Don’t Keep Jesus A Secret
Luke 12:51 says “‘Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division [between believers and unbelievers];’”
Although Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), He did not come to bring it to all of mankind. You see, Jesus came to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17) that was given to the Israelites that separated the just from the unjust and the clean from the unclean. Jesus came to bring division, separating those who believed from those who did not believe so that those who did would become His children (John 1:12).
As Children of God, believers, we must be fully committed to the Lord and Him only. Brothers and sisters, you can not have the best of both worlds. You either serve God COMPLETELY or you serve Satan unknowingly (sometimes even knowingly) … there is no in between. Jesus was clear in Revelations 3:15-16 that you’re either hot or cold. If you are not fully committed to the Lord then you are subject to serving the god of this world. And a huge part of being committed to Him is being committed to His cause; not keeping Jesus a secret.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 says
I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.
As Christians it is our job to tell of the goodness of our Lord and Savior. The Lord showed me the other day how we have become accustomed to keeping Jesus a secret. In some instances, people are afraid to correct their fellow believers when they see them living in sin, they’re turning from the sound doctrine of The Word and manipulating it to fit their agendas. Others have become afraid to share His Word because it has been labeled ‘unpopular’ or they would be ostracized for their beliefs. We must not be gatekeepers of the Truth.
Correction Not Judgment
Ever realize how quick people are to call you judgmental when you try to correct them? Or if you see someone's fruits (Matthew 7:16), and you call them so, you get labeled as being judgmental? Yea I know, we all have. Let's talk about the difference though because as Children of God we are CALLED to correct, not judge our fellow brethren. I learned that the difference between correction and judgment lies within the differences between conviction and condemnation.
The Holy Spirit was left by Jesus to convict the world from sin, meaning to encourage people to turn away from their sinful ways (John 16:8). As believers, we are called to patiently rebuke and correct those whom we see are being led astray. Now the word rebuke above in 2 Timothy does not give us permission to say “I rebuke…” (only the Lord has the power to rebuke the powers of darkness;Zechariah 3:2) nor does it give us the right to be harsh in the guise of correction. What scripture means here is to correct in a manner that brings about restoration. Let’s look at the story of the prophet Nathan and King David.
2 Samuel 12:1-10 says,
The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”
David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”
Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in His eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’
Everyone knows the infamous story of David and Bathsheba and how he had Bathsheba’s husband (Uriah) killed to cover up his sin of committing adultery with Bathsheba. I love how the prophet Nathan approached David with love, not trying to yell or condemn him, but still made sure David knew his wrong doings. Now it was not easy for David to hear nor Nathan to share, but it had to be done! Regardless of the how nice Nathan said it, David would still experience conviction as The Word cuts (Hebrews 4:12).
The Lord tells us that if we see our brethren falling, we must restore such a one (Galatians 6:1-2, James 5:19-20). We are to correct them with patience, love, and encouragement, so they are able see their wrong doings and repent. And He also advises us what to do if our brethren refuse to accept our correction. First, we are reminded to put in the effort to help restore them to Christ. If they refuse to hear, we are to bring witnesses including our other brethren and the elders of the church to try to correct them (Matthew 18:15-17). If they still do not listen, then we are to shake the dust off our feet (Matthew 10:14) and continue on, separating yourself from them (1 Corinthians 5:33, Matthew 18:17, Ephesians 5:11).
Now condemnation on the other hand falls into being judgmental. The moment you start to diminish or deplore someone because they too have fallen short, then you’ve crossed the line from convicting to condemning. It boils down to this; Romans 3:23-24 tells us that EVERYONE has sinned, therefore, we are not called to judge. The story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-10) is a perfect example of the harms of judgment, but it also highlights the difference between the people in the Temple and the prophet Nathan. The people in the Temple were ready to stone the woman until Jesus exposed them for being judgmental. Instead of encouraging the woman and leading her out of her sin, they condemned her, missing the chance to truly minister to her. With Nathan, he was able to show David his sin without calling for him to be stoned because he knew David needed to be corrected, not judged.
Walking in Holy Boldness
Holy Boldness is something I’ve learned a lot this year! The Lord calls all of His children to be bold and courageous, I mean after all, the cowards are the first ones listed to be casted into the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8). We must never get haughty (Proverbs 16:5), but, we should be willing and ready to give an account of our beliefs at all times (1 Peter 3:15-16). We are accountable for those we lead to the Lord and astray from Him (Esther 4:14, James 4:17). So remember never be afraid to stand firm on your convictions and beliefs in Father God! Jesus already told us we will be hated for His name sake (John 15:17), so walk in boldness and never forget you are a Child of the Most High God who is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).
If you would like to ask the Lord to give you the courage and strength to continue His cause, say the following prayer with me!
Lord, I first thank You for your goodness and mercy you have towards us. I ask God that you forgive me for any time I failed to share your Word or I failed to do what you have called me to do. I bind the spirit of fear in Jesus name and ask that you send it back to the dry places and render it null. I ask for your Holy Spirit to come upon me to guide me and to give me the courage and wisdom to share your Word and correct my brethren in a manner that is pleasing to you. I bind any spirits of pride or rebellion that might block the conviction that your Spirit is trying to send to me in the name of Jesus and ask that you send them back to the dry places from which they came. I open my heart unto you and invite you in to transform me and use me to advance your kingdom.
And in Jesus’ name, I pray,
Amen.
Go in peace!