Lately I find myself wanting to scream at the top of my lungs something that is weighing so heavily on my heart of late.
Everyone talks about what we are called to do and not do in Christ, and in recent years the message has become condensed into that of Love, Forgiveness and Acceptance, but brothers and sisters I am here to tell you, that is not the whole story!!! For our God IS a jealous God (Ex 20:5, 2 Cor 11:2), and a God of Wrath (Rom 1:18, Rev 16:19)! YES He absolutely loves us, and if we seek forgiveness with REPENTANT hearts, it is ours. BUT if we choose sin over OBEDIENCE, silence over BOLDNESS, and deceit over TRUTH, then we are NOT following the call the that Christ issued!
Yes, we are commanded not to judge a person's heart, as only the Father in Heaven knows the secrets of man's heart, BUT we ARE called to judge actions, practices, and doctrines so that we will not be led astray and given to deceit (2 Cor 4:2, Eph 5:6, 2 Tim 3:13). In order to determine what is right and wrong, we must be in scripture. We were given the word of God as a guide to our thoughts, behaviors, and actions and as a measurement for separating truth from lies (Ps 119:105, 1 Pet 1:23, Heb 4:12). We have been warned to guard against deceit, against that which leads His children astray, and against sinful behaviors. (Jude 3-22, Acts 20:24, Acts 20:28-30) If we do not speak the truth against such things then by our actions (silence) we are CONDONING those things which are not in keeping with the word of God, and for every person we either purposefully or by omission lead astray, and every stumbling block we lay or allow to remain unhindered in the path of another, shall have to answer for to our Father in Heaven on the day of our Judgement.
Jesus did not preach quietly or in fear of His safety, social status, or loss of riches. He spoke boldly and with confidence! It is through the Holy Spirit, with the example of Christ and armed with the word of God that we are to also boldly bring the truth to the world, and help our brothers and sisters in Christ in our walk and aid each other should we stumble. "And He Himself game some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all thing into Him who is the head -- Christ-- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." - Eph 4:11-16 Every day we are to put on the armor of God to protect us, equip us for spiritual battle, and to guide us in His wisdom and will. (Eph 6:10-18)
Our purpose in Christ is not to seek popularity or esteem in the world, but to share the truth; not to cling to this life forsaking the commands of our Father, but to submit to His will with confidence, peace and joy in our hearts through faith in Him!
