The Courage to Confront
You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” – 1 Samuel 17:45 “You are the man!” – 2 Samuel 12:7
“It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” – Mark 6:18
I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” – Luke 13:5
“But now you seek to kill me, a man that has told you the truth, which I heard from God: this did not Abraham.” – John 8:40
“But Peter said to him, “Your silver perish with you, because you thought to obtain the gift of God
with money You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.” – Acts 8:20-1
“But Saul, who is also Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him and said, “O full of all
guile and all villany, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not seek to
pervert the right ways of the Lord?” – Acts 13:9-10
“Now some of you are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you shortly,
if the Lord will; and I will know, not the word of them that are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” – 1 Cor. 4:18-21
“ But when Cephas came to Antioch, I resisted him to the face, because he stood condemned.” – Galatians 2:11 “So then, am I become your enemy by telling you the truth?” – Galatians 4:16 “Them that sin, reprove in the sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear.” – 1 Timothy 5:20 True faith produces courage that truth must be spoken regardless of cost to ourselves. Satan leads us into compromise and he offers many reasons to do so. At some point we should recognize our inclination to go along and keep quiet. It is often said, "you cannot change someone else" . While this is true, it is equally true that we may confront those who to to conceal sin. Each of us is responsable in our own place, with the matters we are aware of. As yeast permeates a lump of dough, sin unchallenged, leavens a church. The Corinthians were already “puffed up” to keep company with a fornicator. Paul wrote to them, “deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” – 1 Cor. 5:5. That instruction worked (2 Corinthians 2:6) Without conviction of sin, lives remain unchanged. If we fear God, the Spirit will fill us with courage to speak truth in love - firmly or gently - to set the captives free. The word we read will fill our hearts, and we will speak . " But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, I believed, and therefore did I speak; we also believe, and therefore also we speak." - 2 Corinthians 4:13 |