Be Careful How You Impact Other People’s Faith

Reading the Book of Acts this past week highlighted the significance of this statement: Be careful how you impact other people’s faith! Possibly you have not considered this thought recently. Let me explain. Paul and Barnabas are sharing the gospel with the proconsul of Cyprus when this man Elymas (otherwise known as Bar-Jesus) interrupts them and seeks to keep the proconsul from faith.

But Elymas [Bar-Jesus] the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? (Acts 13:8-10)

Because Bar-Jesus did not believe and probably for financial gain since he worked for the proconsul as an advisor, he did not want the proconsul to believe in Jesus.

Get this: as one who did not follow Jesus, Bar-Jesus did not want the proconsul to believe. What was true about his own personal belief – not believing in Jesus – he wanted to be true for the proconsul as well.

Paul’s Reaction through the Holy Spirit

Also take a moment to notice Paul’s words and actions.  Paul describes Bar-Jesus’ work against the faith in what I’ll call five ways:

• Full of all deceit
• Full of all fraud
• Son of the devil
• Enemy of all righteousness
• Perverter of the straight ways of the Lord

Paul saw Bar-Jesus’ response to the gospel clearly. Instead of him accepting the truth or wanting the proconsul to accept the truth, hope, and light of the gospel, Bar-Jesus actively worked against the gospel. Paul described this as deceitful, fraudulent, work consistent with being a son of the devil, an enemy of all righteousness, and a perversion from the straight path of the Lord.

Bar-Jesus suggested that life outside of Jesus Christ was as good as life with Christ. He sought to keep him from believing. This is deceitful, fraudulent, and a perversion.

Paul indicted him and God made him blind.

Paul calls this what it is through the Holy Spirit and pronounces blindness on the man.

Why is that interesting?

Because he was spiritually blind trying to keep this other man spiritually blind as well. Paul demonstrates this by making him physically blind.

So, here’s your challenge question for the week.

In your daily life this week, are you in any way functioning like this sorcerer and seeking to harm the faith of another person?

Are you living in a way that perverts the gospel?

Are you saying anything with your words or attitude that hinder someone else’s faith?

Is there any way that you are making the straight way of the Lord crooked?

May we serve Jesus Christ faithfully this week.

 

Image Credit Sebastien Gabriel