Dear Daily Message Readers,
READ: Galatians 1:6-10
Galatians 1:10 (NIV) "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."
Over the summer a young man worked as the director of a youth program with a couple of small Baptist churches. One of the things that he immediately learned was that young kids are not afraid to ask anything. Day after day, he would be confronted with questions such as "Was Jesus God?" and "Does being good get you into heaven?" One question that really stood out was the response of a young man to one of the bible lessons, "How can God love us and still send people to hell?" The youth director was faced with a choice: he could either try to explain the biblical answer to the youth, or he could emphasize God's love and downplay the concept of hell. Visions of angry parents ranting about "fundamentalists" filled his head. What would you do?
Choices such as these confront us every day as Christians. The world hates those who testify to the Truth (John 15:18-27) and we will not find favor with men when we preach the Gospel. People do not like to hear that they're going to hell. Now, this certainly does not mean that we are to become firebrands, spewing hellfire and damnation upon every poor soul who steps within hearing distance. We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). However, there comes a time when even the truth lovingly spoken will not make friends. The young man in this story ended up sharing the meaning of John 3:16 with the youth, and soberly explained that God had sacrificed his Son to save us from hell. God-willing, that message planted a seed of truth that will stay with those kids as they grow up.
Naturally, we all want to please everyone. It is a wonder that we say anything for fear of offending someone. But the Gospel offends. It is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Cor. 1:18). Will you stand firm in the faith? When God's Truth is put on trial, will you testify? Faith Lesson: Speak God's Truth, even when it doesn't make friends.
In Christ,
Bryan Peters
READ: Galatians 1:6-10
Galatians 1:10 (NIV) "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."
Over the summer a young man worked as the director of a youth program with a couple of small Baptist churches. One of the things that he immediately learned was that young kids are not afraid to ask anything. Day after day, he would be confronted with questions such as "Was Jesus God?" and "Does being good get you into heaven?" One question that really stood out was the response of a young man to one of the bible lessons, "How can God love us and still send people to hell?" The youth director was faced with a choice: he could either try to explain the biblical answer to the youth, or he could emphasize God's love and downplay the concept of hell. Visions of angry parents ranting about "fundamentalists" filled his head. What would you do?
Choices such as these confront us every day as Christians. The world hates those who testify to the Truth (John 15:18-27) and we will not find favor with men when we preach the Gospel. People do not like to hear that they're going to hell. Now, this certainly does not mean that we are to become firebrands, spewing hellfire and damnation upon every poor soul who steps within hearing distance. We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). However, there comes a time when even the truth lovingly spoken will not make friends. The young man in this story ended up sharing the meaning of John 3:16 with the youth, and soberly explained that God had sacrificed his Son to save us from hell. God-willing, that message planted a seed of truth that will stay with those kids as they grow up.
Naturally, we all want to please everyone. It is a wonder that we say anything for fear of offending someone. But the Gospel offends. It is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Cor. 1:18). Will you stand firm in the faith? When God's Truth is put on trial, will you testify? Faith Lesson: Speak God's Truth, even when it doesn't make friends.
In Christ,
Bryan Peters
