A Study of Acts

 

Jesus lived, Jesus died, Jesus arose, and Jesus ascended into heaven.  The book of Acts tells us what happened next.  The book begins with the ascension of Christ, then the fire of the Holy Spirit and it details how the apostles preached the gospel to the world.  Acts was written by Luke who was a disciple that travelled with Paul on his missionary journeys.  Some people say the book of Acts is primarily a written account of the Acts of Apostles; however others feel that it is featured on the Holy Spirit.  While these two thoughts are the most prevalent, the book of Acts is also often referred as three different descriptive titles:  Acts of the Apostles, Acts of the Risen Christ and Acts of the Holy Spirit.  So the big question is; why is the same book referred to in three different ways and which reference best describes Acts?  What is the supporting data that causes these three separate descriptions to be a source of debate and discussion?

Let us look at the case for Acts of the Apostles first.  Biblically speaking there is little difference between the definition of disciple and apostle. However, it is important to understand what an Apostle is if we are going to determine what the book of Acts is primarily about.  A disciple is an individual who is a student of someone else.  The biblical sense adds further clarification by including; the individual is not just a student, but also an advocate of the teacher’s doctrines.  An apostle is a representative, ambassador or delegate of someone else, such as the teacher.  The one small distinction made in scriptures between the two is that not all disciples are called apostles, but all apostles are disciples. [Peach, D.]

Assuming for a moment that the book of Acts was written about what the apostles did; we need to know how many and who the apostles were in the Bible.  In total there were twelve apostles and many more disciples.  Here is a brief account of the twelve (Mark 3:16-19):

1. Andrew – A disciple of John the Baptist, a fisherman and brother to Simon Peter
2. Simon Peter – Known as a fiery preacher in Acts, a fisherman and brother to Andrew, a man of power
3. James Zebedee – Referred to as “the Elder” , One of the ‘Sons of Thunder’, one of the 3 closest friends to Jesus
4. John Zebedee- Called “The Beloved”, One of the ‘Sons of Thunder’, author of at least 5 books in the Bible, last apostle to die
5. Bartholomew (Nathanael) – Missionary in Armenia and India, praised by Jesus as a “honest man – a true son of Israel” (John 1:47)”
6. James (son of Alpheus) – Known as “the Younger”, lived in Galilee, brother to Apostle Jude
7. Judas Iscariot – From Judea, Treasurer for Jesus and disciples, traitor, betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver
8. Jude (Thaddeus) – Brother of James, author of the book of Jude, known as “Judas not Iscariot”
9. Matthew (Levi) – Often referred to as the “Tax Collector”, author of the first book of the New Testament self titled “Matthew”
10. Philip – A fisherman, had a missionary heart, he preached boldly in Samaria, lead Ethiopian Eunuch to Christ
11. Simon the Zealot – A Canaanite, was chosen by Simon Peter, from Capernaum, a debater, loyalist and organizer, devoted to Jewish laws [Truthbook]
12. Thomas (Didymus the twin) – Known as “Doubting Thomas” because he was reluctant to believe in the risen Christ until he could put his hand in Jesus’ wounds.  Thomas wanted to go with Jesus and suffer the cross with Him (John 11:16).  A Missionary to India where he was referred to as Patron Saint of India.  [Wellman]

In addition to the twelve it needs to be mentioned that there were many other men and women who were diligent disciples of Jesus including Mark who was a follower of Peter, and Luke the disciple of Paul.  James and John Zebedee were called ‘The Sons of Thunder’ by Jesus as noted in Mark 3:17; with no definitive answer as to why they were given this nickname. However it is thought the Sons of Thunder may have simply been loud, boisterous and have some arrogant personality traits due to their fisherman trade.

Returning to the claim, the book of Acts is primarily a written account of the actions of the apostles; who and what actions by them are contained in the book? Twenty-six speeches fill almost half the book of Acts. [Morris: Pg 6]  Theses speeches were delivered by a variety of people, including a few apostles. The first half of the book puts a focus on Peter and includes five speeches spoken by him.  The first speech was just after the Pentecost as told in Acts 2:14-39.  He went on to speak of the Temple beggar in 3:11- 4:4, and then spoke again just after his first arrest in Acts 4:8-12.  His fourth speech was detailed in 5:29-32 which took place just after his second arrest and Peter’s fifth speech was given at the home of Cornelius in 10:34-43, (the first Gentile in scripture to be converted). Peter’s actions in the book of Acts appear to focus on the maturing of men into the servants of Christ; but what about the other 11?  What was their role in Acts?

The Apostle Paul is featured in the latter portion of Acts. In Acts 13:9, Saul of Tarsus for the first time is referred to as “Paul”.  Although Paul was considered to be an Apostle and is featured in Acts; he was not one of the original 12.  It was after Jesus’ crucifixion that Paul was recommended by the church (who met in Jerusalem) and determined to be the replacement for Judas Iscariot.  Paul met all the requirements set forth in Acts 1:17, 22, 25 and therefore was made a legitimate Apostle of Christ on his journey to Damascus, 3 years after the ascension.  So, even though he was not one of the original 12, he was indeed an Apostle, making his accounts in Acts valid to our determination of the actual theme of the book.

