Yesterday, I talked about the power of the sword of Spirit, God’s word, and our call to wield it in God’s service, severing the bonds which hold others from a living relationship with their Savior.
This sword, when used correctly, has great power to do good and to transform lives. However, this same sword can also be used to cause great harm, when swung by the hand of one who does not have a clear understanding of the mercy and love of God.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I had a colleague once who, when describing how he’d “witnessed” to a patient, bragged, “I hit him with about 20 Scriptures in 10 minutes!” I immediately had an image in my mind of this poor patient taking blow after well-meaning blow and staggering out of the office, never to return. This is not Christ’s way.
2 Timothy 3:16, 17 tells us “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” Too often we Christians latch onto that word “rebuking” as our license to start swinging the Word like a club, with no thought of the harm we’re doing as we beat our way through an unbeliever’s defenses.
God’s Word is not to be used as a club against unbelievers, but as a precision instrument to carefully sever the ties which hold them back from the freedom which can be found only in relationship with Jesus Christ. We are called to skillfully wield the sword of the Spirit as did Jesus who, when faced with opposition did “not quarrel or cry out.” (Matthew 12:19).
Instead of bludgeoning others with the Word, “Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2: 25, 26)
Today, as we go out to fight for the Lord and our fellowmen, let’s remember to not use God’s Word as a club, but pray instead that God will teach us how to wield the sword of the Spirit with skill, compassion and love. Ask Him to help us “to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray,” always remembering that we ourselves are “subject to weakness.” (Hebrews 5:2).