During the dreadful days of 1940 Winston Churchill, in summoning cooperation and support for survival, declared, “Let us … brace ourselves to our duty, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say: ‘This was their finest hour.’

When Luther walked into the presence of Charles V and other powerful persons at the Diet of Worms, April 1521, to answer charges of heresy and to hear a possible death sentence, an old knight was heard to say: “Little monk, I like the step you take but neither I nor any of our battle comrades would take it.”

Consider that little Augustinian monk who shocked Christendom by his defiance of papal authority and who, at last, stood trial for his life. During a high moment in the trial, Martin Luther exclaimed:

I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other—my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen.

Acts 21:1–15, speaks by way of example to an important subject, the courage of conviction.

All of his life, Paul exemplifies a spirit of courage. We remember when Paul arrives in Corinth, apparently he is tired and somewhat discouraged. The opening stages of his first efforts at evangelism in Europe have included a severe beating and imprisonment at Philippi. Corinth presents another challenge: it was known throughout the empire as a notoriously immoral city.

In this context, God graciously speaks to Paul in a night vision, and reassures him: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”
Philippians 2:12–13 “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” That is why Paul elsewhere warns, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12).

When Paul said this he has in mind the first-century Roman Empire. He did not envisage modern Western democracies which to some extent have inherited a Christian worldview. Even so, appearances can be deceiving. That Christian heritage has become so thoroughly diluted or compromised, that Christians now face all sorts of subtle pressures in many sectors of business, sport, industry, and public service.

A police officer’s promotion is held up because he will not allow himself to be corrupted; a Jewish family holds a funeral for their son who has become a Christian; parents stage a wailing scene when their son, a prized surgeon, decides to enter the ministry instead; the media conspire to present most Christians as either irrelevant or as wimps. It is beginning to cost something to be a Christian; and perhaps the church will be purer for it.

The courage of conviction knows its purpose.

You can’t stand for something, unless you’ve got something to stand for. You can’t be courageous unless you’ve got a conviction you’re fighting for. So, it all begins with something that you believe in. Paul had a conviction, he was on way to Jerusalem. His conviction was, God wants me to get this money to the saints in Jerusalem, they need it and it’ll help unify the church.

The courage of conviction can’t be diverted.

He arrives in Tyre and they all said, Oh, don’t go to Jerusalem. After they were finished telling him not to go, he said, goodbye, and left for Jerusalem. He couldn’t be diverted. All kinds of people, in your lifetime, maybe even your good Christian friends, will try to talk you out of things that you believe is what God wants. If you are convinced that it is the will of God, it is to be fulfilled in spite of what they say.

The courage of conviction pays any price.

He is in Caesarea, Paul is with all his buddies from the Gentile churches and the money, and they’re on their way to Jerusalem. there came down from Judea, a certain prophet named, Agabus.
He says, you’re gonna get it, Paul, when you get to Jerusalem, you’re gonna get bound and delivered to the Gentiles.
“When they heard Agabus” all the Caesarean Christians begged him not to go up to Jerusalem.’ Everybody said, oh Paul, don’t go.

Paul answered, “What mean ye to weep, and break my heart?” All this crying is getting to me. My determination is weakening. He reaffirms the courage of his convictions, at this point, and he says, “I am ready, not be bound, only but to die at Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

There are probably thousands of people who never do accomplish the objective that God gives them because well-meaning family, and well-meaning friends and loved ones, softened up their determination by talking them out of it. Oh, it’s too risky. Oh, there are too many sacrifices. Why you’ll never be able to endure in that circumstance.

It is probably true that the friends of Christians have done, perhaps as much as the enemies, of Christians, to deter them, in some cases, from accomplishing the objectives of God.

You know what Jesus said? “It’s gonna be necessary for you to forsake everything, and if you’re not willing to leave father and mother and everybody else that you love, and follow Me, you’re not worthy to be,” My disciple.”

Don’t ever be hesitant when you know that somebody feels that this is God’s direction, and that they’ve set their mind to do this, don’t ever soften their will towards that determination. Don’t talk people out of doing what God wants them to do. If they’re gonna be talked out of it, let it be the enemy that does it, not us.

In Romans 1:15, he says, he’s “ready to preach to Rome.”

In 2 Timothy 4, he said was, “ready to die.” He’s ready for whatever. He says, “I’m ready to be bound”—and that, of course, would be painful and cruel, “and ready to die”—and that would be an execution, probably by torture.

When he was finished with Jerusalem, he already planned to go to Rome. And when he got to Rome, he was he going to Spain. He was saying, if all those dreams and all those hopes have to die in Jerusalem, and that’s the will of the Lord, in His name, I’ll die.

Ezekiel 3:8–9, expresses this, “Behold, God says, to Ezekiel, you’re My prophet, but nobody’s going listen to you. He says, “Behold, I made your face strong against their faces.” You’re going to stand nose to nose, with Israel. “And your forehead strong against their forehead.”

The problem that most people have with pain and suffering is not a problem of the suffering, and it’s not a problem of the pain; it’s an inadequate doctrine of God.

