Speaking the Truth with Boldness Pt.3
Getting personal
Often, it gets personal. There are three reason for this:
1. To append fault to the messenger.
They think by appending fault, they can vilify and discredit the messenger. Therefore, either justifying their sin or excusing the wrath of God. This is completely stupid. Even if the speaker of the gospel was a transvestite whore it still wouldn’t justify the sin and excuse the wrath of God to the hearer. No one is judged based off the sins of another. Everyone is judged individually and according to the standards of God.
2. “I’m too sinful to speak the gospel.”
As a person who’s often examines himself, I used to wonder if the characteristics my opponent would append to me were really true. I would think, “Am I doing this in pride, am I being too harsh?” I finally realized that it was a trick of the enemy. While we can become proud, we must examine ourselves and know that pride leads to a fall (2 Cor 13:5, Pro 16:18). As true followers of God, we mustn’t preach the gospel in the flesh. And when we are accused of pride, usually by some religious leader, we must be sure they aren’t telling the truth. Because then, we have no business telling people about God until this is resolved. On the other hand, we mustn’t allow the enemy to lie to us, leading to our self-examination and backing away from the preaching of the gospel because we feel we are unfit to preach.
3. To put you on the defensive.
This is the devil’s way of getting you to be offended, to stir up pride, so that a simple delivery of a message turns into a competition of who can out-talk the other. Winning an argument becomes the focus and not the simple delivery of the message. A mailman isn’t offended if he delivers a bill and the recipient hates him for it. The recipient is mad at the company who sent the bill, not the mailman. The mailman doesn’t take it personally. This is how you and I have to look at it. They may personally attack us, but it’s because they’re mad at Jesus Christ.
Don’t allow people to get you offended to the point that you start defending your entire character and lifestyle. I know of many times I was put on the defensive by people who simply didn’t want to hear the gospel truth of God. We shouldn’t be led into personal defensiveness, but rather stay within the topic of the gospel. God is our defender. Whatever they say about us it irrelevant, it has nothing to do with the truth of God. However, we should seek to be blameless, so that there is no fault or pride that can be used against us (Philippians 2:15).
We need to learn to shut up
When I encounter scoffers, pigs and dogs, as the bible refers to them, I leave them alone and give them to God. There is no need to engage them any further. To do so would only bring shame, guilt and unnecessary, physical violence. It is not our jobs to save anyone. We don’t have to exert all this energy to get someone to see the truth or believe the bible. Some are simply blinded by demons (2 Corinthians 4:4) or delusions (2 Thess 2:11-12) and God hasn’t revealed the truth to them yet. Others are reprobate and God is finished with them (Romans 1:28).
We mustn’t be one of these people who has to make people see it our way. This is a clear sign of pride. The pride in a Christian will make them think that the rejection of the gospel is a personal attack in which they take offense, when really, God is the only one who should be offended. Let’s be like the mailman and not care about the recipient’s reaction to the bill. Let’s not take it personal. Drop the attitude. Forget those people. I’ve lost most of my energy trying to convince Baptists and Calvinists of the error in the doctrine of Eternal Security. If they want to believe it, let them. It’s their souls, not mine.
After the case has been made and the gospel as been preached, there is no need to continue to go back and forth with a person. Let them talk their talk and throw insults, but let’s not return evil for evil:
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:44-48).
I know it can seem unfair to listen to insults without returning the same, but God is our avenger (Romans 12:19). Our flesh wants to return evil for evil, but God wants us to be like him. People curse Jesus out everyday, but he doesn’t cause lightning to strike them down. Let’s be like Christ. Verbal persecution doesn’t compare to being beaten, burned alive, whipped, stabbed and some of the torture we will have to go through, but words still hurt. God is with us and I personally want to get to the place where I rejoice in persecution for Christ’s sake (Acts 5:41). I say “I want to get to the place”, because I’m not there yet.
The Holy Spirit
After many opportunities to speak-up and tell the gospel truth, I was dead silent. The Holy Spirit showed me just how much the old man was still alive in me, how weak I am, and how much I need the power of the Spirit. Writing the truth via a blog or email can be difficult. Speaking via telephone can be even more difficult. But the hardest is the face to face, especially if there’s more than one person.
I’ve learning that the more I fast, pray, and ask for his power, the more the old man dies, the more bold I become, and the more the new man flourishes in the power of the Spirit. In this state, I don’t care what others think or do because the flesh is dead, and the Spirit of God uses my body and tongue to speak the bold truth. I pray that I and all Christians become bold enough to stand with and for Christ Jesus in these last and evil days.
Thanks Neal. This has helped me a lot. I had tired of the fight. The lies of the enemy combined with my sudden busyness had brought seeds of doubt, maybe I was being to harsh, was I being prideful etc, the same question you asked yourself. The truth is the truth. Once we allow any of these lies of religion to water down the truth, we ourselves are put in compromising position. Compromise with the world and the religion of the beast leads to the broad road to destruction.
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Amen Pete. I’m glad that this has helped you.
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God bless you for this work Neal. I have really been blessed by this series you have done.
In Jesus
Deborah
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Thanks Deborah. This is encouraging.
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