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I received this quote from a friend today that I found very insightful, discerning, and courageous. This comes from one of Dietrich Bonhoeffer‘s last writings, Letters and Papers from Prison, entitled, “Who Stands Fast?”
The great masquerade of evil has played havoc with all our ethical concepts. For evil to appear disguised as light, charity, historical necessity, or social injustice is quite bewilderingly brought up on our traditional ethical concepts, while for the Christian who bases his life on the Bible it merely confirms the fundamental wickedness of evil….
Who stands fast? Only the man whose final standard is not his reason, his principles, his conscience, his freedom or his virtue, but who is ready to sacrifice all this when he is called to obedient and responsible action in faith and in exclusive allegiance to God- the responsible man, who tries to make his whole life an answer to the question and call of God. Where are these responsible people?
Each generation always has the chance to follow Christ with courage and humility, or else to settle for comfort, security, self-seeking, approval of others, accommodation to culture, or flat out giving into Satan. Following Christ is not easy, comfortable, or secure, but always involves risk, sacrifice, and devotion with our whole selves. Which kind of faith will we pass on to the next generation?
By God’s grace, may we have the courage, integrity, and compassion to pass on a faith worth living for through Christ. One that graciously invites the world to find freedom in following the way of the Savior with our whole lives.
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Jesus, Luke 9:23-24
“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live. It is Christ living in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
