SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/10/2021 8:15 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-2 “The
Attitude”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matt. 10:16b
Message of the verse: “therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves.”
I desire to finish this short section this morning as we
continue to look at this half verse from Matthew chapter ten. We want to first of all talk about what
innocence involves, and it involves more than simply avoiding negative
attitudes and approaches. It also
involves the positive attribute of purity.
Godly wisdom has no part in anything that is impure, deceitful, or
defiling. It is always the ally of truth
and righteousness as there is nothing untruthful or unethical that can enhance
the gospel or make its witness more effective.
Let us look at what Paul assured the Thessalonian believers in 1 Thes. 2:3,
as he assures his preaching and teaching of the gospel did “not come from error
or impurity or by way of deceit.”
Integrity and honesty are practical manifestations of truthfulness,
without which an otherwise orthodox presentation of the gospel is distorted and
weakened.
We have to remember that we are to be like our Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our High Priest according to Hebrew 7:26. Jesus loved His enemies so much that He came
and died for them, and we too are to love our enemies and that is why we sheep
are to go into the places where the wolves live to tell them the good news of
the gospel, and not to water it down in any way.
MacArthur concludes this section: “When Paul was brought before the Sanhedrin in
Jerusalem, the high priest Annanias ordered him to be struck in the mouth. In a moment of unguarded anger, the apostle
replied, ‘God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! And do you sit to try me according to the
Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?” (Acts23:3). When he was rebuked by some bystanders for
reviling the high priest, Paul immediately apologized, saying, “ I was not
aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for is is written, ‘You shall not
speak evil of a ruler of your people” (V.5). What Paul had said to the high
priest was perfectly true, and certainly understandable from a human point of
view. But it was not appropriate, not
only because it was said to the high priest but because it was said in self-defensive
anger. It was not the wise and righteous
thing to say.”
10/10/2021 8:32 AM
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