When a person has an adequate doctrine of God, then whatever happens, is acceptable.
God would never have you go under something you couldn’t bear,

1 Corinthians 10, 13 No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.

J.B. Phillips said, in this case of suffering and affliction, “Your God is too small.”

The Doctrine of God

To our limited perspectives, there are plenty of accidents that determine so many tragedies. To the eyes of faith, there are, finally, no accidents, only incidents; and in these, Paul assures us, God is working for our good. To walk into the unknown with a God of unlimited power and unfailing goodness is safer than a known way.

We repeatedly learn from Scripture that the scale of time during which God works out his purposes for us is far greater than our incessant focus on the present.

Hebrews 12, If you have an adequate of God, you can handle any kind of suffering,

The Fatherhood of God.

You have to understand the Fatherhood of God, Hebrews 12:7, “If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons. For what son is he whom the Father chastens not?”

if you’re having discipline in your life, through suffering, thank God, that’s proof He’s your Father. Because you know that God does not discipline the unsaved.

Why is it the unsaved prosperous and the saved seem to go through the worst trials?
Romans 2;5 “They treasure up wrath against the day of wrath.” An unsaved guy could go through his life without a bad circumstance. But when he dies, that wrath that he’s treasured up against the day of wrath, in judgment, will hit him full force.

In the life of a Christian, God is dealing on a moment-by-moment, hour-by-hour, day-by-day, discipline basis, so He’s active in our life.

1 Peter 5:9, where it says, “Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world.” We’re all there, folks.

Remember the love of God.

Hebrews 12:6 “For whom the Lord loves, He chastens and scourges on whom He receives.”

The very fact that you’re getting chastised indicates He loves you. Because, He’s conforming you, to image of Christ. You can always tell a child that isn’t loved. He’s not disciplined. When parents love children, they take the time to discipline them.
You can learn from it hard times, or you can worry about it.

Anxiety, worry, pain, oh, I’m going through so much. For those who learn from it, you keep going in Christian service, with great fruitfulness. For those of who crackup under it, there’s the counseling clinic; it’s where you go and somebody tells you, you shouldn’t have cracked up from it, you should have learned from it.

Worrying is so dumb. It’s sinful. Matthew 6 :27 “Worry is useless.” “Which of you, being anxious, can add one cubit to your stature?” Can you change your circumstance by worrying? So, it’s useless

Matthew 6:34, “Be, therefore not worrying about tomorrow.” if you worry about something, you have to go through, then you are going through it twice, once, in your imagination, and once in reality. Better that you should just wait that it’ll come, sufficient under the day is the evil thereof, just wait to you get there. Once is enough to go through pain, without anticipating it.

Worry denies your who you are in the Father. Matthew 6: 25, “Be not anxious for your life, what you shall you eat, what you shall drink, for your body, what you shall put on. You’re more worth more than birds and lilies.

Worry is unheavenly, it’s earthly, Matthew 6:33, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” When you worry about what’s going on, on earth, you’ve got earthly thoughts, not heavenly.

When you suffer remember the wisdom of God.

Hebrews 12:10, “For they verily, for a few days, chastened us after their own pleasure, earthy fathers, “but He, for our profit.” God is wise enough to know what you need.

The Heavenly Father never makes a mistake. He never takes a wrong approach with a child of His.

When affliction comes remember the authority of God.

Hebrews 12:9 He has the right to do what He does, “We had fathers of our flesh who corrected us, and we gave them reverence, shall we not much rather be in subjection under the Father of spirit and live?” God is acting, He’s not watching. He’s doing it for our benefit. We should bow to His authority without rebellion.

God’s sovereignty functions to assure us that things are not getting out of control. Coupled with his love, God’s sovereignty assures the Christian that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28, )

When you suffer Remember the Holiness of God.

In suffering, it’s all a question of how you view God. If you see that God is a Father who is loving, who is wise, who has authority, and is Holy, and is bringing about all of these things, that you might be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, then you can view suffering with a positive look.

That’s the bible’s meaning in Romans 8:28, “All things work together for good to them that love God, and they’re called according to His purpose. So, Paul says, look, “I’m ready to not only to be bound, but to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Why? “Because I see God in this, a Father, who loves me, who is wise; who has all authority and who is conforming me to the image of Christ.”

The Courage of conviction affects others.

Acts 21:14, “And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased”—they ceased crying and begging and said, “the will of the Lord be done.” And that’s the ultimate assignment for everything.

Matthew 6:10, the disciple’s prayer, “Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven.” Jesus in the Garden, “Not My will but Thine, be done.” The ultimate assignment of everything is, the will of the Lord be done.

Courage of conviction affects others. “We took up our baggage and went to Jerusalem.” They went anyway, There went with us certain of the disciples of Caesarea.”

All these were saying, don’t go, don’t go; oh, you’re going be persecuted. But look what happened, he left and they all went with him. You see courage is contagious. Instead of all their moaning and weeping affecting him, his courage affected them. He was a marked man, he was hated; he was going to be imprisoned and they were going to be identified with him, but they became willing to pay the price because he was.

If you have the courage of conviction, God will use you to affect the lives of others.