WE HAVE NO EXCUSE!

What choice would you make, when you are faced with a decision to choose between your faith and your life? 

This was the same position Shedrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego found themselves as captives in Babylon. They were faced with the same option to choose either to fall down and worship an gigantic image(idol), or get thrown into a burning fiery furnace.

Nebuchadnezzar woke up one day with a desire out of his evil mind to set up a large golden statue. Being the most powerful king of the ancient world at that time, he had authority over kingdoms and nations and as a result he called for a great assembly of VIPs from his kingdom and provinces for the dedication of this statue which he had set up.

To cut the long story short, as a result of Shedrach, Meshach and Abed-nego's firm stand to rather die than to postrate before an Idol thereby disregarding the king's orders were thrown bound into the midst of a burning fiery furnace that had been heated seven times. But God in his mercy miraculously delivered these young men. They came out unhurt from the burning fiery furnace that slew the men that threw them in (read the whole of Daniel chapter 3). These young men never gave in to the threat of the most powerful king in the world at that time to deny the only living and true God for an Idol,  the work of man's hands. 

A lot of us Christians today will easily give in to threats when it has to do with their lives, job, success, and so on. If some Christians were to be Shedrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego they won't even allow the matter to get to Nebuchadnezzar before they will denounce their faith and give in to the demands of the king. They may make a statement like "after all God is merciful, I will give in and repent later". They may even quote scriptures wrongly like "wisdom is profitable to direct" as a back up for compromise. This is wrong!

If Shedrach, Meshach and Abed-nego could stand for God at a time when the grace of God was not available, then we have no excuse! 

The grace of God is available and sufficient for every Christian to overcome temptations, bear unfavourable circumstances, and stand for the truth in life threatening situations. Even if standing for Christ could kill us we still have no excuse to deny Jesus and denounce our faith in God. As believers who presumptously compromise and deny Jesus will be denied by Him before the Father in heaven. 

I will end by quoting these words from Jesus in the scriptures: "But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven". Matthew 10vs33 (KJV). "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it". Mark 8vs35 (KJV).