https://odb.org/MY/2023/01/13/the-crowd
One of the characteristics that define us as a believer is Romans 12:2, that we do not conform to the pattern of the world but be transformed by the renewing of our mind so that we may be able to test and approve (prove) the will of God, His perfect and pleasing will. Thus, as Christians, we do not follow the crowd. Our beliefs can not be based on what is popular and common. Our faith can not be based on what the prevailing trend of thought is. This is because as the crowd sways, we must remain steady and steadfast to the cause.
Paul faced this situation after his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. After meeting Jesus face to face in a vision, His life changed immediately. He was trained as a rabbi and a Pharisee and was zealous for God by persecuting followers of the Way. Jesus confronted and asked him why he was persecuting Him? Paul then realised that Jesus was the LORD, and thus, his past zeal was misguided. The Messiah is already here, and he, Saul of Tarsus (his original name), was persecuting the Lord instead of serving Him!
Paul’s change of heart and motivation then presented him with a unique situation. He will now be going against the grain of public opinion then as the Jewish community and authorities regarded the way as wayward. In fact, even today, there are only a handful of followers of Yeshua among the 14-15 million of Jews worldwide. But instead of being fearful of the crowd, he confronted them and pointed out the errors of their ways. They have got it all wrong. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He is and was the Messiah they were all waiting for. He brought heaven down to them. He and His followers are the Kingdom of God here on earth! But this situation brought anguish to his heart as if he could, he preferred to be with his people, to be part of the crowd.
It is inevitable that as believers and followers of Christ, we need to make a stand, and that could be against the crowd. It is tough and difficult, but we must draw our line in the sand. There may come a time when we may be required to bow down and worship the golden image and receive the mark of the beast. We may well need to go against the crowd like Paul did during the early church or like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and Daniel did during ancient times. It could well be a question of life or death, which brings to mind Paul’s exhortation in Philippians 2:1 – to live is Christ, to die is gain, meaning to say, we will only choose to live if living is for Christ and thus if living means betraying Christ, then we will choose death.
Ronnie's Thoughts 