Bring Out the Cowardly
Bring Out the Cowardly is something heard in a movie…never. I have also never read a book with that language. Have you? In preparing for a long, dangerous trip or a battle who do you want with you? Most likely you would never ask the cowardly to be a part of your group. One would never say “bring out the cowardly” for my team. Instead you would hope to pick the brave as your comrades. You would want the courageous by your side, hand in hand, for the challenge at hand.
The Courageous
September 11th is a special day. For our family, it’s a day to celebrate our daughter’s birthday and the joy she brought when she was born. It’s a day to remember how much Rachel means to us, to be thankful that God brought her into the world, and to be thankful for another year of her life. In the US it is also Patriot Day, a day when we remember the tragedy of the terrorist attacks and a time to reflect on the bravery and courage of so many Americans. For many of these men and women, their bravery and courage cost them their lives.
Fast forward to today and those two words are not on the tips of anyone’s tongue like the days after the worst attack on US soil. Instead, COVID-19 is the buzzword of the day. It, along with fear and doubt, is all that is on the airwaves. It has become the center of so many lives. This generation has changed a lot over the last several years. As I recently heard on the radio, the September 11th attacks brought people to the churches, the fear of the coronavirus have driven people out.
I recently read a news article discussing how so many people have become cowards because of the coronavirus. Indeed, the virus has brought fear on an untold number of people, unbelievers and religious people alike. Likely, we all know many people who are paralyzed by the fear of the virus. While the article was an interesting read, I wonder if the “panic-demic” has actually created that many cowards or has actually served to expose them.
The Second Death
Have you ever conducted a study on what God says about cowardliness? In Rev 21:6-8 God says, “And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.””
Are the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars mentioned here those that have never obeyed the gospel and put on Christ? If it lists those that have never become a Christian I wonder if everyone on this list would be an unbeliever. Could it be possible this list includes those that have named Christ but have been ensnared by these particular sins?
God Is Kidding, Right?
Unfortunately, I fear we often times have ideas in our own minds about “oh, that is a bad sin”, or “that sin is not so bad”. Do you believe someone who tells lies sins as “bad” as someone who murders? How can the idolaters suffer the same fate as an unbeliever or murderer?! I do not believe God ranks sin. It is something that we do, to our detriment. God hates all sin and states (very simply) those who will be in the lake of fire and brimstone, the 2nd death, in this particular passage. Included in this list are the cowardly so we should look at its definition.
Defining Cowardly
Cowardly is defined as “lacking courage”. Everyone probably has an idea of what courage looks like. Courage is defined as the ability to do something that frightens one. Also, it is strength in the face of pain or grief. Sometimes it is helpful to define a word by looking at its opposite to help paint a better understanding! Cowardice is a trait wherein excessive fear prevents an individual from taking a risk or facing danger. It is the opposite of courage. As a label, “cowardice” indicates a failure of character in the face of a challenge. One who succumbs to cowardice is known as a coward. And the coward acts cowardly. How does God define cowardly? That’s what is most important!
God Says the Cowardly Will Be Lost Eternally
God also says in this passage there are unbelievers, abominable people, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters and liars who will suffer the same fate. Have you heard God’s word spoken by others that we should flee sexual immorality, to not murder (or even have thoughts of killing), to not lie, to not have things in our lives that become our idols, to BE believers and not unbelieving? All of these things are accurate and God’s truth! Why do we not speak just as strongly against the sin of being cowardly?
Measuring Cowardliness
How does one measure cowardliness? We can’t pour it in a measuring cup or stretch out a measuring tape to see its length or breadth. It is not a yellow stripe that can be seen on our bodies. Although God knows the true measure in all of us, I suppose that cowardliness is something that is demonstrated. In that sense, it is similar to faith and fear. Neither of those can be measured either.
Faith-ful-ness (full of faith) or faith-less-ness (lacking faith) and fear-ful-ness (full of fear) or fear-less-ness (lacking fear) are things demonstrated. God says our faith is shown (or on display) by our works (our actions.) Sometimes we count others as being faithful or fearful (or faithless or fearless) and we make that determination based on their actions. And occasionally we come to realize we were wrong in what we had believed in others, when their actions show us otherwise.
The cowardly are some of those that God says will be lost. I am not the judge and absolutely not in the position to place condemnation on this individual or that individual or this group or that group. Does that mean that we should never speak against cowardliness? When was the last time you thought about cowardliness in your life? Maybe it’s as deceptive as many other sins and it’s hard to see it in ourselves. Calling out sin in others is a hard thing to do. We know that we all sin, as no one is perfect. I believe many people are afraid of being accused of being self-righteous so they remain silent. I sometimes wonder how much of our inaction could cause others to be lost.
The Endangered Species
Cowardliness is not something that I had considered very much until recently, when the passage above was read in a recent sermon. Since there is not much talk about cowardliness it must mean the cowardly no longer exist, right? Correct and neither do the others listed in this passage.. the unbelieving, abominable, murders, sexual immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars. NO! All of those sins in the passage are still prevalent and we must guard against them today, lest we be overcome by the things that God says will condemn us. I have never met anyone who claims they are cowardly.
Are God’s Children the Cowardly?
God calls His children to be the lights in this world! We must be a people full of faith (FAITHFUL!). We are told not be full of fear (fearful), only to fear and revere God. God says that we must fear Him and keep His commandments, for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
We must be a people full of courage and not be the cowardly. Can we be both faithful and cowardly at the same time? God knows who we truly are and may we all be pleasing in His sight!
Sept 17, 2020 9:32 pm