Jump Start # 2688

Galatians 4:16 “Have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?”

The Galatians were mixed up, confused and upside down about several things. This was caused by some strong Jewish influences that were trying to incorporate key points of the Old Testament law that they thought were vital. In many ways, they were trying to make the Gentiles Jewish before they became Christians. It seems that wherever Paul traveled, Jewish troublemakers followed. And, this caused Paul to go back and straighten out these things in these hearts.

Our verse comes from some of this “straightening out” that Paul had to do. And, in explaining why one cannot be under two laws at once and the place of circumcision, Paul was painted as the enemy. Our verse simply asks, “Have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?”

Those words are something that comes to our minds in our culture today. There are a lot of things being said in the arena of race, prejudice, political discussions, violence, law enforcement and even social distancing and wearing masks. The current atmosphere of things rarely allows for honest discussion. If one disagrees on any of these items, he is deemed the enemy and all communication is shut down. I see this especially on social media. Multiple times I have read posts that are not factual, but the person states that if you disagree, you will be blocked and the person is not interested in hearing anything other than praise for their position. That is a sad place to be. Open discussion is healthy. It allows one to consider standpoints that he may not have thought of before. When we surround ourselves with just those who agree with us, they become nothing more than our cheerleaders and we do not allow ourselves to think clearly about important topics.

There was a time, not so long ago, that men who differed religiously would debate those principles in an open and monitored format. I have collections of religious debate books from years gone by. The spirit of our times today would not allow for many of those discussions. We’ve closed the door to anyone who does not agree with the way we think.

Now, give this some thought:

First, not even considering what an opposing thought might be sounds very arrogant. If one has the truth, then there is nothing to fear in hearing what others say. Truth rises to the top. Truth defeats all error. Truth is based upon investigation and facts. The volume one speaks, nor the number of people lined up in support does not determine what is right. This too is not understood today. On the national front, grab some high profile people who voice what you say and that is supposed to end all discussions. It doesn’t. And, shouting doesn’t make one right. It often ends the discussion, because who wants to engage in a shouting match? Listen to what others say. Read what others have written. Don’t drop your bucket only in the well of those who agree with you. This is true for us preachers. Don’t just read what our fellowship writes. Read what others say. Put some thought into where others stand. Then form your conclusions after you have looked at all the evidence carefully. Truth is truth, no matter who says it.

Second, pride will keep us from changing our minds. It is easy to get worked up emotionally and passionately about a topic and when we get all our friends to rally with us it is difficult to look at the truth truthfully. Some would rather be wrong, than have to swallow their pride and admit that their thinking was not clear. Religiously, this keeps some in error. Rather than admit that mom and dad were wrong spiritually, they will continue to believe something that the Bible does not teach because they do not want to admit that they or their parents were wrong. That pride will cause them to lose their soul. The only thing worse than being wrong, is knowing that one is wrong, but having too much pride to change.

Third, having an open mind and considering other views is not the same thing as tolerance or compromise. Some things are just wrong. Some things are plain dumb. Not everything can be accepted because not everything is right. Even though some may want to believe things that are wrong, that does not make them right. Paul said in Romans that the Gentiles exchanged the truth of God for a lie. Was the lie right? No. Was the lie a good second option? No. Was the lie helpful? No. Was there evidence to support the lie? No. Accepting what is wrong doesn’t make it right. There can be no tolerance for error. There can be no room for bending the truth of God’s word. Now, that makes one narrow. That makes one exclusive rather than inclusive. But we do this in other areas all the time. Suppose I go to the local hardware store and buy a board, three feet long for twenty dollars. Now, I pick out a four foot board saying it is a three feet. Right there, a disagreement begins with the hardware guy. He’ll put a tape measure to the board and show me that it is four feet long. Yet, I disagree with the tape measure. I don’t believe it’s right. At the checkout I hand the clerk a ten rather than a twenty. A ten is a twenty, I say. It’s not. I’m leaving that store with no board and the employees wandering how they let someone like me out on the streets. Standards—we have them all around us. Speed limits. Weights. Dollars. Time. You may not like them, but you cannot change them. That’s the way truth is. God’s word is true, Psalms 19 teaches. Jesus declared that “I am the truth.” You may not like it, agree with it and even want something different, but you cannot change it. I can live the rest of my life believing a ten dollar bill is the same as a twenty. I would be wrong. There is no place for tolerance of things that are not right. Who decides what is right? You? Me? The government? The will of the people? Or, the Lord who made us? It is God who determines what is right.

Standing for what is right, makes you an enemy of many people. And, people don’t like their enemies. Unlike what the Bible says, people do not pray for their enemies. They do not help their enemies. They want the enemies to be silenced and to go away. And, that leaves us with the options of either remaining silent about things, or enduring the consequences that some, including family, including friends, may not like us any more.

Have I become your enemy for telling you the truth?

