An Atheist on Evangelism

This man claims that he "knows" there is no God (not sure how that is possible), but he sure is right when it comes to sharing your faith. He says if you truly believe that people are going to hell, that eternal heaven is possible, and you don't tell them what you know, you must have some hatred for them. Doesn't he have a point? Isn't the best way we can love people to share the good news of forgiveness of sins with them.

The power of praise

Do you like to be noticed? Do you like to be appreciated? Do you like to be praised? Certainly all of us do not like to be ignored, taken for granted, or criticized. However, the way we respond to praise, according to Proverbs 27:21, says a lot about us. Solomon, a person who’s name is synonymous with wisdom, said, “Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised.” (NLT) The original Hebrew has a few less words, seven to be exact. The literal Hebrew rendering is, “Crucible to silver, furnace to gold, man to mouth of praise.”

In the original writing, the phrase "is tested" is not there, but it is implied. The analogy is simple. A crucible is a container in which metals are melted. When metal is melted under high temperatures, the pure metal separates from the other ingredients. As the unwanted junk separates from the pure metal and “floats” to the top of the crucible, the impurities are able to be removed. The metal then becomes more pure. Furnace is another way of saying the same thing. The furnace is the source of the heat, the crucible is the container placed in the heat. Both are critical to purifying metal, and to use either word is to say the same thing.

Proverbs 17:3 uses the same phrase, but with a different ending. Here the verse says, “Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart. (NLT)” In this verse, the Lord is the fire or crucible and his action or testing reveals the true heart of man. In Proverbs 17 the Lord is the tester, in Proverbs 27 the praise is the tester.

So what is the connection to praise and men? How does the metaphor work? Something has to be the tester (the furnace or crucible) and something has to be what is tested and made more pure (the silver or gold). There are several options to consider.

First what is the tester and what is the tested. Is man tested by praise, or is praise tested by man? In the first case, if a man is tested by praise, then the man’s response to the praise he receives will say or reveal something about the man. When someone receives praise, the praise may serve to reveal impurities in the person praised. With the impurities revealed, they can be removed, and the person is made more pure.

In the second case, if praise is tested by man, then it would appear that a person is to test praise he or she receives to see if it is valid or not. This is certainly an important part of receiving praise. Is the praise valid? Or, am I merely being flattered? Another way of saying the same thing is to ask the question, “What do I do with the praise I receive? Do I accept the praise, reject the praise, or respond in thanks to the praise?” One could deny that an action was praise worthy. Or, one can become proud thinking that the praise was well deserved. In this way, a person tests the praise received.

The challenge in the interpretation in the second case is that the analogy of the furnace or crucible seems to disappear. While we would all be wise to consider the validity of praise, this consideration alone does not seem to meet the extreme requirements of placing impure objects in a heated environment to reveal impurities so that the impurities can be removed. Therefore, we seem almost forced to choose option number 1 and say that the praise tests the person, and not the other way around. A man is there fore tested by his response praise.

This interpretation allows two possibilities as well. One, if a man is tested by praise, then, is the praise given to a person used to determine what a person is really like? Or two, is it the man’s response to the praise he receives that reveals what the person is really like?

In the first case, a man could determine what he is really like by listening to the praise of others. The praise is the crucible or furnace that reveals truth to a person. This explanation is fraught with difficulty. It is true that sometimes the praise of man might be accurate and helpful. But, we know too well that often the praise of man is not accurate. Public opinion is very commonly false and is always a very unsafe criterion of moral excellence. Sometimes, the praise of man is manipulative, or flattery, or just simply false praise to garner the good favor of the one praised. Also, some of the most praised persons have turned out to be unworthy of praise. Everyone was praising Herod in Acts chapter 12 and God killed him. Here, the praise of the people was wrong. With regard to Jesus, the crowds were screaming “crucify him.” No praise for Jesus here, and once again, the crowds were wrong.

In the second case, we consider how it might be that a man’s response to the praise he receives reveals what the man is really like. This looks like the best interpretation of the analogy. So then, the praise is the furnace or crucible in the life of a person which reveals the impurities in the heart. The revelation of these impurities allows them to be removed. As the impurities are removed, a person then becomes increasing pure. This purity gained is certainly in heart and motive and attitude.

How does this work? If praise to a man is the fire that reveals impurities, what impurities can be revealed by praise? Among them are pride, compromise, and laziness.

The most obvious would be pride. It is so easy when praised to think praise is deserved. One may think that finally someone has noticed my exceptional traits or work. One might be prone to take the glory in an accomplishment that was meant to go to God. One might forget that we “.. do not have anything that we did not receive..” (1 Cor 4:17) One may forget that God is worthy of all praise and glory, and that we are right to deflect praise back to God and express thanks for his kindness, grace, and mercy to us.

