Paul the Apostle was more than aware that following Christ would put him in conflict with the unrighteous and unprincipled.Yet, many ministers are satisfied today to cower in the fear of man and to compromise character through people pleasing.
All of this in order to avoid conflict.
In fact,Peter Robinson, associate director at the Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University School of Law made an alarming discovery. After working with hundreds of ministers, he found that a pastor's preferred option of dealing with church conflict is “avoidance".
Seems Charles Spurgeon had a more charactered and biblical approach to the ministry. Please God and leave the consequences to the final day!
rgh
"A Christian minister must expect to lose his repute among men. He must be willing to suffer every reproach for Christ’s sake. But, then, he may rest assured that he will never lose his real honor if it be risked for the truth’s sake and placed in the Redeemer’s hand. The day shall declare the excellence of the upright, for it will reveal all that was hidden, and bring to the light that which was concealed. There will be a resurrection of characters as well as persons. Every reputation that has been obscured by clouds of reproach for Christ’s sake, shall be rendered glorious when the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
Let the wicked say what they will of me, said the apostle, I commit my character to the Judge of quick and dead."
From a sermon entitled "Assured Security in Christ," delivered January 2, 1870. Image by connor395 under Creative Commons License.
http://www.thedailyspurgeon.com/
http://www.mediate.com/articles/newberger.cfm
No comments:
Post a Comment