Roger

Jump Start # 761

Galatians 4:16 “So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?”

These words of the apostle Paul to the Galatian church is something that many have experienced and understood. The brethren were moving away from Paul and back toward the Jewish faith. Many were resisting what Paul was telling them. Just a few verses before, Paul reminded them that there was a time that they would have plucked out their eyes and given them to Paul. But not now. Now, it seems, Paul was not treated not as a dear brother in Christ, but the enemy.

How is the enemy treated? We are careful around the enemy. There is an air of suspicion when the enemy is near. We do not share much with the enemy. Our talk is guarded. Our plans are kept secret. We keep our distance with the enemy. The enemy is not trusted. What the enemy says is questioned and doubted. We don’t include the enemy. We don’t like the enemy. Paul felt like he was being treated like the enemy. And for what reason? Because he told them the truth. The truth about their choices. The truth about where they were headed. The truth about their mixed up faith.

Parents can understand what Paul felt. No one loves the kids more than the parents do. They want their kids to excel in all areas, especially morally and spiritually. There are days when Mom and Dad must clamp down on things and be the tough guy. There are days when the answer must be “no.” It is then that they suddenly become the “enemy” in the eyes of the children. Teenage years, especially can bring many battles between parents and the kids. The choice of friends, clothing, music, movies are the battles that many parents fight. Teenagers who do not understand the big picture, view their parents as being out of touch and simply wanting to ruin their lives. Mean things are often said. Words that hurt the soul of the parent are uttered. The tension and stress is enough for some parents to want to resign, but they can’t.

Similar things are experienced by shepherds and preachers in the church. They simply want to teach the truth of the Gospel. They want everyone to do right and go to Heaven. Sounds great. It is until, some have different ideas. Some want to live like the lost. They don’t want to have to attend church services. They want to party on the wild side of things. They want to date others while they are married and they don’t want to pay their bills. Poor choices, a lack of responsibility and an abandonment of faith is something that leaders often must deal with. There is only one answer to these things and that is a call back to the Gospel way. When that happens, ugliness comes out. Mean words are spoken. The church is blamed. Accusations are uttered. All this towards those who simply want to help someone stay the course with Jesus.

It’s hard being treated like the enemy. Some can handle it. Others don’t do well with it. The tension and pressures mount and some want to compromise or back down on what they said. They don’t like being treated like the enemy so they cave in to the pressures of those who are in the wrong. In the home, parents, against their own wisdom and advice, allow the teenager to do things. They do this, thinking it will improve their relationship at home and make things better. It doesn’t. They lost a battle and the next one will be harder to win. Lost ground is hard to retake especially when one has given it away. The battles will continue. The parents are viewed as weak. The teenager knows that there will be threats that mean nothing. There will be a lot of smoke but no fire. There will be tough talk, but zero action. The teenager has won. He got his way. He has learned that screaming at his parents and threatening to run away will get him what he wants. The weak parents want the child to like them, so they continue to allow him to treat them that way. All respect, authority and order has broken down in that home. And, worse of all, he still views his parents as the enemy.

The same happens in the church. Weak members threaten to leave, complain about everything and the leaders fearing all this, look the other way. The church becomes weak, the message diluted, and Satan smiles.

Well, what’s the answer to all these things? What does a person do when someone treats them like the enemy? It sure is an uncomfortable feeling.

First, stand with the truth of God’s word. A stake must be placed in the ground. There is no giving in on what God said. That’s final. Battles will be fought, but that stake cannot be moved. Love for souls compels a person to continue teaching what God said. That’s what Paul did. He did not find a way to compromise, not with the truth. Parents and leaders must be kind yet firm. If you refuse, here is what happens. Tears will flow. Prayers will be offered. Those bent on doing wrong may walk down the path of the prodigal. Those are hard, hard days. Remain constant in your love for them and your desire to stand with what is right.

Second, do not tolerate nor accept disrespect nor ugly words. If people are not grown up enough to discuss things, end of conversation. I have seen too many times when people have been allowed to say things in hurtful and mean ways that should not have been tolerated. If a person wants to talk that way, walk away. When they can discuss things in a civil tone and hold their sharp tongue, the conversation can continue. Attitudes are important in all of this.

Third, even though they may treat you as the enemy, you have done no wrong. They have become an enemy of wisdom, right and truth. You should not feel bad, even though you do, for holding the line on what is right and good.

Remember, the father of the prodigal never went to the pig pen. He never mailed checks to the wayward son. He never bailed him out. The celebration took place not in the pig pen but back home when he returned. How different this story would have been had the prodigal’s mama taken a basket of food out to the pig pen for him. That wasn’t done. Sometimes a person has to get in a real mess before they will come to their senses. If we keep that from happening, they will never come to their senses.

Have I become your enemy…if you stand with God long enough, you’ll experience this. Take lessons from Paul. Take lessons from the Lord. Hold to God’s unchanging hand!

Roger