Do not harden your hearts!

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord, the God of Israel. All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of the Lord that he had made holy in Jerusalem. The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy. Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand. And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon. And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels. He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years. (2 Chronicles 36:11–21)

I am beginning to feel like a prophet. It seems easy yet if true, if I broadcast my thoughts, most people would turn away. No one wants to hear anything that says, “Smarten up or face the consequences.”

Jesus died to give me new life, His life. He changed the world, but He had to be crucified to do it. Christian martyrs at formal count now average just over a dozen a day. It could be higher, and it could happen here as faith in Christ is increasingly mocked.

What is worse than being persecuted for my faith? How about falling into the hands of Almighty God for not living my faith? While He is merciful and gracious, He gave me this new life that I ought to live it. Christians are not to assume that grace means we can do whatever we want. God says to us:

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:25–29)

At the same time, Jesus is also for me, willing to enable me to obey Him, even though it costs me time, money, and other sacrifices. If I refuse I will not lose my salvation, but eternal rewards. If I obey, I could be persecuted, even suffer death, but Christians cannot die — we only change our address!

Jesus, life here is unpredictable; however, the OT reveals what can be lost if I disobey You and the NT shows what is mine because You died for me. My obedience can be a powerful tool in Your hands. Even if it isn’t, enable me to willingly do what You say and deeply desire that You are honored and obeyed by others.

Don’t Judge?

At times, it is easy to be critical, harder to be gracious. This conflict is compounded by two passages in the NT that seem to contradict one another. The first is something Jesus said:

Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:1–2)

The other one says: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness…” (Galatians 6:1) 

But how can I do that without discerning that the other person is doing something sinful? After thinking about this, I have to conclude that seeing sin in other people is unavoidable. This isn’t about seeing it, but about what to do about it. And what to do about it has parameters that are usually found in the context of various commands. For instance, the words of Jesus add this:

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:3–5)

Often God shows me my sin by allowing me to see it in someone else. In that case, instead of judging the other person, I’m supposed first deal with my own sin. I cannot help anyone be free of a problem if I have never been free of it myself.

The next passage gives instruction along the same lines: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.” (Galatians 6:1–5) 

This time, it is a call to help the person who is entrapped as long as I am not, and aid that person to be set free. It is not only helping them but without as selfish motive.

There are other ways to deal with the sin of others. God asks me to pray for other believers that they are able to say yes to God and no to sin. Prayer is burden-bearing in a quiet form.

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death… All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. (1 John 5:16–17)

God could ask me to warn those who are being tempted as many verses warn about not to give in to temptation: 

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:12–13)

Even noticing sin is from God, but it can happen to those who feel inferior and try to boost their self-esteem by putting down others. Yet Christ died for all because all have sinned, none are worthy, and His grace puts us on a level field. 

Not only that, God is patient. He saw sin in the days of Noah, and Lot, and in Job’s story, and in the days of the kings and the prophets. Yet He did not pour out judgment at first glance. Charnock notes: “He brings lighter smarts sooner, that men might not think him asleep, but he suspends the more terrible judgments that men might be led to repentance.” God holds back His rod, waiting for His people to repent and return to Him. I have no right to be impatient with sin or with God’s way of dealing with it.

One more thought. What I consider sin might not be. The NT says not to pass judgment on others if it will cause them to stumble. He is the Savior; I am not. I need to serve Him and love His people, not get in a huff over such matters. “Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. . . .” (Romans 14:13–23)

PRAY: Jesus, I am raised up and seated with You in heavenly places, that You will show the riches of Your grace in kindness toward me and toward all Your people. Our destiny is not about judgment and wrath, but about kindness and grace, and about being like You. Seeing sin in others is not about making myself a judge but about obedience and patience toward all who struggle with sin.

Being goaded means…

One line in the story of Paul’s conversion has always struck me as being important. Some versions put that line in the description of his encounter with Jesus. Others leave it out, but Paul says it in his personal testimony to King Agrippa. While this passage is descriptive it is also instructive. I’m convinced that it is an important part of my story too. Here is what Paul (Saul) said:

At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.” (Acts 26:13–23)

The line? It is Paul’s quote describing what Jesus first said to him: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

The first question is recorded in Acts 9:4, but in the most accurate and earliest manuscripts, the second part is left out, yet Paul includes it in his testimony to Agrippa. The most thorough lexicon says the word goad in this expression an idiom, literally ‘to kick against the goad’) or to react against authority in such a way as to cause harm or suffering to oneself or to hurt oneself by reacting against a person or command.’ It could be translated: ‘Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourself by your resistance.’

Why is this quote important? Because it reveals that the Holy Spirit had been convicting this man about his actions. His encounter with deity is not mentioned prior to meeting Jesus, yet it had happened, indicating that God was at work in his heart before he finally was met on that road and saw the light.

Too often Christians today make a thinly veiled boast about their salvation by saying, “When I accepted Christ…” as if that was the crucial moment. Either the period pf warming up the heart is ignored or unrecognized, or human pride wants to take credit for  what God has done. 

Even King Agrippa knew that salvation was seldom a quick process. His response — “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” — suggests he was not totally closed to the idea, but that is not why the goads are important. In my mind, this goading is part of the salvation process. It is the Spirit of God convincing sinners that faith in Christ is good for me and to say NO to Him is harmful to me. Those goads from God are important to move the attitude of sinners from Romans 3:9ff to a desire for repentance and faith in the Savior.

PRAY: Lord, as I pray for salvation of family and friends and wonder why it takes so long, I realize from Paul’s story that even when sinful people are violent toward Christians and our faith, You could be goading them toward faith by showing them Your goodness. How important that I be patient with You, but also loving toward those who do not yet believe. For all I know, love and kindness could be goads in Your hands. Not only that, when I share with others the goads that You used in leading me to faith, it could easily reveal to them that You are using similar goads with them.