Everywhere I look lately I am bombarded by false truth and
false teaching and white washed religion. It’s all over the media, it’s in
conversations, it’s on the internet. I have read so many article and reports
and actually witnessed controversy in the church over the last year that it
saddens me. The church is under attack when it stands on truth, yet I feel that
more people in the church need to be boldly speaking the truth. The church has
gotten really good at sugar coating the truth and walking on tip toes, when
people are walking in sin and dying right outside their doors.
I even see it in my own life with people telling me not to
be so harsh; it makes me stop constantly and question my conviction, and then I
get mad at myself for doubting truth. I received a word several months ago to “speak
the truth, boldly”, followed by many devotion times when the Spirit would lead
me to verses about speaking truth, speaking out against the mainstream and
standing up, even when you are the only one standing. I was reminded over and
over again to pick up my cross and follow Him.
As I began to search out what “picking up my cross” meant
for me personally and to search what God was calling me to, I realized it was
His way of asking me if I was “all in”. Was I ready to carry my cross (pain,
suffering, rejection) in order to follow Him? Following Christ is not always
easy, especially in today’s world. He gives us hints of what it will cost in
His Word - Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and
broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and
there are few who find it.” This verse tells us it will be lonely and
difficult.
A lot of people in the church believe that being a
Christian is all about loving one another, which I totally agree that loving
each other is first and foremost. After all Jesus Himself, told us several
times to “love one another” (John 13:34-35; John 15:12; John 15:17). The problem,
however comes, when we ask "what is love and how is it walked out?"
I believe we will never truly understand what love is until
we get to heaven, but here on earth I believe letting someone stay in a
destructive, unhealthy pattern, or not speaking up against outright sins, is
not love.
Repentance was a huge part of the ministry of Jesus. As a
Christian we are called to die to ourselves (Philippians 1:21) and be born
again (John 3:3, 3:5-7). When we truly come to Christ we are a “new creation,
the old has gone and the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). To me, that means
a turning away of our own patterns, and stepping into His. It’s not love when
we see a brother or sister in Christ, falling into their old patterns instead
of following what they know to be true, and we remain silent. We are to
encourage each other to walk on the narrow path but when we see someone
stepping off that path and we remain silent and do nothing to correct them; that
is not love.
We worry so much about offending, that we choose to let
people continue in their destructive ways and even die in their sin. The truth
can be offensive and most of the time people don’t want to hear it. Jesus
always spoke the truth to people, and there were some that received it and
others who waked away. Then there were those that were so offended that they
conspired to shut the Truth up for good.
I find that as I continue to speak
truth and stand on the Word of God, it becomes a lonely place in this world and
it is sad to see. I can only continue to pray that I will continue to conform
to His will and not the pattern of this world; that when I am meet with those
that do not wish to receive truth then I am quick to “brush the dust off my
feet” (Luke 9:5) and move on; that if those that say they love me, see me
faltering they speak truth. I continue to pray that I do not get offended by
those who refuse to repent and that I let Him cast the judgment, not myself. It is
a corrupt and sinful world and we the church are the only light they have, so
we need to shine bright, the light of truth, no matter what comes against us.
