Have to lose reputations
So it has been with all of God's saints who have pleased Him and praised Him through the centuries. At some time in their witness and expression of the living Christ they have had to lose their reputations among those who have been traditionally pious and somber, dogmatic and cautious. This is still happening in our day, and with glorious results.
A young man who is director of one of our American Bible conferences has given me his testimony of great and radical things which the Lord has done for him in recent months.
I realize now that in my service for God I was one of the most self-assured, conceited and horrid young fellows you could ever meet” he told me frankly. “I could raise money, I could put on a great program, and I figured I was a great success in the Lord's work. But recently on a trip to Wales, I had the opportunity of talking to some older folks who remembered Evan Roberts and the great Welsh revival. They told me about the true working Of the Holy Spirit in Christian renewal and revival – and I didn't really know what they were talking about. Somehow, and they did not realize it, it was just as though they were burying me under a great load of crushing bricks, and God spoke to me about my own great spiritual lack.
He told me that he made his way to the little cottage where he was staying and got down on his knees and began to sweat it out before God. Do you know what this was? It was the act of dying! It was the end of self. That man died to reputation, ability, presumption, success, conceit, personality – all of that stuff!
He said to me, “Mr. Tozer, I was filled with the Holy Spirit and my whole life has been transformed. Now I only want this cheated and betrayed generation to see the glory of God once more!” I said to him then, “Brother, do you realize that if you carry through with this message and this blessing that you will lose some of your best fundamentalist friends? You will be described as having gone off your rocker.”
“I am not worried any more about my reputation” he replied. “I am perfectly willing because I am going to let the Lord have His way in the whole operation.” The interesting thing is that he hasn't had to switch or change his doctrines around at all-he just found out that he needed the fire of God on his doctrine, and he got it!
Fear of fanaticism
Also related to reputation is the fear of many Christians that they will be considered fanatical or extreme for their Christian faith. I think it is ironic that the devil gives the world all of its extremists in every realm -entertainment, politics, society, education, anarchy, intrigue-you name it! Yet it is the same devil that frightens believers about the great danger of becoming “extreme”
I passed an auditorium recently where one of the young crowd of singing stars was appearing. Police were having great trouble with the crowds and in the erotic fury of that concert, girls began to tear off their clothes; many were weeping and screaming. Those who had fainted were being carried out. It is the same devil, but he uses different tactics in dealing with Christians. Should a Christian get blessed and say, ‘Amen,” the devil quickly intervenes and whispers, “Don't be a fanatic-you ought to stay quiet and stable in the faith!”
Oh, what a devil the devil is! He frightens us first and then sells us a bill of goods about caution, caution, caution in the church. Some Christians also are greatly awed by the fear of ostracism. The devil says to them, “Be careful about religion – you will be lonely. You will have to go it alone!”
I have heard one of our preachers tell about the experience he had years ago in coming to a decision concerning the claims of Christ on his life. It was at the close of a service, and he was standing with the rest of the congregation while an invitation was being given to come forward in submission to the will of God. There was a struggle going on in his own soul, and he knew that the Spirit of God was pressing him to make the decision to sell out completely and to become a real Christian in commitment to the Lord.
But the devil knows how to join in these arguments, and he whispered, “Charlie, you must be careful at this point. You know how easy it would be to break up your marriage and break up your home. You know how staid and strait-laced and conservative your wife is about religion. Don't do anything that would break up your home, Charlie!”
But the Spirit of God persisted, and Charlie found himself answering the call. He went forward and knelt at the altar for heart-searching and prayer. Suddenly he thought he heard someone weeping at his side. Then he was sure that it sounded like his wife. Turning, he found that it was his wife, for she had been just a few feet behind him when he made his way to the altar. Together they made their commitment to Christ and to His service.
For a long time, you see, Satan had been telling Charlie that his wife would never be willing to yield to joyful Christian dedication. But the devil is a liar and the father of lies! He never tells the truth unless he can use it to whip you and embarrass you ? unless he can use it in his attempts to ruin you and you!
Amen you are such an inspiration God bless