I would like to share a short post by a friend of mine. Good content and hopefully will challenge us all to look at our lives through the glasses of scripture and see whether or not we are exercising true love or squishy love that is more concerned with self and culture/acceptableness rather than the truth of God.
It sickens me...all of this squishiness, flakiness, maleableness I see in the "Christian" community, of today.
Hey now, no one get up and speak the truth... Oh no, that might offend someone! And we know Jesus never offended anyone right? Paul never offended anyone, right? Or any of the other apostles? Wrong...
Often times when they spoke the truth, and they did so out of love (Jesus did so perfectly) they offended many. How could this be? Is this the same Jesus then, whom we hear of who was all about "peace and love?"
(He was/is about both, but not in the misinterpreted misunderstood way our twisted culture portrays it.)
Jesus was perfect! He was and is fully God and fully man...the Messiah. Even He offended people with the truth, in all His goodness, love, and perfection. How can we expect not to, when we are as dirt compared to Him?
Another question I may ask is, why do we feel we should try SO HARD not to?? I don't believe that we should be purposefully seeking opportunity to go out offending people with the truth of God's Word. No, we should seek to be loving and reach out to people in need. However, we should also not seek to avoid every situation in which we may be offensive to someone by living our lives for the Lord.
Yes, it is hard to find the balance between the two... I still am trying to fit both together so as not to lean towards an extreme of one and neglect of the other.
Still, I see far too many people trying so hard to avoid "stepping on toes" that they begin to misuse and twist the Scriptures even. Whether knowingly or not I cannot say, but it is dangerous ground to tread on either way.
What happens when a believer becomes so ingrained in our cultures' views and demands for tolerance, and "equality" in whatever the world deems acceptable, (this obviously excludes true Christianity) that they no longer preach the full message of the gospel?? The gospel that not only includes the truth of God's most amazing gift of grace and love toward us undeserving sinners, but also the importance of SINCERE REPENTANCE and CHANGE from our old nature into a NEW CREATION...the only way in which we can fully grasp the wonderful mercies of the Lord and the salvation He offers to the world. (Even then I don't believe we can completely grasp it, as it is so far beyond us!)
The "old time" message of "REPENT and be saved!" may seem outdated to a culture unwilling and very opposed to being faced with the fact that we must change our sinful lifestyles or face eternal agony... However, that message is still ever so relevant and needed! Who will stand up and preach that scriptural message, out of love, to this lost world today? Because, trust me, most of us are proud, arrogant, and sinful people who do not like being faced with the hideous nature of our hearts.
This message...no wait... The Word of God in and of itself WILL OFFEND the people! Especially today.
Who do you fear offending most?? The Almighty Creator by not speaking His truth clearly and accurately?! Or mankind, the created, who constantly reject the truth and the Great I Am?
Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. ~Matthew 10:34-39
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. ~Matthew 5:13
___________________________________________________________________________________
To add a tad bit to this, a phrase that I will borrow from a sermon I heard...
"The word of God is... The word of God!" Believe it or not it really is that simple.
It is not our concern whether what we have to say will offend someone. Our only concern is, whether we are saying the things God has called us to say. Truth, in love, will offend as stated above and backed by Mathew 10:34-39
As long as we know we have spoken the message God has laid on our hearts, our part is done. If they choose to be offended that is between them and God.
Peace to you all.
Hey now, no one get up and speak the truth... Oh no, that might offend someone! And we know Jesus never offended anyone right? Paul never offended anyone, right? Or any of the other apostles? Wrong...
Often times when they spoke the truth, and they did so out of love (Jesus did so perfectly) they offended many. How could this be? Is this the same Jesus then, whom we hear of who was all about "peace and love?"
(He was/is about both, but not in the misinterpreted misunderstood way our twisted culture portrays it.)
Jesus was perfect! He was and is fully God and fully man...the Messiah. Even He offended people with the truth, in all His goodness, love, and perfection. How can we expect not to, when we are as dirt compared to Him?
Another question I may ask is, why do we feel we should try SO HARD not to?? I don't believe that we should be purposefully seeking opportunity to go out offending people with the truth of God's Word. No, we should seek to be loving and reach out to people in need. However, we should also not seek to avoid every situation in which we may be offensive to someone by living our lives for the Lord.
Yes, it is hard to find the balance between the two... I still am trying to fit both together so as not to lean towards an extreme of one and neglect of the other.
Still, I see far too many people trying so hard to avoid "stepping on toes" that they begin to misuse and twist the Scriptures even. Whether knowingly or not I cannot say, but it is dangerous ground to tread on either way.
What happens when a believer becomes so ingrained in our cultures' views and demands for tolerance, and "equality" in whatever the world deems acceptable, (this obviously excludes true Christianity) that they no longer preach the full message of the gospel?? The gospel that not only includes the truth of God's most amazing gift of grace and love toward us undeserving sinners, but also the importance of SINCERE REPENTANCE and CHANGE from our old nature into a NEW CREATION...the only way in which we can fully grasp the wonderful mercies of the Lord and the salvation He offers to the world. (Even then I don't believe we can completely grasp it, as it is so far beyond us!)
The "old time" message of "REPENT and be saved!" may seem outdated to a culture unwilling and very opposed to being faced with the fact that we must change our sinful lifestyles or face eternal agony... However, that message is still ever so relevant and needed! Who will stand up and preach that scriptural message, out of love, to this lost world today? Because, trust me, most of us are proud, arrogant, and sinful people who do not like being faced with the hideous nature of our hearts.
This message...no wait... The Word of God in and of itself WILL OFFEND the people! Especially today.
Who do you fear offending most?? The Almighty Creator by not speaking His truth clearly and accurately?! Or mankind, the created, who constantly reject the truth and the Great I Am?
Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. ~Matthew 10:34-39
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. ~Matthew 5:13
___________________________________________________________________________________
To add a tad bit to this, a phrase that I will borrow from a sermon I heard...
"The word of God is... The word of God!" Believe it or not it really is that simple.
It is not our concern whether what we have to say will offend someone. Our only concern is, whether we are saying the things God has called us to say. Truth, in love, will offend as stated above and backed by Mathew 10:34-39
As long as we know we have spoken the message God has laid on our hearts, our part is done. If they choose to be offended that is between them and God.
Peace to you all.
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