Evidence Not Opinion

Ephesians 4:14-16  Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

In a day of instant foods, high tech info and worldwide communication at our fingertips we are exposed to more diversity in culture, politics, ethics and faiths than any time before in history. As a lover of cultural foods, I enjoy the exposure to ethnic foods I can access without getting off my couch. That is an example of the good. We now have a heightened awareness of how easily we can offend an entire culture by something as simple as an ‘incorrect’ handshake, a lingering glance, or eye contact. Knowledge is power when it is used for good.

For today, let’s look at the culture of Christianity. Christians come in every color, nationality, economic level, political preference and are as diverse a group as you will find. Yet, we are all family members, siblings in God’s family when we call Jesus Christ ‘Lord’. Sadly, it is ‘family’ we most often take for granted. There are times we do not even show family the same courtesy we show strangers on the street. Yes, I am still speaking of the Christian family but this holds true to our earthly families as well.

Just as there as times in our earthly families we hold our tongues for the sake of keeping the peace, this happens in our Christian family, too. However, like in our earthly families, there are times when harsh and insensitive words are spoken about and/or to a Christian family member. Gossip is shared disguised as concern. Silence in the face of sin is deafening. You can “love someone to death” as you watch them flounder in sin without so much as throwing a life raft of God’s Word.

Proverbs 27:5-6 says: “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”

Have you ever heard that "you can catch more flies with honey?" The intent of the statement is to say that we can win people over to our viewpoint by being sweet and kind, more than we can through anger, bluntness, or harshness. And yet, this concept can be misleading when it comes to using God's Word as God designed it to be used in the life of His people. Our method of working with people is not only to be in the manner that might be viewed as "sweet, kind, loving, gentle, and gracious, etc.;" but God's Word is also "useful for...rebuking." In other words, we are to show biblical evidence of the sin and say, essentially, "Stop doing that." This is why knowledge of God's word is vital. We are to show evidence, not merely voice an opinion. People typically don't care a hoot about our opinions.

From a sermon by Charles Haddon Spurgeon entitled "The Leading Of The Spirit." 

The Spirit of God causes every true-born son of God to burn with love to the rest of the family. He who is a stranger to Christian love is a stranger to divine grace. Brethren, we have our disputes, for we dwell where it must needs be that offenses come; but we would be slow to take offense and slower still to give it, for we are one in Christ Jesus, and our hearts are knit together by his Spirit. I take it that no honest man ought to hold his tongue concerning any of the errors of the day, it is a mean way of cultivating ease for yourself, and gaining, a popularity not worth the having; we must speak the truth whether we offend or please, but this is to be done in love and because of love.