How to Choose: Stand Up or Fit In

An Eastern European pastor acknowledges his situation has worsened in recent months but vows to continue serving God and his people. “After all,” he says, “evil will continue until Jesus returns. We don’t ask God to change our circumstances but to change us, so we remain Christ-like.”

Faithfulness to God becomes more challenging as cultural attacks on biblical morality increase. What should Jesus’ followers do if standing for their beliefs could cost friends, money, family relationships, or more?

Forced to Choose

In 605 BC, God’s judgment on the Israelites’ idolatry continued as the Babylonians drove thousands of Jews to Babylon. The Jewish captives, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, soon rose to prominence in the Babylonian government.

King Nebuchadnezzar erected a gold-plated monument to honor his kingdom and himself. To demonstrate his power, he demanded “nations and peoples of every language” fall on their faces and worship the image when they heard music played (Daniel 3:4). Those who disobeyed would be thrown into a fiery furnace, probably the same one used to make the monolith.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could have made many excuses for ignoring God’s commandments. “We’re bowing on the outside but standing on the inside.” “Everyone sins. What makes this sin different?” “The cost of disobedience is too high. God will understand.” Yet they agreed to resist the king’s command.

The test came soon enough. The men gritted their teeth when the instruments played but stayed upright as the multitude around them hit the dust. Looking around in terror, they wondered, “Where are our fellow Jews? Why aren’t they, too, honoring God?” Still, they stood. Alone.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s colleagues accused them of being disloyal, disobedient, and disrespectful. An enraged Nebuchadnezzar interpreted their resistance as treason. Convinced of his ultimate authority and power, he offered them a second chance to obey.

When you hear the sound of the… music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. If you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?

Daniel 3:15

Confirming Their Choice

But the young men replied,

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. 

Daniel 3:17-18

Confident that God could deliver them but not that he would, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to base their faith on whether God did what they wanted. We may question why they chose persecution. But to them, the choice was faithfulness to Nebuchadnezzar or God. So, they stood, choosing God and trusting his sovereignty in triumph or tragedy.

Furious and incredulous, the king ordered the furnace to be heated to its maximum temperature. The heat of the fire symbolized the intensity of his anger—he could rule an empire, but not his spirit.

Then Nebuchadnezzar ordered his soldiers to bind the three men and throw them into the flames. To his amazement, he saw the men walking unbound in the furnace, and a fourth man was with them. When the king called the men out, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego obeyed, bearing no evidence of the fire.

Application

What should we do when culture demands we fit in rather than stand up for our beliefs? Our response shows who we are today and shapes who we’ll be tomorrow. How can you represent God’s truth with clarity and compassion?

• Base convictions on biblical truth, not popular thought. God has not revised his definition of right and wrong.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

2 Timothy 3:16

But of course, not everyone knows Jesus or accepts God’s Word as authoritative.

• Bear truth with love, not temper. Human anger never produces the righteousness God desires (James 1:20). Answer antagonism with God’s aggressive grace in your attitudes, actions, and words.

 [Speak] the truth in love.

Ephesians 4:15

• Build bridges, not barriers. Those who disagree are not the enemy but victims of our true adversary. When you embody God’s love, you increase your chances of building a ministry-driven relationship.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Romans 12:18

God’s greatest gift isn’t his protection from difficulty but his presence with us and the transformation he accomplishes in us through it. Although you may be in a fiery furnace, God stands with you and will empower you to engage with grace and emerge stronger.

Observation

1. Why did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image?
2. How did Nebuchadnezzar challenge God’s honor and power?
3. Scholars debate the identity of the fourth man in the fire. Some say he was the pre-incarnate Christ. Others say he was an angel. What do you think and why?
4. Where do you see God at work in this passage?

Action

1. In what areas do you see culture challenging God’s truth? When are you tempted to revise God’s Word to fit the culture rather than stand firm?
2. Maintaining a Christ-like attitude amid the culture wars requires the work and fruit of the Spirit. What steps can you take to prepare your spirit to reflect God’s?
3. How can you show the love of Jesus to those with whom you disagree?
4. Where do you see God at work in your story?

Petition

Always-Present-God, you never leave me alone but stand ready to carry me through whatever trials or challenges I face. Grant me wisdom, grace, and courage to depend on you in my crisis, to stand firm when I must choose between standing up for your truth or allowing culture to squeeze me into its mold. Amen.