Imagine that is was illegal to be a Christian.
In many times and places this has been the case. Early Christians were killed for their faith. Even today there are many places where it is not lawful to be a Christian with common beheadings and even crucifixions.
It is not illegal to be a Christian in the United States, but let us imagine that it is … Could any of us be convicted in a court of law as a Christian?
Is there enough evidence in our lives that a jury of our Non-Christian peers would convict us or would they acquit us based on “reasonable doubt?” What might they find?
Would they discover that we regularly attend Sunday worship and behave in a moral, upright fashion? Should this be enough to convict us or would it be too little circumstantial evidence?
If they dug deeper, talking with many witnesses from our family, friends and members of the Church … would they learn that we seldom read the Bible, pray only at meals (if then) and spend little time with other Christians apart from when we are assembled for Sunday worship?
It is reasonable for people to examine our lives in this way. Paul teaches that we ought to be examining ourselves:
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you are disqualified. 2 Corinthians 13:5
And again he says:
But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. Galatians 6:4
Would we be convicted? If not, what will we do about it? Peter has great advice for us:
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8
When I do, finally, stand before the Judge … I want to be convicted and hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant … enter into the joy of your Lord.” Matthew 25:21,23
What is the case against you? Let us be convicted!