Stay silent?

                                                                     Stay silent?

 Jesus gives every Christian the "The Great Commission" in Matthew 28:18 " Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. With Tick Tock, YouTube and all the different social media platforms; everybody's giving their opinion, everybody's talking and arguing. As the old saying goes some people just love to hear themselves talk.  Any person with account an application can shout anything ,sometimes just a stream of anger or fully realized spiritual deception. in other words there is a whole lot of talking and not a lot of listening

  Unfortunately the same is true when you get into a discussion about the gospel. There are many people who don't really listen they just want to argue or they want proclaim there views but not listen. This is why they say try to avoid discussing politics and religion because you can enter into that kind of situation very easily.  On social media you will find hundreds of videos from "experts" "false" prophets in the form of clergy and  proponents of other religions.  There also thousands of peoples personal testimonies about there views on Jesus and Christianity, some deconstruct thier from religions. On the other side  there are faithful Christian on social media and in the world who take to the streets, and different venues to debate and defend the faith. 1 Peter 3:15 says "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"

  With both the "Great Commission" and with Peters call we should defend the faith and keep witnessing . Why would any Christian stay silent.when it seems  the order from heaven is to keep pressing, preaching, debating and arguing with people and sometimes with the same individual.  My answer to that question as a younger believer was yes !  However , I learned  that  we should look at how Jesus said to proceed; in Matthew 10 Jesus sends out the disciples to spread the news of the kingdom "13 If the home is worthy, let your peace rest on it; but if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14. And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. " So do not stay and have a verbal battle just witness and leave silently shaking "the dust off your feet" in other word move on and keep it moving.  

  In witnessing we must be attentive to the Holy Spirit to when it is time to stop speaking and "shake of the dust."  There are those would likely say keep speaking, agrue ,debate provided facts etc.. This can be true if the person is listening and not just talking or shouting. The commission is to present the truth it is up to the individual to seek God Matthew 7:7-8. We can not argue anyone into Heaven or provide enough evidence or facts if the person will not listen , not just hear but consider the truth and listen.  The result of continuing in that case is they become like Pharaoh. Pharaoh when faced with the unmistakable demonstration of Jehovah's power and authority grew hard and more defiant; until his army was finally left on the bottom of the red sea and his first born was dead. 

  Cyprian or Thascius Caecilius Cyprianus lived from 210 to 14 September 258 AD. He was a bishop of Carthage and Christian writer of Roman African descent,Born in North Africa. He had a quote that speak about this. He said  “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” For when you used often to come to me with the desire of contradicting rather than with the wish to learn, and preferred impudently to insist on your own views, which you shouted with noisy words, to patiently listening to mine, it seemed to me foolish to contend with you; since it would be an easier and slighter thing to restrain the angry waves of a turbulent sea with shouts, than to check your madness by arguments. Assuredly it would be both a vain and ineffectual labor to offer light to a blind man, discourse to a deaf one, or wisdom to a brute; since neither can a brute apprehend, nor can a blind man admit the light, nor can a deaf man hear. In consideration of this, I have frequently held my tongue, and overcome an impatient man with patience; since I could neither teach an unteachable man, nor check an impious one with religion, nor restrain a frantic man with gentleness.

  Ask yourself is the person asking question out of true interest in the faith or "the desire of contradicting rather than with the wish to learn". Trying to share the Gospel to some people or family member that will not listen is like "vain and ineffectual labor to offer light to a blind man, discourse to a deaf one, or wisdom to a brute"  

  I know a brother in the Lord a deacon who witnesses on the streets, he says he will present the gospel but he will try to avoid conflict by telling a person that disagrees, " you have the right to believe what you wish i am just telling you what the the bible says. However, we must follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, because sometimes even that would be to much. Sometimes the only answer is silence,Cyprian says "I have frequently held my tongue, and overcome an impatient man with patience; since I could neither teach an unteachable man, nor check an impious one with religion, nor restrain a frantic man with gentleness." As Ecclesiastes 3 : 1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens... 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak. 

Edited/Written by SSligh blog creator/moderator