Declaring the Whole Purpose of God

Preaching and teaching the Word of God is a very important ministry. All believers are to have a part in this ministry, even if we are not called to be pastors, evangelists, or missionaries. All believers are sent out with the mission of being witnesses to others about Jesus and God's will for all people. This requires us to share the Word of God, because it is our authority. When we share, we must share the whole purpose of God, not holding back in any area of truth. (Acts 20:26,27) That was Paul's testimony to the elders of the church at Ephesus. He said that he was innocent of the blood of all people, because he did not shrink from declaring the whole purpose of God. We all need to have this testimony for ourselves.

The Bible contains all types of truth. Some of the truths are very joyful, and they lead people to rejoice in the goodness of God. At other times, the Bible has doctrines and teachings that are very solemn, and they are hard for some people to believe. When we preach and teach, we can be tempted to fit the message to our audience, and try to share the Word of God in a way that will not be offensive. That is a terrible mistake. If we pull punches or shrink from sharing the whole purpose of God, we are harming people not helping them. In fact, if we do that, we will not be innocent when they fail to be saved or to fully follow God's will for their lives. This could cause us to have blood on our hands ate the time of the Judgment.(Ezekiel 3:18,20) Instead, we need to share the truth in love.(Ephesians 4:15) Then, we allow the Holy Spirit to apply the truths to the hearts of others, as He sees fit. We do not want to contribute to anyone ending up in Hell or missing God's will in any way.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Acts 21-23.