Posted on 08/09/2022 12:36:24 AM PDT by Pilgrim's Progress
“Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee” (Proverbs 9:8 KJV).
A man acquainted with wisdom will appreciate a timely rebuke. Preachers are to “reprove, rebuke” (II Timothy 4:2). Good preaching really does do that, and that is why Christians get into trouble. Because sinners get under preaching, and preaching rebukes them and puts them under conviction about their sin—and if a man is a scorner—he hates that. There are Christians that hate preaching. Some Christians refuse to go to church, or at least some churches, because they preacher is just too harsh and doesn’t preach on love enough. He is just to interested is preaching doctrines for their taste. And the reason is because they look down, they detest, the way that preaching speaks to them.
Some will say “That preacher just rubs me the wrong way!” Well, what you do when a cat doesn’t like the way you are rubbing him? You turn the cat around. That’s what these Christians need to do as well, just turn their lives around.
But really, the whole issue comes down to personal pride. They just don’t like to be talked to like that. They don’t like some guy standing up above them, looking down on them, yelling and spitting, and sticking his finger down at them without them having the chance to offer their own rebuttals. They just want to get their two cents in. And God says, “Not in My house! You just go and sit down and shut up and listen. And people don’t like that.
What people want is a discipling group where they can all sit around a table and offer their own opinions. They want to have dialog. Oh, they don’t mind sitting around and talking about other people’s faults, but their own are not to be addressed. They like that. “Let’s just share biblical truth. Now, you don’t share biblical truth—you preach it. Paul said, “Preach the Word!” He didn’t say to share it. The word is only used once in the Bible, “But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock” (1 Samuel 13:20 KJV).
So why do Christian think they need to share the word? Because every screwball on television, and every Communist from here to Moscow are using it. I believe it is wise to just stay away from words that the Communists and the Liberals use. I don’t see any reason to make Christianity appealing to the world by using their terminology. I’ll tell you what, some scorners are going to hate todays devotional.
The Apostle Paul says that “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness” (I Corinthians 1:23 KJV). He also said, “Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought” (I Corinthians 2:6 KJV). In 2:13 he said, “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” Peter said that if any man would speak, let him speak as the oracles of God. It is our job to tell people that they are lost and going to hell, not share opinions, and stick with the word “witnessing” to people. Stick with the biblical terminology.
“He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.”
“. . . rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee,” why? Well, that’s what he wants. He wants understanding, and he is willing to pay the price to get it.
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