The sin of remaining silent when we, as believers, should be telling the world what Christ has done for us is, indeed, a great transgression. We must remember that the only way for the gospel to be carried to the sinner is through the spirit filled believer's actions and words. Is it not a sin for us to refuse to speak up and warn unbelievers of the wrath of God, which will surely come upon this world of darkness? Can we be right with God and say nothing against the present evils, though they be among our relatives, classmates, and associates?

Obviously, there are too many believers who are keeping the good news of the gospel to themselves. They fear the reaction which the word of God often draws from those who refuse it. Too, I think, they don't care to be branded as different from other men. To state it plainly, they desire to be like the world, rather than be "separate from sinners", as was Christ Jesus (Heb.7:26). The world really expects to hear us speak out against wrong; so, let's not disappoint both the world and God by committing the sin of silence.

There is an axiom that "silence gives consent". This is true in the case of the believer who refuses to openly and audibly denounce sin. In the Bible we read that at the stoning of Stephen, Paul, as a young man, "was consenting unto his death" (Acts 8:1). How did he consent to this cruel injustice? We are told that those who stoned Stephen "laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul [Paul's earlier name]" (Acts 7:58). Paul, as far as we know, never said one word at Stephen's execution. He merely kept quiet.

My reader, can't you see the danger in making no utterance against wrong? Oh, that sin of forbearance, when God would have us to speak up, speak out, and be heard! Dear friend, can you imagine Andrew not telling his brother Peter that he had found the Messiah? Think what it would have meant, had the disciples kept quiet about the resurrection of Christ. If you have found the way of life, my friend, what are you doing about it? Are you telling others? When Peter and John were commanded by the rulers of the Jews not to speak any more of Christ, you remember, they said, "We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20).

It is difficult to grasp how anyone can remain silent after receiving the joy and peace of Christ, yet some are in this category. The reason for their silence is either that they do not take seriously their role of speaking for Christ or the unfaithful life they are living makes them ashamed to offer testimony. How pathetic!

There was only one Judas Iscariot; at the same time, there were many, young and old, who lined the streets, watching Jesus struggle with the weight and burden of the cross but made no outward protest. We might say that they were indifferent. But indifference is a great sin, too, when it comes to being indifferent to the cause of Christ. During the trial of our Lord, thousands of people, including Pilate, who said he could find no fault in Jesus, saw injustice take place before their very eyes; nevertheless, they maintained a state of quietness. Think how few rose up in protest, and then answer this question, "What would I have done, had I been there?" We can only answer that question by answering this one, "What am I doing about it now?" I hope, dear reader, that you are not letting Christ be crucified anew because of our habitual disinclination to speak out against wrong and hold up that which we know to be right and just.

God does not communicate truths to us to be buried but to be told to others. In other words, we are God's means of expressing Himself. It has pleased God to use believers as His mouthpiece throughout the past ages, and He will continue to do so, no doubt. We know that the message of salvation - the greatest news the world has ever heard - is in the hands of God; yet, it is administered to the needy through believers. Every true witness for Christ gives, at least, some assistance to this gigantic task.

Jesus, in speaking of repentance and remission of sins, told his followers, "Ye are witnesses of these things" (Lk.24:48). Reader, have you told someone about the way of life today? Yesterday? How about the day before? Unless we are daily testifying of our blessed Savior, we are poor witnesses for the cause Christ died to maintain.

"We are not all called to tell the world about Christ", someone has said. This has been a common protest among many believers. We all know, quite well, that God gives to some the specific gift of speaking and teaching His word to the unbelieving multitudes. This, however, does not excuse believers who do not have this evangelistic calling from their responsibility to be witnesses of the grace of God in their lives. Every child of God who has seriously made a commitment to Christ will find, sooner or later, that he or she must speak up and be a faithful witness or be a failure in the faith he represents. This is exactly what a believer is - a witness of Jesus Christ. No one is exempt from that calling. Remember, beloved, Jesus said, "Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God" (Lk.12:8).

The followers of Jesus who lived immediately following the resurrection and ascension of our Lord were effective in their ministry, for they were driven with an inner compulsion to go out and bestir the people, to insert into their hearts and minds the living word of God. Within a few years they came to be known as they who "have turned the world upside down."

Paul, in charging the elders of Ephesus, declared, "Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears" (Acts 20:31). Child of God, let's take this statement of Paul's and make it our own, bearing in mind the words of the Psalmist (126:5), when he declared, "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." Those glorious words have comforted the hearts of troubled and earth-weary saints from that day until now. And may I say, just here, if we are hoping for a good reaping, we had better be serious enough to start shedding a few tears to moisten the seeds we are sowing. Our words seem to penetrate a little deeper when sprinkled by drops of sincerity and compassion. The Psalmist (126:6) portrayed this beautifully when he said, "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."

My brother, my sister, we have the priceless privilege of keeping our testimonies, through prayer, alive. And a vibrant testimony is the means by which the congregation is victorious over the opposing, wicked forces which confront us in this world (Rev.12:10-11). This warfare is a battle to the death. There are no stalemates. Either you overcome the world or you will be overcome by it. But be of good cheer. The One who called us has overcome the world, and has given us His strength with which to face the powers of darkness which confuse this greatly troubled world. And so, now I commend you, my friends, "unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy"