No Shrinking

.. for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.  Acts 20:27

 

This past week some Christian friends were ministering in Seattle, Washington. They were there specifically to proclaim the gospel publicly and to challenge the thinking of many Christians there who have not stood for the truth of God’s Word in the midst of a depraved society.

In most places, they were not well received. With the exception of a small remnant from a couple of churches, even the Christians seemed to be threatened or angered by their presence.

In Acts 20:17-38 Paul is speaking to the elders from Ephesus for the last time. He tells them that he had not shrunk (ESV) from preaching to them the whole counsel of God. He says that he declared to both Jews and Greeks that they were to turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. A little later, in verse 27, he again says that he did not shrink from proclaiming the whole counsel of God to them.

Jesus said that man should not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4). “Every” Word. We are not to pick and choose which ones we’ll adhere to and which ones we’ll simply ignore because we don’t like them.

Timothy reiterated the point in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” “All” Scripture.  It takes every word of God to completely train us in righteousness.

We are to use God’s Word to teach, correct, rebuke, and train. Why do we Christians hate it when this is actually done?

The answer is the fear of man. Couch it how you will, the bottom line is that we don’t want to ruffle anyone’s feathers. We’d rather see someone out of the grace of God than confront them with their sin so that they will be competent and trained in righteousness. Is this from fear or pride?

We would rather be liked by others than to see them in God’s grace. How is He glorified in that? Or is it about my own glory?

My friends were part of a group of abortion abolitionists who also want to confront the culture with the multiple sins of our nation (lived out with pride in Seattle) while at the same time, presenting the Gospel alternative of repentance and renewal.

Because Paul had not hesitated to teach the whole counsel of God wherever he went, he was confident that he was “innocent of the blood of all men (Acts 20:26).” He knew that no one would be in hell because he had failed to speak the truth to them about Jesus. Do you and I have that confidence?

Why are brothers and sisters in the Lord so threatened by a group of Christian abolitionists willing to go and speak the Truth with the hope that many would come to faith or be challenged to a “working faith” (James 2:26)?

It was confrontational. It was public. It was bold. Kind of sounds like Christ turning over the tables in the Temple. It even ended in their being hated, as was Christ.

Are we being conformed to His image? It’s part of the “whole counsel.”