Piercing, Prodding, Persuading
“And Paul, as his manner was,…reasoned with them out of the scriptures,” (Acts 17:2)
Our verse says that Paul, when he talked with people about Jesus, “…reasoned with them out of the scriptures,” (boldface added) Paul used Scriptures to deal with people. That point is important.
Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The Bible also calls Scripture “the sword of the Spirit,” (Ephesians 6:17) God the Holy Spirit uses Scripture as an instrument to prod people’s hearts.
If a lawyer in a free speech case says, “the government cannot abridge free speech,” she is factually right, but her words are not the words of the Constitution. Now if she says in her argument, “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech,” now she is quoting the Constitution. The words of the Constitution are law. They have more legal impact than her words. The words of the Bible are even more so. When people hear God’s word, the Holy Spirit uses Scripture to prod people’s hearts with the truths of God.
A man may be a Christian but likes to drink. He goes to church. The preacher quotes Proverbs 20:1 and says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” The man hears of how liquor mocks and deceives. The Holy Spirit uses Scripture as a “sword” to cut to his heart about his drinking and convince him of his need to stop.
A lady may be going through difficulty. She fears her Saviour has forsaken her. Then she reads in Psalm 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;” God does not lie, so she is reassured that the Lord is still with her, even in her difficulty.
Acts 17:32, 34 says, “And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.” “Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed:” After Paul spoke about Jesus, some people mocked. Some wanted to hear more. Some believed.
Some people may have heard all their lives that the earth evolved, there is no afterlife, and the Bible is fiction. When they first hear how Jesus died for them, was buried, and rose again; and when the Holy Spirit deals with their heart through His word to receive Him as Saviour, they may scoff. Yet we don’t know what God is doing in their hearts when they are alone,thinking about what they heard. Proverbs 20:27 says, “The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.”
If you are a Christian, don’t just think of political leaders by their party or ideology. Think of them as human beings for whom Jesus died and rose again. Proverbs 25:15 says, “By long forbearing is a prince [a leader] persuaded,” Leaders who don’t know Jesus as Saviour can be persuaded to receive Him when God does the persuading. It may take “long forbearing,” but God’s word says it can be done.
God’s word does wonderful things in people’s lives. Everyone needs to hear from God regularly through His word. Christians need God’s word in church and in our daily reading, memorization and meditation. Unsaved people need to hear God’s word to persuade them to receive Jesus as Saviour.
Do you know Jesus, God the Son, as your personal Saviour? If you don’t but want to know more, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”
Brian Miller 7/29/2023
Cleveland Baptist Church 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 216/671-2822