Abandon all but faith

One of the favorite Bible stories told to children is Daniel in the Lion’s den.

It is a wonderful story of faith and trust in God, and in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is a story anathema to the old American way of thinking, but one that is all-important for the believer — total reliance.

Before we get to the reading of scripture, let’s do a little background on what was happening around Daniel.

Daniel was a powerful man in Nebuchadnezzar’s administration. Babylon ruled the cradle of civilization and most of the developed world at that time, about 600 years or so before the birth of Jesus Christ. Daniel saw the king’s sons take over for him and the kingdom began to crumble until the Medes and Persians conquered Babylon in 539 B.C.

Now Cyrus is in charge of the new Middle East empire, and once again Daniel, the Jew, showed himself worthy to the new Persian king, so some scheming officials decided to shut Daniel down. They went to the king and asked him to make a law that nobody could worship any thing but king Darius. The king agreed and made a law. Needless to say, Daniel would bow to only the God of Israel, and the men scheming against Daniel didn’t forget to remind the king of the new law to which he agreed.

 “Then they said to the king, ‘Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.’ When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.

“Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, ‘Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.’

“So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions, den. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!’

“A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.

“At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?’

“Daniel answered, ‘May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.’

“The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.” — Daniel 6:13-23

Quickly, there are three things we must realize and strive to be as representatives of Christ on this dying planet.

• The first thing for us to remember is that we must live lives worthy of the name of Christ. Many can call themselves by that name, but few are the ones who live it. Those that do live for Christ alone standout like a sore thumb in this world of sin. The same was true in Daniel’s day.

For sure, there were many who called themselves Jews, but in name only. They did not live like a separate people unto God, they lived as the nations. But, Daniel lived a life devoted to God and the people saw it, and there were many who hated him for it.

• That leads us to the second point; people will hate us because we live a life not for the world, but for the One who saved us from the world.

Jesus told us in Luke 21:17 “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.”

Daniel was willing to live that life, even in the face of criminal penalty, because he served his God above and beyond anything else. God had given Daniel everything he had attained, Daniel knew this and he would look to nothing else but God for his needs.

Open you eyes folks and look at the world around you, the forces are arrayed against the God of Israel, the forces are arrayed against those who are called by Christ’s name. There is a deep-seeded hate within people when it comes to Christ.

We cannot expect the world to love us when everything we believe in with Christ stands against everything the world holds up as important. In the world’s eyes a true believer in Christ is the enemy and we should expect to be treated as such.

Daniel was not surprised by the actions taken against him. He did not say, “I’m a good man, I don’t deserve this.” Daniel knew what was coming, and never once did he let that stand between him and God.

• The third thing we must learn, when we abandon everything, all of our so-called knowledge and wisdom, our reliance on others and we completely put ourselves in God’s hands, then God not only will rescue us from the mouths of lions, but he will use us as a witness.

Filling out the rest of Daniel 6, after Daniel was pulled out of the lions’ den, Darius threw his accusers in, and issued a decree across the land that everybody in every part of his kingdom must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.

In John 8, we see the image of a woman caught in adultery and brought before Jesus. According to the Law, death would soon overtake her. As she laid on the ground before Jesus’ feet, she had no other hope, the only thing she could do was to abandon herself to the strange man standing in front of her.

In the face of certain death, Jesus sent her accusers away, then he said to the woman, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?’

“She said, ‘No one, Lord.’

And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

Her hope was gone, but in Jesus she found life. What happened to her was written in the gospels and because she trusted in Jesus to save her, her life became a witness to others.

In Dante’s “Inferno,” there is a sign for those entering out of limbo and into the circles of Hell, it read, “Abandon all hope ye that enter here.”

For those alive here on earth without Christ, it seems that is their motto. They have no hope, but for the Christian, our sign should read, “Abandon all the world, and enter the hope that is Jesus!”

Each of us must ask this question, are we holding on to something in this world, or are you willing to abandon all for the sake of Christ so that your life can be held up as a witness to the world?

If the answer is yes, then ask Jesus to fill you with his spirit, confess your sins to him, turn away from them and turn to the one who will wash you clean with his own precious blood.

What a wonderful savior we serve.