29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in
among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise
men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31
Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or
day to admonish everyone with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the
word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the
inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:29-32 (ESV)
Paul warns the elders about what is to come, fierce wolves
not sparing the flock.
It’s never an easy thing to see. Congregations and church
bodies being torn to shreds. There aren’t any easy answers to this sort of
thing either.’
Paul holds himself up as an example to the elders, to preach
and teach ceaselessly. To admonish everyone, even with tears if necessary.
And then he commends them to God and to the word of grace
that is able to build up. The gospel is the answer. It’s easy to lose track of
that, as a pastor. When things go south and people are at each other’s throat,
personal attacks are flying, it’s even conceivable that the pastor feels
slighted, hurt, and for the life of him he can’t seem to extract himself and
his emotions from the situation, it’s all too tempting to think the law can fix
the situation, and it never will.
Of course this is always the delusion of man. We think the
law can fix things, as if the problem was somehow that people didn’t actually
know better than to do what they are doing. And then there are pastors who
think there whole entire job is to get people to be better. Admonishment with
the law is what they think is going to accomplish it. But it never works.
Instead Paul refers them to the word of grace. It is this and this alone able
to edify, that is build up and give you the inheritance among the sanctified.
And of course, that is the purpose of the preaching office, to give this
inheritance, to sanctify those who hear, and sanctification is always the
result of the gospel.
No comments:
Post a Comment