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The apostle Paul knew what it was like to have people detest and despise him. Five times Paul received 39 stripes from the Jews, three times he was beaten with rods, and once he was stoned and left for dead (2 Corinthians 11:24-25; Acts 14:19). These things happened to this faithful servant of the Lord because he loved the souls of men. That's right — Paul loved folks with genuine Biblical love. He knew that people would lose their souls if they lived and died in sin. Hatred of truth is an age-old problem. Do you remember Moses making those ten special trips to tell Pharaoh God's truths? Pharaoh stubbornly refused to accept the truth and finally said to Moses, "...Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in the day thou seest my face thou shalt die. And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well. I will see thy face again no more" (Exodus 10:28-29 ASV). Many people today will do as Pharaoh and die rejecting the truth that could have saved them! King Herod and Herodias so despised God's truth that John the Baptizer was beheaded for preaching it. What was the message that cost this great prophet his life? King Herod married his brother's wife. If some of our well-educated and liberal-minded apostates in the Lord's church had been with John they would have advised, "John, it is not adultery that Herod and Herodias have committed; it is only "covenant-breaking." John then could have told this adulterous couple, "Each of you need to repent of "covenant-breaking," and then I will wish you well in your new marriage." But John was loyal to the Master and he loved the souls of men. Thus, John said the only thing he could say, "...It is not lawful for thee to have her" (Matthew 14:4). Now the truth did not set to well with Herodias, and she was determined to have her new "enemy" put to death. Now notice this most important point. John told Herod it was not "lawful" to take Herodias for his wife. What law did Herod violate? It surely was not Roman law! In the very beginning God taught, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). The Hebrew word "cleave" means to stick to — like glue. John was simply teaching what he knew the Savior would be teaching — the truth. When they asked the Lord if a man could divorce his wife for any cause He answered, "So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder ... And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and he that marrieth her when she is put away committeth adultery" (Matthew 19:6, 9 ASV). The cry is being heard today that was heard in Isaiah's day. The people said "to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits" (Isaiah 30:10). Man's great problem has always been that he desires to change the Bible to accommodate his ungodly lifestyle. You have heard it said, "Just preach the Bible and don't offend anyone." One can preach on Galatians 5:19 but he must not offend the fornicators, drunkards, idolaters, etc. Be sure and preach on 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, but whatever you do don't condemn "the abusers of themselves with men." These are what the morally bankrupt today call "gays," but God calls them "sodomites" (1 Kings 14:24; cf. Genesis 19:5-13; Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:27). Others loudly cry, "Don't preach a negative gospel." What's that? "Don't"! I suppose it is well and good for one opposed to negative preaching to be negative. The best thing the devil has going today is the attitude that desires to please folks instead of save folks. Godly standards are lowered to lure and draw folks — all in the name of love. The apostle Paul described quite well the attitude of most toward truth in saying, "For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables" (2 Timothy 4:3-4 ASV). Nonetheless, young Timothy was told to "preach the truth" (2 Timothy 4:2). The words of Paul again ring loud and clear, "For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? or am I striving to please men? if I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10 ASV). Paul proclaimed the one and only gospel regardless of who it offended. Both he and John the Baptizer would rather go to Heaven than be "politically correct." The ACLU and all other morally bankrupt perverts of truth must not go unchallenged. Let them become incensed! As Paul also said, "So then am I become your enemy, by telling you the truth" (Galatians 4:16 ASV)? |