Many of you have been spurned by your children and despised by those whom they have married, they will not express anything you have done, but really hate being corrected or instructed.
They were taught by extended family and the schools they attended that their mother and father were wrong and to be dismissed as stupid and foolish. Those they married were pampered all their lives, continually praised by family while having few, if any, rules. We see the same rebellion in the hearts of their parents.
I have noticed that these same people refuse instruction from anyone. They really believe they know it all and everything they do should be admired and accepted by anyone they allow in their lives. Of course this leaves out believers in Christ, who will never be a member of the "in crowd."
I praise God for this because it has allowed believers to focus entirely on Christ, those who love Him and new people who do not yet know Him. When being accepted by family is more important than living for Christ, we have idols in our lives, while being prevented from moving forward to new growing experiences, able too then to share the gospel with others who may be open to hearing.
When we see that we cannot live and speak freely our convictions, then it is time to move on. There are so many other wonderful experiences outside of family that we miss if we remain in these contentious and demeaning circumstances.
I write about this because there are many of you out there who are perplexed and confused by demeaning and dismissive treatment you have received. You cannot figure out what is wrong and they won't tell you, even when asked.
My guess is that there really isn't anything they can put their finger on, except the petty things contrived in their own minds. Really they are attempting to make us look bad when we did nothing to warrant this treatment. It is God they are in rebellion against, not us. When we can remember this, we can remain forthright, honest and bold as we continue on for the Lord.
If someone would like to challenge me on being so open on facebook about this, keep in mind that the story of Absalom, David's son is recorded in the Bible for all to see down through the ages, it has not been hidden for the sake of false family unity. There is the account of Job's children who were all killed while partying. Lot's sins with his daughters after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is described in the Word. Solomon's life of opulence and idolatry is recorded forever in the Bible, along with almost all the lives of the patriarchs.
God is not interested in continual praise for good works, but in showing that every man is sinful, in need of repentance and forgiveness. No man is innocent and no man can go a lifetime without chastisement or a need for brokenness over their sin.
It is not important to tell all the details all the time, but sometimes it is important to tell the truth for the sake of learning and encouragement for others. If we find someone becoming angry at our openness, perhaps these are people who are more concerned about appearances than they are about righteousness.
When someone becomes angry over being exposed then there is still rebellion in their heart. If someone is ashamed and repentant then they are on the road to cleansing and healing, there is no better place to be.
Ephesians 5:11 "11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; "
It is wicked to share the details of sin in the lives of people who have repented. However it is not wrong or sinful to expose the sin of those who remain in their sin. Not only should we expose it, to warn others, but when there has been a change, repentance, then we need to tell about that too.
The key to all of this is that it is important for people to see openness, heartache and healing, to pray, and then to see the transformation in the one who was healed because they confessed and turned. Anyone who wants to hide is not ready for confession and cleansing.
Perhaps often we hide the sins of family members because we are concerned about how others will think of us or that the one exposed will hate us. Neither of those things is a valid reason to protect the sinful person. It is better to tell the truth, pray for salvation and then glory in what God does in hearts. That way we see both circumstances, we see the evil so as not to be influenced by it and then we see a miracle of God in the changing of a heart.
Hiding is the devil's way not God's. If we can hide, we can pretend, there is no need to seek change or healing, we can keep on being wicked without any consequences or accountability.
Psalm 64:2 "Hide me from the secret counsel of evildoers, From the tumult of those who do iniquity,"
Luke 12:2 "Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known."
Ephesians 4:25 "Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another."
James 5:16 "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
We cannot confess our sins without revealing them. We cannot pray when we have no knowledge of the need for prayer. We cannot be cleansed and grow without a sense of sadness that we offended God and the accompanying confession.
A broken heart over sin will always bring openness and confession. Those who hide remain in their sin, without spiritual growth only to continue a hardening of the heart.
Ephesians 4:18
"They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart."
Matthew 13:14-15 "Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’"
Proverbs 28:13-14 "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity."
I never had to give up anything when I became born again. The sin fell away because of my love for Christ. I don't "follow" the commandments, they are a part of me because the "Law Giver" lives in me. The commandments were given to show people their inability to obey righteousness. It is only through Christ in us that we become righteous, not by following the law. The Law condemned us, it did nothing to make us righteous.
Romans 8:2-4 "…2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.…"
The Law no longer condemns believers, however the law in us condemns others who are walking disobediently. Even when we say nothing, we am reviled for the life we have chosen and are dedicated to, that is a life in Christ.
Many people who claim to be believers show signs of embarrassment to speak about Christ even anger when they are corrected according to the Word. When we see rebellion and resistance in hearts that claim to be saved, we might want to challenge them to ask God if they were ever born again.
Far too many people are caught up in a cultural Christianity, that bears little resemblance to the Christianity of the Bible. Our job as dedicated believers is to warn them.
Colossians 1:28-29 "28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me."
This mandate to admonish one another is not only for a select few, but every believer is responsible to do this.
1 Peter 2:9-10 "9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.…"
When Christ has changed us into a new creation, that means He changed the way we think, the way we think changes our responses to life. We no longer think they way we used to think.
Our thought life shapes our interpretation of things, our responses and our actions. Two people can see the same situation, one will interpret it as very negative and even be angry, while the other saw the value in it and is grateful for it.
1 Corinthians 2:15-16 "…15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ."
Without the wisdom of God, our mind tends to interpret circumstances based on how we would think, not on what is really happening. A bitter angry person will take the simplest and innocent matter and make it ugly and empty, because their view of life is inaccurate. A reasonable person who wants to know truth, we not be concerned about the small matters, but are looking at the bigger picture. Ungodly people tend to be petty, causing trouble often. The godly person who thinks with the mind of Christ, doesn't see the small matters, they are looking through God's eyes to the foundational truth.
Our actions and attitudes must be shaped by God's truth or we will tend to see life through our own lens of perverted twisted thinking. God clearly said we should "think with the mind of Christ." The only way to do that is to know His Word, the Bible, while praying continually that God would show us truth.
If we know the Bible, even every single detail in it, but have not asked for Him to show us truth, then we will have a lot of details in our head but possess little of His wisdom to interpret them in truth.
James 1:5-6 "5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind."
Those who have lots of details about the Bible but lack wisdom and understanding tend to negate many of God's principles while cherry picking those they like, ignoring those they don't like. This is a continual problem in the last days apostate church.
Proverbs 20:5-6 "5 A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water, But a man of understanding draws it out. 6 Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, But who can find a trustworthy man?…"
Psalm 118:7-8 "…7 The LORD is for me among those who help me; Therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me. 8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in princes.…"
Often those who are offended by God's truths, will deliberately ignore the wisdom of believers, even attempting to negate truth and those that are following hard after Christ.
John 3:19-21 "…19 "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 "But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."
In recent years it has become clear that many who love this worldly life, their elevated sense of superiority and their materialism, will be the most critical of believers. They will often chastise us for telling the truth, even for doing good things God has commanded us to do, to negate us in any way possible.
Titus 1:10-13 "For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons. This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith."
As difficult as it is to maintain loyalty to the Word of God in a world that hates us for doing so, the more staunch we become for Christ the easier it gets. When we see that nothing else and no one else takes priority over the principles of Christ, it is easy to follow that which we love.
Ezekiel 3:18-19 "If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul."
We are called to know His Word, obey it and warn believers of the consequences of disobedience and the eternal consequences of rejecting Christ for the non-believer.
