How To Stand Firm on Godly Principles - Christian Perspectives
Isn’t it amazing how things change with time? Things that used to be wrong are now right. Activities that were frowned upon are now accepted. Even in the church, they act like God has changed His mind on some things. We must, however, stand firm on godly principles.
Then I commanded that the gates of Jerusalem should be shut as darkness fell every Friday evening, not to be opened until the Sabbath ended. I sent some of my own servants to guard the gates so that no merchandise could be brought in on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah 13:19
I remember the time when Sunday was a special day. Convenient stores didn’t exist, and Mom and Pop stores were closed. About the only things that were open were drug stores and restaurants.
One town along the Jersey shore was serious about keeping Sunday sacred. When I was a freshman in college a bunch of us went to that town for a weekend. On Saturday night we were told to park our cars outside of the city limits. The reason, they closed the gate at midnight. They didn’t open it back up until early Monday morning.
Nehemiah’s Dilemma
Nehemiah had a dilemma on his hands. He was wanting to stand firm on the godly principles of keeping the Sabbath. It seemed, however, that no one else cared. All types of activities were happening on the Sabbath.
In those days I saw men of Judah treading out their winepresses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing in grain, loading it on donkeys, and bringing their wine, grapes, figs, and all sorts of produce to Jerusalem to sell on the Sabbath. So I rebuked them for selling their produce on that day. Nehemiah 13:15
Non-Jewish residents also joined what was going on. Making it look like a regular weekend flea market.
Some men from Tyre, who lived in Jerusalem, were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise. They were selling it on the Sabbath to the people of Judah—and in Jerusalem at that! Nehemiah 13:16
Nehemiah’s conviction was fueled by Israel’s history that caused them trouble in the past. He wasn’t willing to give in to compromise.
So I confronted the nobles of Judah. “Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?” I asked.“Wasn’t it just this sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city? Nehemiah 13:17-18
Do Not Compromise, Stand Firm on Godly Principles.
In today’s culture, compromise seems to become easier and easier. The problem is, God’s standards haven’t changed. So, let me ask you, how serious are you about your convictions? Are you willing to close the gates of your life to keep something out that shouldn’t be there?
Are you willing to take a stand on a godly principle that isn’t popular with others? Something you have really felt strongly about. But now you have you fallen into the status quo of what others are doing?
Check out this related post called How To Live By God’s Standards.
That town in New Jersey. . . it keeps its gates open now. Make sure you keep the spirit of Nehemiah when it comes to maintaining the convictions of the Holy Spirit.
Lord, help us to stay spiritually strong. To keep away from compromising in our walk with you.
Another related post you can read is Enjoying The Benefits Of Living A Godly Life.
You would enjoy reading the cornerstone post on discipleship called How To Be An Effective Devoted Disciple Of Jesus.
Read Nehemiah 13 here.
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