On Fire for Truth

Read Jeremiah 17:19 - Jeremiah 20
 
Jeremiah 20:9 But if I say I’ll never mention the LORD or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!
 
AS we have read of Jeremiah’s anguish for his people, uncertainty of God’s promises and anger over the plots against his life, we can understand why Jeremiah would say, “I’ll never mention the LORD or speak in his name.” We have the same mindset, don’t we? Very quickly we have learned to be quiet about Jesus because someone accuses us for one reason or another. It’s especially true we become quiet around those who remain unmoved as we speak of sin and salvation. “What’s the point?” we ask ourselves. “They’ll ignore me or criticize me. I might even lose their friendship.”
   This kind of fear has done great harm to the kingdom purpose and to the church in our culture. Pagans in governments, businesses, communities and athletics have told Christians to be quiet. “No Jesus Allowed Here!” And much too quickly we say, “I’m sorry. I’ll be quiet.” After all, we’re commanded to love one another. (1 John 3:11)  Let’s just be loving.
   Yes, let us, indeed, be loving. Love the LORD enough to tell of his great mercy given in history’s full display on a tortuous cross. Love the lost enough to tell them they are lost. The greatest love is tell people the gospel. Peter and John knew this. When they were warned by the same authorities who crucified Jesus to never again speak or teach in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:19b), they responded: “We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20) Why? They knew will all certainty of their soul that Jesus was risen, and Jesus had commanded. The world needs to know. But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? (Romans 10:14)
   In God’s grace, he used Jeremiah to love Judah with his warnings. Their response was to reject God and Jeremiah, to even plot to kill the prophet. The same thing happened with Jesus and the apostles. And we thank God he still warns the world. By his grace, God has lit a fire of salvation, fueled with the body and blood of Jesus Christ, fanned by the Spirit, into millions of people’s transformed lives. The Holy Spirit is a fire in you now that empowers you to speak through the objections and accusations with an unquenchable desire to tell people of God’s judgment to come.
   In Israel’s and Judah’s exiles, the LORD God has shown us what he will do with the unbeliever. He will do the same with the unbeliever on the Day of the LORD. His fire will not be quenched until his judgment is complete. The fire within us must not be cooled until the time is done for speaking.