“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
I rebuke you!
Doesn’t sound pleasant, does it?
Rebuke.
It’s not a very common word in our politically correct world. In fact, rebuke is very much not “pc”.
But, there it is. Right there in God’s word. Remember from yesterday? The bible is our guide to truth – not our “pc” world, but the bible.
Our problem with this world is our arrogance. We don’t think we need rebuke.
“Who gave _____ the right to tell me what is right or wrong for me? Who do you think you are?”
But the reality is that every one of us is a repeat sinner. We’re messed up. And because we are messed up, one of the things that the truth of God’s word does is that God’s truth rebukes us. God’s truth rebukes us because we’re messed up. And that’s a good thing. We need to know what the truth is.
One of the sayings I say to our staff and session is, “Facts/truth is our friend. You cannot build a desirable future based on wishful thinking. You can only build on the foundation of truth.”
John Stott says, “We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency, and to overthrow our pattern of thought and behavior.”
That’s rebuke.
And that’s a good thing for repeat sinners who long to grow and mature in their faith.
Praxis: Faith in Action 