Another impurity revealed by the crucible of praise is compromise. Most of us delight in being praised, or noticed, or recognized. We may find that we like praise enough to compromise our integrity to get more of it. Decisions that are not the best decisions might be made just to gain the praise of men. The apostle John accurately condemned the self righteous Pharisees in John 12 by saying they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. One might be tempted to compromise the truth in order to keep the praise of man coming. One is likely to be criticized for holding firm to the gospel and its truth. It seems like those who give up on clear gospel truth and allow others to believe whatever they choose are praised by men for their kind and loving tolerance of others. Craving the praise of men at the expense of the praise of God is an impurity revealed by the furnace of praise.

The last impurity revealed by praise is laziness. Praise for something could cause an individual to take a talent or gift for granted, and to neglect it. Confident swimmers drown because they become over confident. Confident people fail when they overestimate their abilities, and stop working to refine and improve their skills. Never use the praise for a job well done to assume you can relax your efforts.

Praise is the crucible that reveals the heart. If praise makes you proud, or compromise, or lazy, there was an issue before the praise came along. The praise reveals the preexisting issue. Matthew Henry said, “Silver and gold are tried by putting them into the furnace….so is man tried by praising him….. Let him be extolled and preferred, and then he will show himself what he is.”

One saint from the past said that praise tortures the just, but elates the wicked. But while it tortures, it purifies the just; and while it pleases the wicked, it proves them to be reprobate. Those who revel in their own praise are not seeking the glory of their Maker. But those who seek the glory of their Maker are tortured by praise, knowing that the praise of men might soften the firmness of their heart, and might cause the heart in self-satisfaction to relax in its praises of the glory of God. When praise is truly redirected to God, then men can even long for and welcome praise so that what is written may prove true. "That they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven"

So what do we do with praise? If praise reveals what is in the heart of a person, what do I want to be revealed when I am praised? Good question.

Most importantly, praise should reveal our deep thanks to God, and not our satisfaction in our selves. Any worthy performance, talent, skill or accomplishment is the result of the grace of God working in the lives of his creation. Praise should be the spark that lights a firestorm of thanks to God. Persons characterized by ungratefulness will never be thankful to God, and no amount of praise will ever please them. It is a deep sense of appreciation to God that helps the recipient of praise only be more thankful to God for his kindness.

Praise should cause us to be more respectful to our friends who are kind enough to point out our good traits or works. True friends, who really know us, know our failures and shortcomings often better than we do. Those who know us the best know our weaknesses and our strengths. Our respect for friends who tell us the truth should go so far as to expect that they have earned the right to tell us what is not praiseworthy in us as well. A true, respected friend will balance the legitimate praise with legitimate correction. Respect your friends for operating on both sides of praise.

Praise should also cause us to be more guarded. The skills or talents that we have gained through diligence may easily be lost through carelessness and neglect. 1 Timothy 4:14 tells us not to neglect the gift that is in us. The passage continues by admonishing us to throw ourselves in to our tasks. We should learn from praise that our gifts are the grace of God expressed in our lives, and we should never take our gifts for granted. Romans 12:6 says “…according to the grace given to us we have differing gifts..” and we are encouraged to use them. In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 the one who did not put his talent to work had it taken away.

So, what happens to your heart when you are praised? Does your heart overflow with thanks and praise to God? Or, are you happy that finally someone noticed something good that you have done. Remember, that the praise in your life is the fire that refines you.

What is the crucible of praise saying about your heart?

Peace on Earth

Last week, many of you, my wife included, braved the harrowing travail of shopping on Black Friday. Never having figured myself for an aggressive shopper, I contented myself with shopping online (and finished all my shopping, thankfully!). I simply don't have the patience, nor the fortitude, required for shopping at 4 am. It proved a wise move, it seems, since some folks even lost their lives in the quest for outrageous bargains.

We live in a chaotic and turbulent world. People are clamoring for all that can be had. Yet, in their heart of hearts, every person, every single person, desires peace. It is the universal longing among all humanity. For those who have not found it in Christ, the very Prince of Peace, they seek it in every other medium; entertainment, affluence, influence, relationships, etc.

Imagine, for a moment, a lifestyle free of stress, free of harangue. Isn't that what vacations are supposed to bring? Can't vegging in front of the TV even seem to offer peace, in part? It's no wonder that heaven is the consummate end for gaining true and lasting peace.

Hebrews 4, indeed, much of Hebrews entire, speaks of this rest that is yet to come. I love the language here; "Let us be diligent to enter that rest" (v. 11). We must strive to enter that rest; we must endure to the end. It's hard work to find refuge in the Savior sometimes, especially when culture and media scream, "Find peace in me!"

This season, take some time to seek after peace, and don't waste your time with cheap alternatives. Seek after the Savior in the refuge of His Word; carve out some time to simply rest at His feet. Let Him speak to you in prayer, not the other way around. If we've not yet found peace on earth, then, at least, let it reside in your heart and mind.