It’s All In The Name

This Memorial Day weekend was a family weekend.
It was a time to remember and honor those who died so that we could be free.
Since it was time with my family, I went back to the archives.
This Whisper was originally published on March 18, 2015.

There is a question that begs to be answered.
If the government charged you with the crime of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

It is a sobering thought.
It suggests taking inventory of your life.
It requires a true assessment of your walk and your talk.
It demands honesty without justifying your actions or lack of action.

Alexander the Great was a formidable military general.
He conquered much of the world with his vast army.
The story is told about a night when he could not sleep.
He walked around the camp looking over his soldiers.

He came upon a soldier on guard duty.
Instead of keeping watch at his post, the soldier was asleep.
Falling asleep on guard duty is a punishable offense.
The punishment was very often death.

As Alexander stood there, the soldier woke up.
He was startled and afraid.
He knew that he would probably die for falling asleep when he should be awake.
“Soldier, what is your name?” Alexander the Great asked with annoyance.

“Alexander, sir,” the soldier said with respect.
Alexander the great repeated the question.
“Soldier, what is your name?”
“Sir, my name is Alexander,” the soldier answered confused by the repetition.

Alexander the Great asked the question a third time.
“Soldier, what is your name?”
The soldier answered meekly, “My name is Alexander, sir.”
Alexander the Great looked directly into the soldier’s eyes.

“Soldier, either change your name or change your conduct.”
Alexander the Great walked purposefully back to his tent.
The young soldier breathed a sigh of relief.
He knew in that moment the general was telling him to live up to his name.

As a prisoner of the Lord, then I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
(Ephesians 4:1,2)

Live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
That is what Alexander the Great demanded of his soldier.
That is what God demands of us.
We have a name by which we are known.

Christian.
Followers of Christ.
People who are saved by the blood of Jesus.
People who are saved by trusting in Jesus alone and not in their own work or merit.

The world does not understand the way of the Kingdom.
The world does not understand living up to Jesus’ Name.
Like the young soldier, we too, are under a death sentence.
We are at the mercy of the One in command.

As for you, you were dead in our transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:1-9)

We bear the name of Christ.
How well do we represent His name?
Can we truly call ourselves Christian if we follow the world and disobey God’s commands?
Soldier, either change your name or change your conduct, can be said to us as well.

As I listened to a Bible study, I heard something that made me pause.
Let me be faithful enough to elicit the hatred of the world.
That is a dangerous prayer to pray.
Living a life worthy of the calling you received will often mean the world will hate you.

The world wants you to go along.
The world expects tolerance as long as you come around to its way of thinking.
The world wants to put “self” on the throne.
The world cannot fathom that there is only one Lord that we serve.

It is a daunting challenge.
Change your name or change your conduct.
Living a life worthy of the calling you received.
Let me be faithful enough to elicit the hatred of the world.

The focus is always on Christ.
There is no falling asleep on your watch.
We have a name to uphold in the power of His Spirit.
Trusting in Jesus’ finished work, our death sentence has been lifted.

We are saved by pure grace.
We can now bear the name of Christ proudly.
We purpose to live our life according to His great name.
And the world will not like it.