Branson, MO 2007: See the Love? When the love is hidden, it cannot pay, even if it’s genuine. Open rebuke, as painful as it is, is better than real, genuine, hidden love.
From Trent Ling:
Contrary to popular opinion and common practice, “better is open rebuke than hidden love.” Proverbs 27:5. Many will profess love with their lips, but cower and disappear in a time of testing. Very rarely will you encounter someone willing to grace your life with an open rebuke to you and for you. And yet, we all honor in our hearts (and perhaps years later with our lips) mere school teachers who challenged, confronted, and even rebuked us in our shortcoming-riddled youth. In fact, if we were to speak honestly, we would freely confess that those who do not so challenge us are boring in comparison to those who do. Such is also true in the real ministry of Jesus where both the rewards and the challenges are off the charts.
“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.” Isaiah 30:15. God’s offer of salvation and strength seems so attractive. However, almost everyone balks at His pre-requisites. Many say they want salvation; and many have mastered the pursuit of rest (though not attaining it). But, the repentance part remains unknown, un-pursued and un-possessed. Many say they want strength, but quietness remains unattainable and trust is a no-no. Therefore, something so straightforward and valuable escapes so many so routinely. Such reveals the need for a real minister who can and will straighten people’s pathways to God. Luke 3:4.
The actual costs of ministering the actual truth to actual people are staggering. Slanderers will pursue the minister all day long, and many in their pride will rail against the minister, twisting the minister’s words. Psalms 56:2,5. In this, the minister joins God in “all day long (holding) out… hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations.” Isaiah 65:2. And yet, those imaginations never free people from their bondage to themselves.
Clearly, only fools for Christ in love with you would sign up for this thankless task and pay the freight of ministering. In fact, it does require a complete selflessness to minister the bible for real. There is absolutely nothing to be gained other than the satisfaction of seeing others gain the truth. “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown…? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.” 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20. No money, no fame, no thanks, no advantage, no favor, no nothing other than real love fulfilled. The motivation for a real minister is the possibility of seeing somebody hear it, understand it, hold to it, live up to it, persevere in it, and not throw it away.
Is there a nice way to tell a lost person that they’re lost? Is there a nice way to call someone to a repentance that they insist upon resisting? Is there a nice way to burst someone’s phony belief bubbles? Do these people need hidden love, leaving them deceived and feeling “okay?” Or, do they need open rebuke to test whether they have in them the heart and mind required to hear, believe, submit, follow and win? The answers are self-evident even to schoolchildren. How are the answers concealed from adults? How are they seemingly concealed from wimpy, shrinking “disciples?” Good questions! In the meantime, the real ministers are revealed as those who mirror God and his Son and his prophets. None of them stockpile their love underground, but pour it out in every way at all times around the clock.
Consider those who have understood and repented and enjoy God’s favor today as a result of receiving life-giving rebukes. Their victorious lives in Christ would have been sacrificed if, like Pilate, we yielded to the “whine” and cheese crowd. Luke 23:23. That contemplation alone summons sufficient power, authority and heart to make this ministry one where the truth will always be availed no matter the cost or opposition.
Wise men love rebuke. It makes them wiser still. Proverbs 9:9. Thanks! On the contrary, hidden love must be rolled out, dusted off, and generally muttered about only at funerals. Too late! No thanks!
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