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About Jesus - Steve (Stephen) Sweetman Redemptive
Speech Titus 2:7 and 8 read: "In everything set
them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity,
seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that
those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say
about us.
Paul instructed Titus to
be an example of one possessing integrity, seriousness, and soundness of
speech. When we set aside
serious sound speech, as many do today on social media and in
person, we lose all credibility as Christians.
We, for legitimate reason, are spoken badly of and shamed by
those who oppose us. Being
spoken badly of because of our association with Jesus is one thing, but
being spoken badly of because of argumentative, nonsensical and non-redemptive speech
defeats our mission as Christians. It saddens me to see
non-Christians turned off to Jesus because of our non-redemptive speech.
The word "redeem" means to pay the price for something
we purchase. In the context
in which I am writing, the price we pay in our redemptive mission is to
set aside any self-promoting, arrogant, argumentative, irrational,
unsound speech. We do so
because Jesus has called us to join Him in His redemptive plan to
purchase lost souls for Him.
We must ask ourselves if
our words and actions help facilitate our redemptive mission.
Our participation in current cultural controversies must be
premised on godly integrity that is seen in serious sound speech, and if
not, we lose our Christian credibility and we become our own worst
enemy. We bring unnecessary
condemnation upon ourselves that inhibits the redemptive process from
being realized in our lives. We
can't blame Satan for being shamed and spoken badly of by those who
oppose us. It's not
persecution. It's reaping what we sow. We, not Satan,
are the problem. So, think
redemption before you pen your next word on your favourite social media
site.
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