Witnessing faithfully to Christ, holding to the Scriptures with integrity, maintaining charity, grace and truth, our desire here at Hebron is to be disciples of Christ in every way.
I’m kind of cheating—writing an article most of which is a quotation! The following is an extended citation from a book by the late James M. Boice. He reports this story as an example of what it means to be a disciple, professing Christ to the world.
During World War I one of my predecessors at Tenth Presbyterian Church, Donald Grey Barnhouse, led the son of a prominent American family to the Lord. He was in the service, but he showed the reality of his conversion by immediately professing Christ before the soldiers of his military company. The war ended. The day came when he was to return to his pre-war life in the wealthy suburb of a large American city. He talked to Barnhouse about life with his family and expressed fear that he might soon slip back into his old habits. He was afraid that love for parents, brothers, sisters and friends might turn him from following after Jesus Christ. Barnhouse told him that if he was careful to make public confession of his faith in Christ, he would not have to worry. He would not have to give improper friends up. They would give him up. As a result of this conversation the young man agreed to tell the first ten people of his old set whom he encountered that he had become a Christian.
The soldier went home. Almost immediately—in fact, while he was still on the platform of the suburban station at the end of his return trip—he met a girl whom he had known socially. She was delighted to see him and asked how he was doing. He told her, “The greatest thing that could possibly happen to me has happened.”
“You’re engaged to be married,” she exclaimed.
“No,” he told her. “It’s even better than that. I’ve taken the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior.” The girl’s expression froze. She mumbled a few polite words and went on her way.
A short time later the new Christian met a young man whom he had known before going into the service. “It’s good to see you back,” he declared. “We’ll have some great parties now that you’ve returned.’
“I’ve just become a Christian,” the soldier said. He was thinking, That’s two! Again it was a case of a frozen smile and a quick change of conversation.
After this the same circumstances were repeated with a young couple and with two more old friends. By this time word had got around, and soon some of his friends stopped seeing him. He had become peculiar, religious and—who knows?—they may even have called him crazy! What had he done? Nothing but confess Christ. The same confession that had aligned him with Christ had separated him from those who did not want Jesus Christ as Savior and who, in fact, did not even want to hear about Him. So it will be for you. Nothing will so keep the world at bay as a frank confession of Christ. It is the way to be His disciple. (from J.M. Boice, Christ’s Call to Discipleship)
I like to think the bulk of my job here at Hebron as one of “discipleship”—being used by God as a signpost, pointing toward the greatest joy in all creation, that of knowing Christ as Lord and Savior. A large chunk of that discipleship is professing Christ—often with similar results as described above. I pray that everyday you will have many opportunities to profess Christ, regardless of the response you might get. So, be bold! Be humble! Love and serve our Lord.
To the praise of His glory! Henry