Next time someone accuse you of "saying that in a mean way", simply ask them again, "what did you think of what was said." The fact that more times than not they will refuse to engage in the subject matter while continuing to rage at our character flaws, tells us they are angry that the Holy Spirit convicted their heart.
There is a favored manipulation that has become common, that is to accuse others of a mean act when they did not act in a mean way. The hearer just didn't like hearing truth so the bomb inside of them exploded.
Manipulation was widely used by the devil as he deceived Eve in the garden. He was able to convince a child of God to dishonor and disobey God to elevate self.
This same tactic is happening today. When Christ in you tells you to speak the truth, the devil will not like that and use many tricks to make the reaction of others to be vitriolic while attempting to guilt the one who spoke truth.
We live in a culture now that watches someone get angry and interprets that as "someone must have made them angry." The truth is that no one makes another person angry. When there is anger it is a demonstration of what was already hidden inside of the angry person.
Believers are lied against continually these days. The angry culture will accuse us of things we never did or intended to make us become angry. We don't have to be angry, we can consider the source, that is the devil and leave him and his flying monkeys to the Lord.
Romans 12:18-19 "…18If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” "
God never said we would be at peace with everyone, He said "as far as it is possible." That means that it will not always be possible to be at peace with wicked stubborn men. We will make sure we did no revenge and we spoke as led by the Holy Spirit, the fault of the lack of peace is on the angry one, not on the one who spoke from God.
Noah and Lot were both hated in their times. We can expect the same thing in our time.
Matthew 10"21-23 "…21 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone on account of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Truly I tell you, you will not reach all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes."
If our witness depended on our own delivery then these scriptures would not be accurate. We share the truth because we love God more than anyone else. We share the truth because we care about the fate of those we speak to, this is the love God was speaking about.
God was not speaking about the gooy friendly happiness to manipulate people into becoming a Christian as so many think. The love of God brings sinners to their knees in repentance because of the power of God's Word. Its not about our delivery, its not about us at all, it about speaking truth and allowing the Holy Spirit to convict hearts.
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