Speaking Truth

  

DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

SPEAKING TRUTH

Acts 9:23-30

23 After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall. 26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30 When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

NIV

Why are people so resistant to the good news that brings them peace with God, which includes the freedom from the penalty of sin, death, and the blessing of eternal life? their hatred of the truth is so severe they would resort to murder. Is it mob mentality that forges such thinking? These are Jews who are trying to kill Saul. Men who are supposed to believe in God, the creator, the one who choose the Jewish people as his own. These are men who attend synagogue, who hear the word of God read, and know the history of their redemption from slavery and how they were brought into this promised land. These are Jews who are waiting for the long-awaited Messiah, and yet they have closed their ears, eyes, and heart to the truth that Jesus is the Messiah. Their hearts have turned from God and now look to their own traditions. We are blessed to live in a country that forbids murder for there are people today who have that same hatred for the truth of God as those Jews did. It does seem, at least on the surface, that we believers are tolerated within most social settings. However, that acceptance is usually dependent on us not speaking too boldly about Jesus and the need to be born again or talking about sin and its consequence. That may be the difference between Saul and us. He spoke the truth bolding and challenged their traditional thinking. We pretty much say very little about the truth. We might talk about how we don’t swear, smoke, drink, or chew and we don’t go with girls that do, but how much do we talk about Jesus and a person's need to accept him in order to gain eternal life. We hear people talk about being a good person and those good people go to heaven when they die. Can we be bold enough to respond to talk like that with, “Well that is not entirely true”? Are we bold enough to correct this ignorance of the truth, this traditional thinking of non-believing people who refer to themselves as religious, even as Christians who believe in God? The Jews believed in God, but they wanted to kill a man who corrected their thinking. Maybe if we were outspoken as much as Saul was, people would reject us thoroughly, even to the point of exhibiting outright hatred toward us. Then again, maybe we would find some who receive the truth and become true followers of truth, the light, and the Way, Jesus. Of course, all that we say must be said in love, with compassion and humility, but it must always be the truth.