Facing Sin

     In today's society it is difficult to get the message of love and peace across when confronting sin.  It is a struggle to confront with people sinning openly that you care about them or not wanting to disturb the peace of a group by speaking up about something.  If you call out the sin, the person feels attacked and thinks that you have an issue with them or those like them.  We should not be afraid not being liked, but it is vital to not want to destroy a chance of them desiring to know God.
     Paul never appeared to care what others thought.  He always called things out.  When he was in Athens he had no problem displaying his dislike for idols.  He enjoyed debating with philosophers.  He made himself popular with his new ideas.  He spent hours talking with them, but they would never act on what they learned.  He had to connect the dots in the difference in unknown gods and the living God.  He laid it out to them how God created all life. 
     God is still everywhere with us today.  We can find Him if we just reach out.  His statues do not change.  He has been the same from before the beginning.  People may sneer, gossip, or think you are a fool for believing.  Just walk away.  You don't need to defend God, but know that He will defend you where it matters.  Our job is to face sin directly and speak boldly.  We need to trust that God will use our faith and words together.  Once we do our part, then trust that the Holy Spirit will do His part. (Acts 17:16-34)

^16" While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed when he saw that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worshiped God, as well as in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. ¹⁸ Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some said, “What is this ignorant show-off^[b] trying to say?”  Others replied, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities”—because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.  ¹⁹ They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, “May we learn about this new teaching you are presenting? ²⁰ Because what you say sounds strange to us, and we want to know what these things mean.” ²¹ Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent their time on nothing else but telling or hearing something new."  Acts 17: 16-21 (CSB)