BOLD RENOUNCING

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.

2 Corinthians 4:1-2

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

How does the church address the sin of the world today?

Unfortunately, I’m afraid it is falling short, way short of boldly renouncing behavior that is detestable in the sight of our Lord and just so we aren’t setting the bar too high, God sees all sin as detestable.

Yes, we’re here to further and advance the kingdom of God here on earth, making disciples while helping those in need and guiding them to salvation through Christ Jesus. We are to be the Lord’s hands and feet, the light in the world for Him. There is no question that the scriptures call Christian believers to this.

But Christians also bear the responsibility to be God’s messengers, to share His word with others and call out sin where it exists. This is where the church needs to improve. As a collective, coming forward with one voice and a consistent message, Christians need to be boldly renouncing transgressive behavior wherever it is happening.

There is a biblical precedent for this as we see in today’s opening two verses from the fourth chapter of 2 Corinthians. As we read the words of the Apostle Paul, we see him first assuring his readers that neither he nor the other missionaries working with him had lost hope. In its purest form, Gospel ministry is not for the faint of heart. It’s hard work full of danger and persecution and failure in the midst of the successes when people choose to give their life over to Jesus. Paul and the others didn’t have it easy but they didn’t sign up for easy. They signed up to go where the Lord called them to go to do what He had called them to do, just as Christ, their Savior had done.

Yes, ministry in the name of Jesus was hard and it required incredible courage, especially when it came to boldly renouncing “secret and shameful ways” as Paul and the others had done. They never sugar-coated anything nor did they withhold speaking out even when they knew their words would stir up trouble for them. Like Jesus constantly calling out the Jewish religious authorities during His ministry, even while knowing they were forming murderous plots behind His back, Paul and his associates knew they had to declare the word of the Lord without distortion. They weren’t interested in being politically correct but rather biblically daring and valiant, all for the cause of the Lord they knew had their backs.

Paul and those with him declared the truth and did so unashamedly so not only they could have a clear conscience but those they ministered to in Corinth and elsewhere. When the Apostle or one of his assistants spoke, the people could know that they were receiving legitimate, valid words approved by God Himself.

Does the world see the church that way today? Are believers seen as being consistent and accurate in their messaging to the world about the word of God while publicly denouncing secret and shameful ways with boldness? Are we lions for the Lord or seen as mere kittens?

These are all questions the church needs to ponder because my fear is that the voice of the Lord is being drowned out right now by the voice of the world and our enemy Satan, and that’s only going to lead us down the road of destruction and God’s judgment on the nations of the world.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com