Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”
--John 4:16-18
Being intolerant of sin is one of the most practical ways to really love someone… as Jesus shows us many times in the Scripture.
Now, does that mean that we should be intolerant of sinners? Absolutely not! Christ frequently interacted with the worst “sinners” of His day.
But He didn’t just interact with those who were caught in the grip of sin. He loved them enough to tell them that they were heading down a dead-end road.
But we live in a culture where anyone who stands for truth is seen as intolerant. People are expected to be tolerant of everything and everyone except those who are willing to stand for what is right!
The fact is, what this world needs… what the church needs… and what your sphere of influence needs is a Christian who will say, “You know, I’m going to take a stand for the truth of God’s Word. I’m going to buck the system of this world and in love, I’m going to call right, right and I’m going to call wrong, wrong.”
You know, it doesn’t take a thousand people to start a revival. It only takes a few! It only takes a few who will be willing to be used by God to start that fire.
So let me ask you… are you willing to be used by God? Are you willing to take a stand for what’s right… even if it comes at great personal cost to you?
God is looking for a few good men and women… a remnant… who are willing to pay the price for Him. It’s my prayer that you will be one of those brave men or women who takes a stand for God’s truth in the face of our godless culture!
Being intolerant of sin is one of the most practical ways to really love someone.
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.”
Luke 21:9–11
The message of Jesus to His disciples (and to us) regarding the future was not that everything was going to be fine and that there would be no problems to worry about. Instead He said that there would be wars, natural disasters, and all kinds of trouble. Yet despite that grim prospect, He commanded them not to be gripped by fear. Many times we view fear as caused by our circumstances; but in truth, fear is found in our heart, not in what we see around us.
Peter learned this lesson well. When Herod began to persecute the church to stop the spread of the new religion, he first killed James, and then he arrested Peter, intending to kill him as well. The church stayed up all night praying the night before Peter was to be executed. But as for Peter, he went to sleep! In fact he was sleeping so soundly that when the angel came to rescue him, he had to give Peter a good whack to wake him up. “And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands” (Acts 12:7).
Our confidence and lack of fear is not found in the knowledge that nothing will ever go wrong, but in the faith that God is in control. Whether He delivers us by a miracle or welcomes us to Heaven, He makes no mistakes.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Life is filled with difficulty and trouble, but our circumstances can never cause us to fear unless we allow it.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment