"It's Not About Winning"

  Winning the arguments! When we are challenged by some notion of false teaching, immediately we want to show and win the argument against such falsehood. But that's just it. It's about winning on our part, or so it seems many times. I'm not saying we shouldn't stand against falsehood. We should and the Lord wants us to. It's the way we stand against it. Sometimes smug and with an attitude above we will win. That's what our flesh wants. Our flesh likes to argue and win the argument. Everything around us in this world tells us to win, win, win!!!

  Several years back, a young preacher stood up in front of the brethren and stated that he was going to have a debate with a denominational preacher over instrumental music in worship. He announced it and was rallying the troops. The things he said "puffed" up many and the time to meet with this was set. I asked one simple question: "If you show where they did not use it in the first century church, and you can, they drop their instruments in worship, are they saved?" His reply was this was a starting point. My next statement was such: "If we got every single denomination to drop their instruments in worship, would that save them?" Silence fell loudly!

  Here's my point. It's about the gospel. Bring people to Jesus and the other things will take care of itself. It's not about winning an argument and making one feel superior. It's about saving. It's all about saving. God is about saving. The power of God for salvation is found in the gospel (Rom. 1:16) and nothing else. Jesus wanted His disciples to preach the gospel. Paul taught Timothy that the Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome (II Tim. 2:24). What are we to do? Realize what is at stake in the soul of another. The key in this is God at work, not you or me. Gentleness is needed when people are in opposition because it boils down to one thing and one thing alone: "With gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth."  (II Tim. 2:25) God must grant repentance!!! We need to help soften their heart with gentleness and not with argument. We need to soften their heart when we correct false notions without blasting them or making them feel inferior. Quarrels create a sense of superiority! Gentleness creates an atmosphere where the heart can soften and allow God to grant the repentance so they can come to their senses (II Tim. 2:26).

  Listen, this is all about God, not us! God calls us to Himself. God is One who brought about salvation through Jesus. God is the One who justifies. Salvation is from God, has always been from God and is always about God. We need to humble ourselves and be willing to allow Him to grant what He grants. We need to make certain we aren't making things more difficult. Just a thought.