I'VE BEEN REBUKED SHARPLY...

Greetings -

Scriptures are from the King James Bible.

When I did my post yesterday titled, "CREDIBILITY, COURTESY AND REQUEST FOR PRAYER," one commenter mentioned balance.  I so agree with her that we need to exercise balance with love, of course, in the mix. 

We can be at extremes where we never, or rarely, rebuke each other or at extremes where we rebuke in excess.  I have heard it stated by several Christians, as well as in the media, that a well-known pastor soft pedals the gospel and avoids preaching about hell and other "uncomfortable" biblical topics.  I happen to believe that the subject pastor is a loving man of GOD.  My inclination, though, is not to watch his programming because his style is not one that appeals to me.  

Recently, I read an article by a Christian woman who stressed that the church is silent too much.  She blamed church silence for some of the wrongs that have been allowed to progress in society.  She went on to state that we need to be reformers.  I looked up reform.  It says: make changes in (something, typically a social, political, or economic institution or practice) in order to improve it:.. - Source - The New Oxford American Dictionary.  The author expressed the need for us to cease to be silent about the gospel in places outside of the church walls.  The gospel needs to be proclaimed and lived before heathen witnesses in government, medicine, science, politics, economics, etc.  Our Lord deals with us all uniquely.  I believe that it is wise to seek Him to learn how He needs to use us as reformers in our communities, schools, governments and other places where the gospel needs to spoken and shown.  Our forefathers built this country on the precepts of the Holy Bible.   

Back to the matter of rebuke....I've been rebuked sharply.  Titus 1:13 says, "This witness is true.  Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they many be sound in the faith."  I have learned to be appreciative of rebuke, sharp or otherwise, that I know comes from our Lord.  Last month I was in a deep conversation with a man who, for the most part, is backslidden from our Lord.  During our conversation, when I began to interrupt him to say what I was inclined to say, he sharply told me, "The Lord told me to tell you to shut up."  Immediately, I knew that it was the Lord speaking to me through him - and immediately I shut up.  As we continued to deeply converse, I began again to interrupt him to say what I was inclined to say.  He sharply told me, "The Lord told me again to tell you to shut up."  And again, I knew that it was our Lord...and again, immediately I shut up.  I didn't get angry about the sharp rebukes.  Gratitude is what registered in my spirit.

Last year on a city bus, a stranger, who happened to be a Christian, publicly rebuked me sharply when she heard me speak out of order to someone on the bus.  When she rebuked me, immediately I knew that it was our Lord speaking through her to me.  I thanked her.  Another person on the bus attempted to engage me in conversation again.  My reply was that I didn't have anything else to say because the Lord had used that woman to shut me up.      

This morning a man rebuked me and our Lord revealed to me that it was NOT of Him.  I disregarded...what the man said because it was not for me, as our Lord had clearly revealed. 

There are some Christians who resist the rebuke aspects of the Holy Bible.  Some express that it is up to GOD to judge and to rebuke.  That is true but GOD sometimes uses people to express His judgments and rebukes.  That is full gospel truth according to what is written in the pages of the Bible in the Old and New Testaments.  Certainly, GOD is the JUDGE of all judges.  But He does use people to judge and to rebuke. 

Many people misuderstand the scripture in Matthew 7:1 that states, "Judge not, that ye be not judged."  That scripture means not to judge in malicious unrighteous ways.  There is biblical basis for judging righteously.  

Ezekiel 3:18, 19
When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 

1 Corinthians 2:15
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things,...

1 Corinthians 6:2
Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

1 Corinthians 6:5
...Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?

1 Corinthians 14:29
Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.

2 Corinthians 10:6
And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. 

1 Corinthians 4:21
What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

1 Thessalonians 5:14
...warn them that are unruly,...

Romans 15:14
...able also to admonish one another.

Here are scripture references where Paul judged/rebuked Peter:

Galatians 2:11
But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

I looked up the word withstood.  It says: offer strong resistance or opposition to (someone or something). - Source - The New Oxford American Dictionary  

Galatians 2:14
But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all,...

Certainly, it is Bible truth that we are instructed to restore those at fault in the spirit of meekness - Galatians 6:1.  It is also certainly Bible truth when it instructs to rebuke sharply - Titus 1:13.  The most vital issue is to walk in the Spirit with love to be led of our Lord as to when to say/do what and how - all for His glory.

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