Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 3,434
I am reading in Acts 4, but the story actually begins in chapter 3, so I am going to summarize a good portion of this until I get to today’s passage, so that we get the context of what was taking place.
Peter and John were instrumental in the healing of a man who had been lame since birth. With a leap the man stood upright and began to walk, and he entered the temple with the apostles, walking, leaping, and praising God. Then a crowd gathered, and Peter let the people know that it was in the name of Jesus, the one who they had put to death, that this man was healed. And then he called the people to repent and to turn to God that their sins might be wiped away. And he told them that Jesus was the Christ.
But the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees were disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people about Jesus. So they arrested them and they put them in jail. On the next day the rulers, elders, and scribes (and others) inquired of the apostles by what power or what name they healed this man.
“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.’” (Acts 4:8-12 NASB’95)
Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke to these rulers and elders of the people the truth. He didn’t sugar-coat the truth. He didn’t gloss it over to make it sound better and less offensive and more appealing to the crowd or to these rulers, so that they would like Peter and so that they would approve of him and not reject and persecute him. He spoke the straight and pure truth, not to be mean or judgmental or hateful or prejudicial, but because he cared about the people, and it is the truth that sets us free.
And we, as followers of Jesus Christ, are to be the people of God who speak truth to the people, too, i.e. the truth that they need to hear for their salvation from sin, which is the truth of the gospel as Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught it, in the appropriate context. And we are to speak the truth in the power of the Holy Spirit, and not from our own flesh. And we are not to dilute and alter and sugar-coat the truth of God’s Word to make it less offensive to the ungodly and to the people of the world.
Lying to and withholding necessary truth from people to make them “feel good” is never kind. Speaking the truth to people, if spoken in love, is kind, because we need to hear and believe the truth and not the lies if we are to have genuine salvation from sin and eternal life with God. So, even though we have many people today speaking what they know itching ears want to hear, and even though it may sound good, and it may be comforting, if it is not the truth of the gospel, and you believe it, it could cost you your life.
So, out of love for the people of this world, and for our fellow Christians, we need to be people of God who are listening to the Lord, who are heeding his words spoken to us through the Scriptures, and who are speaking the truth of God’s Word to the people that they need to hear, not necessarily that all of them want to hear. And we must not alter or dilute the truth to make it less offensive and more comfortable for our listeners. That might make them like us better, but if they believe the lies, it won’t go well for them.
Now, don’t be mean, and don’t be hateful, but please have the courage to stand up for the truth of God’s Word (taught in the appropriate context), no matter what it costs you, for the salvation of human lives from their slavery to sin so that they can now serve the Lord Jesus with their lives in walks of surrender and in obedience to the Lord and to his commands. For if sin is what we practice, and not righteousness, and not obedience to our Lord’s commands, then we will not inherit eternal life with God. Take this to heart.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Caution: This link may contain ads
Filled With the Holy Spirit
An Original Work / March 15, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Peter and John were instrumental in the healing of a man who had been lame since birth. With a leap the man stood upright and began to walk, and he entered the temple with the apostles, walking, leaping, and praising God. Then a crowd gathered, and Peter let the people know that it was in the name of Jesus, the one who they had put to death, that this man was healed. And then he called the people to repent and to turn to God that their sins might be wiped away. And he told them that Jesus was the Christ.
But the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees were disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people about Jesus. So they arrested them and they put them in jail. On the next day the rulers, elders, and scribes (and others) inquired of the apostles by what power or what name they healed this man.
“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.’” (Acts 4:8-12 NASB’95)
Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke to these rulers and elders of the people the truth. He didn’t sugar-coat the truth. He didn’t gloss it over to make it sound better and less offensive and more appealing to the crowd or to these rulers, so that they would like Peter and so that they would approve of him and not reject and persecute him. He spoke the straight and pure truth, not to be mean or judgmental or hateful or prejudicial, but because he cared about the people, and it is the truth that sets us free.
And we, as followers of Jesus Christ, are to be the people of God who speak truth to the people, too, i.e. the truth that they need to hear for their salvation from sin, which is the truth of the gospel as Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught it, in the appropriate context. And we are to speak the truth in the power of the Holy Spirit, and not from our own flesh. And we are not to dilute and alter and sugar-coat the truth of God’s Word to make it less offensive to the ungodly and to the people of the world.
Lying to and withholding necessary truth from people to make them “feel good” is never kind. Speaking the truth to people, if spoken in love, is kind, because we need to hear and believe the truth and not the lies if we are to have genuine salvation from sin and eternal life with God. So, even though we have many people today speaking what they know itching ears want to hear, and even though it may sound good, and it may be comforting, if it is not the truth of the gospel, and you believe it, it could cost you your life.
So, out of love for the people of this world, and for our fellow Christians, we need to be people of God who are listening to the Lord, who are heeding his words spoken to us through the Scriptures, and who are speaking the truth of God’s Word to the people that they need to hear, not necessarily that all of them want to hear. And we must not alter or dilute the truth to make it less offensive and more comfortable for our listeners. That might make them like us better, but if they believe the lies, it won’t go well for them.
Now, don’t be mean, and don’t be hateful, but please have the courage to stand up for the truth of God’s Word (taught in the appropriate context), no matter what it costs you, for the salvation of human lives from their slavery to sin so that they can now serve the Lord Jesus with their lives in walks of surrender and in obedience to the Lord and to his commands. For if sin is what we practice, and not righteousness, and not obedience to our Lord’s commands, then we will not inherit eternal life with God. Take this to heart.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Caution: This link may contain ads
Filled With the Holy Spirit
An Original Work / March 15, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
