Are you scared of the truth because you are trying to please people?
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It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. — Galatians 6:12
There are all kinds of reasons we do the things we do. Sometimes, the motive is clear, and other times, the motive is murky. Sometimes, we do it for the payoff, and sometimes, we do it to avoid the consequences. Either way, there is always a motive, regardless of how conscious we are of it.
At the close of Galatians, Paul shines a bright light on the dark motives of the false teachers. Simply put, he points out that they were cowards. They were afraid of standing up for the Gospel truth, so they adjusted the truth to their liking. To avoid persecution by fellow Jews, they adapted the teaching to appease people who might be politically powerful and stand in opposition to the freedoms of the Gospel.
Turn on the news, and you will see the exact same drama unfold today. Political parties are either motivated by personal payoffs or to avoid the consequences of political losses. Their motivations may appear a bit murky, but they are not. They either do it to secure their position or avoid losing it because their positions are the means of retaining power and money for themselves.
But in Galatians, we are not talking about the government. Paul is addressing the church. This is the one place we assume our leader's motives will be truthful and righteous. It's the one place we hope will be free from impure motivation. Yet we learn that even spiritual leaders are not infallible. I am not, and neither is your pastor. At some point, even spiritual leaders become susceptible to fear—fear of loss, fear of opposition, or fear of standing up for the truth as it is written.
There are certain texts of the Bible that I read that still disturb me. When I read them, they test me. This internal dialogue happens where, for a second, I think, "How should I say this? Should I say it stronger or softer? Is there a way to avoid this topic or the offense?" This still happens to me because the living Word always has something to say to our rapidly changing culture, and as a result, there is a strong temptation to adapt the Gospel to our liking to ensure we don't lose butts in the seats and bucks in our wallets.
So today, the call of this text is for all of us to address our motivations. But I also would like to ask you to do something specific. Pray for me and all our pastors. Pray that our motivations as your spiritual leaders will always be pure and that the Gospel message will stand tall amidst the pressure to please people over preaching the Gospel truth.
#FearOfTruth
#GospelIntegrity
#CourageousFaith
ASK THIS:
DO THIS: Test your motives and pray for your pastor's purity of motive.
PRAY THIS: Lord, help me examine my motives honestly and courageously, choosing to stand firm in proclaiming Your truth even when faced with the temptation to please people. Guide me in aligning my heart with Your will so that Your Gospel may shine brightly through my words and actions. Amen.
PLAY THIS: God Help Me.
The Suffering of a Sinless Savior | John 19:1
He Is The King Of The Jews | John 18:38-40
The Transcendent Truth | John 18:38
Take Ownership And Trust The Truth | John 18:28-32
Will You Take The Stand? | John 18:35-38
He Was Guilty Of Being King | John 18:33-34
Lessons From Peter's Denial | John 18:25-27
Being Righteous In Injustice | John 18:23-24
Boldness Is Born In A Man | John 18:19-22
Stop Standing In Silence | John 18:17-18
Professing Men To Proven Men | John 18:15-18
Collusion and Corruption and God's Plan | John 18:12-14
The Clumsiness of Courage | John 18:10-11
Do You Have Faith In His Security? | John 18:8-9
“I Am” It’s More Than A Name | John 18:4-8
The Man Who Exposes Our Desires | John 18:4-8
What To Do When You Are Betrayed | John 18:1-3
The Effect of Your Belief Should Affect Others | John 17:20-23
The Only Book That Sanctifies | John 17:17-19
Men Uncompromised By Hostility | John 17:12-14
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