The Dickenson County herald. [volume] (Clintwood, Va.) 1927-1930, 1929-01-10
CONVICTION WITHOUT COURAGE
By Rev. M. F. Combs

My subject today is Conviction Without Courage;
my is John 12:42-43, which reads thus: "Never
theess among the chief rulers also many believed on
him. but because of the Pharisees they did not con-
fess him. lest they should be put out of the syna-
gogue Tor they loved the praise of men more than
praise of God.
When Nicodemus said: rabbi, know that thou
art teacher from Cod for no man can DO
these ,aes which thou doest eXcelA God be with
him. lie expressed his conviction; and at the
same tn ., that of his fellow Jewish rulers we'll.
ina Sc confession, however, was not made
publicly nor to his fellow rulers but to Jesus pri-
vately. Such public confession of Jesus would have
endangered Nicodemus' position ruler.
Then cy both John and Ncodemus told
that the cnief rulers well the people,
believed On Hm-believed that He the Son of
God, just He had many times avered that He
was 1ie ference between the belief of the
mon people and that of the chief This;
common people heard Him gladly, confessed Him
openly and followed Him faithfully; whereas, the
chief rulers heard Him mpatiently, believed Him
reluctantly, and with few exceptions, folowd Him not
at all
Forced, these chief rulers by the life and
miracles of Jesus, to believe Him the Son Of
God, why did they not confess and follow Him
such? Not because of unbelief but because He
not popular with the upper class, which composed
largely of Pharsees. These Pharisees hated and
pudated Him because He was not of their order-a
Pharisee-because He ate with pubcans and sinners;
and, of ALL because the people in large numbers
turning from them follow HIM. These
Pharisees deeply imbued with rue-or ruin
spirit Largely in control of the synagogue, they had
previously agreed that if any confessed that He
Christ he should be put of the synagogue.
/. First, them these throughly convinced rulers did
not confess Him because they
Popularity Seekers
Christ not popular with these hypocritica
Pharisees and the chief rulers loved their good opin
ion and praise than they loved tn praise God
They well knew what it took to gain the everlasting
honor and praise of God; but to do this, they had
to forfeit the good will of bunch of ill-living men
and bring themselves into the dsavor of that coerie
of cavailing Pharisees who would note go into tn
Kingdom themselves, allow others. They feared
their banter and raiery They shrank from the
thought of having the doors of the synagogue slam
med in their faces. Could they have confessed Him
and retained the plaudits of the Pharsees and the
advantages of the old orthodox Jewish synagogue
how gladly they would have dine it, But the one cost
the other and they chose the other
What contemplate buch of cowards Do you sup
pose they all dead? If you think So you are
wide of the On the paths of life we meet them
almost every day-men of station and influence some
of them who in the escrecy of their hearts believe
that He is the Lords Christ; but who for one rea-
another, will not confess Him before men
They know that the right of cnfesson Him
would mean that they would have go !the church
of their choice; but through fear of the opinion of
that 0her denomination, that organization or enter
PRISE largely controlled by members of another de-
nomination, they remain silent believers and the
devil "et~ credit for their beautiful lives With per-