Most common perception is that what majority says is always right and
reasonable, so it must be followed. If any issue arises the voice of the
minority has no value, but the voice of the majority is implemented.
That is the way democracy works. But what the word of God has to say
about such a set up a for decision making. Shall we go by the opinion of
the majority or minority?
Even the secular people admit that majority is not always right! Most
often for truth, for principle there are only few remains. There are
certain people in history though they were alone, stood for a cause and
brought dramatic changes in their generation.
The word of God makes very clear that for God majority or minority does
not matter. Even if there is only one person who will listen to Him and
follow Him, God will be with Him and use Him.
Strange words & deeds
When Noah decided to trust
God and walk with the Him, he was alone. The entire generation was very
wicked. Gen. 6: 5 – 8. So whatever Noah did was against a popular
decision. Imagine the mockery, the rejection he might have suffered due
to his commitment to obey what God said. But faithfully Noah followed
the Lord in spite of what the majority said.
Consider the life of Abraham; when he began to follow the Lord, there
were not a large group to guide him. His only aim was to follow the Lord
at any cost; even he was willing to separate from his dear ones for
that. Gen. 12ff.
Tragedy
by majority
The tragedy of blindly
following the majority is found in Numb. 13. Israel will never forget
that. Ten out of the twelve spies spoke against an invasion. The ten saw
the giants but could not the see the hands of God that works for them.
They discouraged the heart of people and caused them to murmur against
God. We know what happened later. All of them, except that two - Joshua
and Caleb - had to perish in the wilderness before they could enter
Canaan. It took another 38 years!
Unbelief and disobedience is not just a silly thing. When God’s people
fail to honour His word and follow the Lord He takes it seriously. It
will never bring any good for us to just forsake the plain truth of the
word of God to please the public.
Beloved brethren there are such lot of scripture portions that very
vividly brings before us, that we should not be worried about the
popular view, but stand for what we understand from the word of God. We
should not fear man, fear God.
Paid dearly
When we think of the many
prophets of the Old Testament like Elijah, Isaiah and Jeremiah, they
ministered alone. They spoke not a popular message, but some thing that
was against the common idea, but which was the word of God. Yes, they
did suffer by the hands of their own people, yet they continued their
testimony.
We
are living in such a time, when many find it convenient to twist the
word of God in the name of progress or change. That calls us to take a
stand now.
When we come to the New Testament, John the Baptist was alone; his
message was not at all a popular one. We know the cost he had pay for
it. Later the message of the cross was not something that the majority
easily accepted. In most places they were a minority. The Lord Himself
said there will be many on the way to destruction but very few will find
the way to life. Matt. 7:13, 14. He knew very well that His people are a
little flock. Luke 12:32.
Changed history
As we come to the Church
history, what was the basic reason for reformation that led Church to
come out of the Dark Age? It was the commitment of one man of God –
Martin Luther - to stand alone for the conviction. Remember it was not
an easy thing. He had to stand against the whole world of Roman
Catholicism. Would it not be true that even history will salute this
great man for that brave decision?
Coming to the modern missionary movement, it was not based on a decision
made a large number of Christians. When William Carrey shared his desire
to go to India, most of his church members discouraged him. It was his
commitment to God’s call that brought him to India and today he is known
as the father modern missions. And many such spiritual awakening during
the last couple of centuries is because one or two whom the Lord
revealed certain spiritual truth stayed true to it and faithfully kept
and passed on to others.
Beloved, progress is not in going away from the word, not even taking
back what we forsook. Progress should be in deepening our understanding
of our Lord and His word. Even if alone let us follow what we know as
true. Even if all go the other way, let us stay true to the Lord. We may
feel rejected and despised but the Lord will stand with us. With the
Lord even one is a majority.
