The wise man in the book of Proverbs admonishes us to "buy the truth, and do not sell it" (Prov. 23:23). Truth is to be a valuable commodity in our lives -- we are to obtain it at all costs and once obtained, never let it slip from our hands. It is the truth that sets us free from the shackles of sin (John 8:32).

In last week's bulletin we started a discussion on the truth, and how people react to the truth when it hits their heart. This week lets continue these thoughts keeping in mind the wisdom of the proverb above.

Some People Will Lash Out At Others

Sometimes wicked people lash out at innocent people who just happen to be nearby. Cain took out his anger on his brother Abel. Cain started off bad by offering a bad sacrifice to God (Gen. 4:3-5). Abel had acted in faith at the direction of God and offered an acceptable sacrifice (Heb. 11:4; Rom. 10:17). Cain got depressed when God rejected his sacrifice (Gen. 4:6). God told Cain that he would feel right when he acted right (Gen. 4:7). In his depression, Cain killed his own brother (Gen. 4:8). What had Abel been guilty of? What sin had he committed? As far as I can tell, Abel just happened to be in the wrong place when a wicked man felt the guilt of his own sins and lashed out. The same thing can happen today. The preacher or someone else preaches the truth and someone gets their feelings hurt because it reflects upon them. Instead of repenting of the error of their ways, the guilty party will often lash out at other people. Sometimes they lash out at their husband, wife or children. Weak Christians will often lash out at faithful Christians who happen to be nearby.

Some People Will Harden Their Heart

Look at the example of Pharaoh during the time of Moses. God said He would harden Pharaoh's heart. (Exo. 4:21; 7_3). But, the Bible also says Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Exo. 8:15, 32; 9:34). What happened was this: every one of the plagues made Pharaoh more rebellious against God. It was not God's plan to terrify Pharaoh into submission -- every plague was a warning designed to give him another chance to soften his heart, but Pharaoh refused. In our day, the preaching of the gospel has had on many souls exactly the same effect as the Lord's demand to Pharaoh. Paul warned the Hebrew Christians about this very thing. They were told to not harden their hearts like their ancestors did in the wilderness (Heb. 3:7-13). It is possible for us to harden our hearts through the "deceitfulness of sin."

Some People Will Allow The Gospel To Change Their Lives!

One of the greatest stories of conversion in the Bible took place in the ancient city of Nineveh. God sent Jonah, a reluctant prophet, to preach to them. "The people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them" (Jonah 3:5). The people of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah. "Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it" (Jonah 3:10). How do you react to the truth? When your life is not in harmony with the revealed will of God? Do you get angry? Do you harden your heart? Or, like the Prodigal Son, do acknowledge that you have sinned against heaven and beg for God's mercy and forgiveness? How you react to the truth reveals what you are really made of. The Gospel is like fire -- it will soften wax and harden clay. What effect will it have on you?

Eric