Wendell Berry, an American novelist, once said, “What I stand for is what I stand on.” However, when we do not know what we are standing for, the reality is that we will not stand for anything.

There is an increasing number of Christians that have a shallow understanding of their faith, resulting in an inability to live by Christian convictions. We see evidence of this when Christians choose to follow distorted theology or remain silent about contentious issues.

The Bible tells us that in the last days, there will be false teachings that will lead people astray (Matthew 24:11). In 2 Timothy 3:1–5, we are warned that “there will be terrible times in the last days.

“People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

The struggle of our Christian faith against an increasingly liberal culture will only continue to escalate. Therefore, there is a greater need for us to take courage and stand up on what we stand for. Will we conform to the culture around us or choose to renew our minds, living lives that reflect a holy God?

• In a culture where divorce is seen as acceptable, will we choose to safeguard our marriages?
• In a culture where drinks and flings are seen as harmless fun, will we choose to demonstrate holiness?
• In a culture where premarital sex is encouraged, cohabitation is widespread and unmarried couples going on holiday is popular, will we choose to demonstrate purity?
• In a culture where abortion is seen as an easy (and discreet) way out of an unwanted pregnancy, how will we choose to advise our girlfriends, daughters and friends when there is an “accident”?
• In a culture where sin is seen as a mistake or problem – instead of comparing it against the severity of hell – will we choose to repent, confess and be held accountable for our actions?
• In a culture where truth is relative, will we choose to follow the Word of God in its entirety?

We are called to live for a higher purpose. Therefore, we need to develop the ability to discern what is God-honouring and God-pleasing. We must commit to living our lives for Jesus, even if it means that our lifestyle will be seen as unattractive or unpopular.

When we choose to stand firm in what we stand for – our Christian convictions – it is important to recognise that we cannot do this alone.

That is why God has given us the Holy Spirit to empower us, to be our light in darkness, to give us strength, to help us stand our ground. In order to live powerfully for Christ, we need to continually be filled with the Holy Spirit. We also need to be grounded in biblical doctrines.

Let us be people that choose to stand up for what we stand for – a people living for Jesus in righteousness and truth.

This article was published in the Issue 03/2015 of the Trinitarian Magazine and has been republished with permission.