The Sword of the Spirit (6)

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17.30, 31

A proposition with bite
We are considering what is required of us as followers of Christ in wielding the Sword of the Spirit within the context of our spiritual warfare. The joy and rejoicing of heart we know as we study the Word of God seeks expression in our daily lives. We begin with ourselves, but then we want to bring the Word of truth to bear on all aspects of life, and for all the people we care about who are captive to or may be enticed by the Lie of unbelief.

Like Paul at Athens, we propose to set the truth of God before people for them to consider as an alternative to their mistaken views about life. We do not judge others; we let the Word of God do that. Our purpose is to help them to understand God’s plan and purpose for their lives. To that end, we seek to engage them in conversations about the truth of God as it relates to their everyday lives.

But our purpose is not simply to affirm those who are still captive to the Lie. Our purpose is to alert them to God’s truth, to inform them of where they stand in relation to that truth, and to call them to turn from their mistaken ways to embrace Jesus and His truth as their new framework for life.

What is required
To that end, we must do more than just propose; we must also proclaim.

The Gospel and the truth of God are not like items in a smorgasbord, or opinions on an op-ed page. You can’t simply pass them by, because they might seem unpalatable for the moment, or you just don’t agree with them, and expect your life to go on just fine. We must not be content merely to discuss the truth of God; we must insist on obedience to that truth, if people are to know real life.

There is truth, and it is in God’s Word, where Jesus is revealed in all His glory, unto joy and rejoicing in our hearts. He is the truth of God, the explanation of all things, and the very fount of life. Knowing this as we do, not to proclaim Jesus, and to urge others to receive and follow Him, would be the greatest disservice we could render.

In proclaiming the truth that is in Jesus, we must call people to a total change of direction in life – what the New Testament refers to as repentance. As we apply the Sword of the Spirit to our own souls and lives, God will not bring us more fully into the new life of His Kingdom until we have laid aside our old ways of thinking, feeling, valuing, and being in the world. We must be born again, and being born again entails repenting of everything which is not true, and reaching out to Him Who is the Truth, even our Lord Jesus Christ.

The call to repentance implies the presence of sin. Here again we need to let Scripture do the talking. We do not accuse anyone of being a sinner; God’s truth, however, does. We will want to show our unsaved friends and colleagues precisely where the Scriptures make such a claim, so that their argument will not be with us, but with God. He is the One Who calls them to turn from their old lives if they want to begin walking in the truth.

Three responses
Paul’s proposing and proclaiming in Athens elicited three responses from those who heard him (Acts 17.32-34). We can expect the same.

Some people, probably a few, will hear us and believe the truth of God and the Gospel. We’ll want to help them get started in the life of faith in every possible way.
Others will listen politely but without coming to a decision for Jesus; they may, however, indicate a willingness to talk further. We will want to keep our conversations going with these folks, always looking for new ways to help them see how the Word of truth speaks to their everyday lives.

And some folks will be upset with us and tell us where to get off. What we should do then is, get off. Back away from our conversations about the truth of God, but do not back away from continuing to love. We need to keep caring for those who reject God’s truth, and praying for them. Don’t respond in kind if they become nasty or threatening. Just back off, continue to love them, and be available should the Lord pique them to seek a reason for the hope that is in you at some point in the future (1 Pet. 3.15).

We need to be ready with the Sword of the Spirit for every opportunity the Lord may present us each day, proposing and proclaiming the truth of God’s Word as often as we can, and with all the grace the Spirit can muster within us.

For reflection
1.  What are the basic differences between proposing and proclaiming? Why is each important?

2.  Why do you suppose that most Christians go through their lives without proposing or proclaiming the Gospel to anyone? What’s holding them back?

3.  Summarize the three responses to his proposing and proclaiming that Paul realized in Athens. Which of these have you experienced?

Next steps – Preparation: Put together a basic outline of the Gospel – the core of Biblical truth. Share this with your spouse or a friend, and ask your friend’s help in getting this right. Then, begin praying for the people in your Personal Mission Field who need to hear this Good News. Make the most of each opportunity the Lord puts before you each day.

T. M. Moore

You can learn more about God’s covenant and why it’s so important by ordering T. M.’s book, I Will Be Your God, from our online store (click here). For a deeper study of God’s covenant, order the workbook, God’s Covenant, from our online store (click here).

To learn how God’s covenant defines the shape of Scripture, and guides our approach to understanding and using the Bible, enroll in the course, Introduction to Biblical Theology. It’s free and online, and you can study at your own pace or with friends. To learn more and to register, click here. This week’s study is Part 2 of a series on The Word of God, and is available as a free download by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.