua mentions the word courage several times. Courage is a rare, but wonderful trait.

Joshua 1:7 “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law,”
Joshua 23:6 “Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;”

Courage was needed to obey God. The initial obedience was in the hands of men.

In the early days of the Christian church, the lines were quickly drawn between those who were going to embrace the doctrines of Rome and those who would embrace the Word of God. In their writings, some sounded much like the early Anabaptists. When the time came to be courageous enough to stand and risk their ministry, their reputation, or their friends, they sadly failed to have enough faith to stand. For instance, early in their ministries, Zwingli and Calvin both wrote against infant baptism and were in favor of baptism by immersion. Immersion being an unpopular doctrine, they both succumbed to sprinkling infants rather than to face exile.

Today, we find much of the same courage or lack thereof among preachers whom, I believe, truly accept the fundamental beliefs; yet popularity and the esteem of the brethren draw them away from their willingness to stand. Courage is not so easy when you realize it may cost you the loss of your friends. In the case of Erasmus (1469), although he wrote against many Catholic beliefs, he certainly was not going to lose his future pension from the Catholic church for taking a stand with the vagabond Baptists.

Likewise today, some young preachers love the companionship of other young preacher friends. Realizing that you are NOT in the crowd of the socially elite is difficult. Having the courage to say, “I’ll lose my golf partner,” or “I’ll be the subject of Facebook ridicule for simply and honestly saying, ‘Here is what I believe,’” is also very difficult. When Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the wall where the Diet of Worms was to take place, he was courageous enough to risk all because of his ninety-five problems with the Catholic church. Sadly, Luther also joined the world of compromise when he chose church tradition over the Bible.

Throughout history, countless Christians have stepped up and risked their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor, much as our founding fathers did when writing the Constitution. All our Bible heroes are such characters: Daniel, Joseph, Gideon, David, and many others. Many Christians today have a sincere heart of belief, but they just are not willing to lose anything by making their faith public. Courage is a rare, but noble character trait. Courageous people are often found standing alone. Courageous people have chosen the moral path or the separated path and have chosen to walk within the rules regardless of what others might say or think. Courageous people tend to be mentioned alone, and history shows that they were often separated from those with whom they had once associated. Courage is certainly a rare gift — one that every hero possesses.

1 Chronicles 22:13 “Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.”

Pastor