Aggressive Truth

May 27, 2021

lest I seem to terrify you by letters. “For his letters,” they say, “ are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.”

~II Corinthians 10:9‭-‬10~

Paul was very bold in his writings, speaking with the authority we spoke of in yesterday's devotional. When he was saved on the road to Damascus, he intended to give all he had to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. His calling was used to teach, exhort and discipline the churches he was to travel to. It wasn't exactly a comfortable calling yet he no longer was going to please men. His duty was to please the One who sent him.

"For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ."

(Galatians 1:10)

We are not called to be people pleasers, we are called to be truth seekers. Paul makes it very clear that had he not only aimed to please the Lord he would not be a bondservant of Jesus. All of Paul's writings were Holy Spirit led, just as these devotionals are Holy Spirit led. I seek to follow only what He calls me to write and only how He calls me to act. I strive to grow and be like my Lord each and everyday just as Paul did. We should all desire to please God above all. Sometimes truth can be rather aggressive, sometimes Holy Spirit will really nudge us to move in uncomfortable situations and speak things we may just get shunned for. Love can be tough but that is what true love entails; speaking exact truth, being loyal and bringing about all things in purity. Paul spoke with a type of authority that made many people very uncomfortable, even to the point of stoning him for what was said; "Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead." (Acts 14:19)

I think the saddest part about that is they were not actually stoning Paul for his words, they were stoning Paul for the words of Holy Spirit. The backlash was towards the Lord yet Paul pushed on. He never gave up no matter how enraged the crowd became; sound familiar? "Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?” And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him." (Luke 22:63‭-‬65)

People never did like words of truth did they? The words Jesus spoke were weighty and powerful yet He was humble in appearance. Paul was following the same footsteps of our Lord and we are called in the same direction. These letters in which Holy Spirit directed Paul came off terrifying to most. He spoke of spiritual war, immorality, habitual sin, principles of marraige, sectarianism, worldly wisdom and suffering for Christ; just to name a few. Paul wasn't concerned about speaking exactly what He needed to so that his fellow brethren did not fall into the snares of evil, in fact he called it out for exactly what it was;

"But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (II Corinthians 11:3)

God is Holy and a just Judge, He cannot sit idly by and allow His children to waver in faith; He will use someone to point out fault in the way one walks. If they refuse to accept correction then they shall continue in their own way. Jesus does not force but He does use His own to plant these seeds of aggressive truth. It is up to us how it is perceived. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

(II Timothy 3:16)

Paul was telling all of us clear as day that these words in his letters were not of his own doing, but that of the Lord Himself. This is why when he was seen in person, people compared the two by viewing his bodily language and his writings together. His humility and meekness was that of Christ. He was merely a human like the rest of us, weak in stature yet strong because of Jesus' guidance. His teachings were that of Holy Spirit inspired, he did not wish to speak in flesh. He was obedient to the Lord in all he spoke and all he did in person, taking every thought captive. Some may view what we speak and write as Christians, as terrifying or aggressive, yet as we are used by God we will speak nothing but truth in which we are instructed to speak. It is up to us if we want to be complacent to please the ones we speak to or if we vow to say exactly what needs to be said according to Holy Spirit.

"And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh." (Jude 1:22‭-‬23)

Humble in person, weak in flesh yet bold in letters; Paul gave all he had to pull as many as he could from the fire which burned them from knowing their own indwelling sin which they continued to go back on. Let us follow our own leading of Holy Spirit and not be afraid to be aggressive with the truth that fills our heart so we may point out in love the concern Jesus has for others walking in the flesh and loving the things of the world. We may be rejected, persecuted and shunned but the glory will be given to Jesus Christ and our reward will be greater in obedience.

Sin is sin, holy is holy and truth is truth. I write that which the Lord guides me to write and I give it all to you, my family in Christ, in hopes to edify, exhort and discipline the spirit within all of us to follow the Lord deeply and whole heartedly just as Paul desired to do. For if not for Jesus, I too like Paul, would have continued being a terribly lost soul on my way to eternal hell. There is no other One I wish to obey then the One who pulled me out of the fire by fear.

Prayer:

Almighty Jehovah, thank you for the teachings of scripture which You used Paul as a vessel for. I learn so much truth in these letters and I strive to follow You in the same, if not more. Guide me the way You desire of me so that I may help others become closer to You. It is to my benefit I honor truth aggressively at times as You lead. I pray for those who are lost as I once was, that they may be reached powerfully with things that may terrify them out of eternal damnation. It is out of love that I obey You and hope to edify my brothers and sisters each day. I pray for a great awakening in the Body of Christ and for more souls to be saved as we head closer to the last days. I am praising Your Name as I stand unwavering in the faith that allowed me to be a child of God and a citizen of heaven. Glory be to You my King of Kings, Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.