Like the Apostle Peter, the accounts of Saul being converted into Paul follow the same theme ‘Maturing of men into the servants of Christ’.  In Acts 9 we read a full account of how Saul went from wanting to persecute the followers of Christ, to receiving a heavenly message from the Lord and subsequently converting to Paul the Apostle.  In chapter 18 Paul stays in Corinth for about one year teaching The Word to the people.  It is here that the Jews plan an attack on him, to bring him to judgment.  The latter chapters of Acts have a great deal to say about the gentle ministry of Paul. These chapters make clear the report of the Apostle Paul in Acts is not about his persecutions or his standing/release before Caesar in Rome.  Instead, it is centered on the progressing move forward to present the people with the gospel.  It is the advanced focus of the gospel which ushers in the historical moment of the beginning of the ‘Times of the Gentiles’.  These later chapters account the rejection of Jesus and the Gospel by the Jewish people.  It is this rejection that opened the door for the gentiles to proclaim the Gospel and officially begin the ‘Times of the Gentiles’.   The explanation for the phrases; ‘Times of the Gentiles and the Fullness of the Gentiles’ are found briefly defined beginning in Luke 21:24;  “They will fall by the edge of the sword and led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” [ESL]  ‘Times of the Gentiles’ is reported to be a term of political nature in regards to the overlordship of Jerusalem.  ‘The Fullness of the Gentiles’ speaks of the present time in which Gentiles prevail in the church and exceed Israel in current spiritual blessing. [Biblehub: Luke 21:24]

The book of Acts is rich with primary accounts of the Gospel regarding the Apostles Peter and Paul.  To say that Acts is about “The Acts of the Apostles” is a bit of a stretch.  As we see the first part of the book focuses on one of the 12.  The second part of Acts features a second Apostle of the 12.  The in-between barely mentions any of the other 10 Apostles.  Focusing on 2 out of 12 Apostles does not constitute the book being written about the work of the Apostles as a whole unit.  When 10 are basically absent in the written accounts, the very best we could attribute, would be the Acts of Peter and Paul.

Let us now consider the possibility of the book’s focus being on the ‘Acts of the Risen Jesus’.  One of the notable points which are present in Acts is that of Old Testament references.  Ezekiel 37 brings full circle the connection of the mention of dry bones and the risen Christ, which Luke chronicles in Acts 2:33.  Ezekiel foretells of the hope of the resurrection and the return of Israel from exile, united once again as a nation. Similar prophetic scriptures are also found in Isaiah 26 and Daniel 12.  In Acts 2, the foreshadowing writings in the Old Testament come to fruition as the predictions spring alive in the resurrected Christ.  The resurrected Christ pours out the Holy Spirit and grants forgiveness and repentance to Israel as explained in Acts 5.  The fulfillment of the Israelites returning to their nation gained probability on the day of Pentecost when the arrival of Jews from all over the world travelled to Jerusalem and suggested the unification of God’s people a possible reality.

The gift of the Holy Spirit also fulfills the Old Testament foretelling in Isaiah 32 and Joel 2.  Acts 2 chronicles the risen Lord pouring out the Spirit on his people.  This action revealed the outpouring of the Spirit as a consequence of Jesus’ ministry, death, resurrection and exaltation.  The fire falling upon the people in evidence of tongues fulfills another foreshadowing in Numbers 11.  The giving of the Holy Spirit to the various clans; Jews, Samaritans, Gentiles, solidifies the oneness of the people of God and their transformation as His people.  Jesus now the risen Lord and King, makes Old Testament prophecy (of the pending last days) stated in Isaiah 2 a reality.  Acts 4-5 portrays the end of the old temple leadership.  Therefore, Jesus becomes the new cornerstone of the temple.  The apostles are now the leaders and teachers of God’s people.  Acts 6-7 again is about Christ and permits Stephen to detail to the people, the temple has been renewed.  He also explains the ways of old have been replaced with the risen Christ.  God’s glory and presence are no longer hidden behind the veil but now found in Jesus himself.

Acts also teaches us about the Old Testament law and how the New Testament teachings of the apostles (directed by Jesus) became the authority for the people of God.  Jesus fulfilled the hope of the Jews.  In the scriptures it clearly states that we are no longer under the law of the old, but are required to obey the new as set forth by the teachings of Jesus himself to the Apostles.  Now this does not mean that the Old Testament is no longer valid, it means that Jesus qualified and better explained the old by confirming with the new.  We can find the explanations of this in Acts chapters 10-11 and 23-28.  We further read in chapter 15, not only are the gentiles no longer held under the Law of Moses, but the method of salvation is now completely and unequivocally by the Grace of God through the shed blood of Jesus (vs. 10).   Additionally, this chapter explains the Old Testament law is no longer required for salvation.  But, there are still a set of laws to be followed by Christians; such as the Ten Commandments.  The Jewish lineages are certainly welcome to continue conformity to the law for cultural reasons, but all believers are free from it.  Despite the freedom from the law for salvation, we are all totally bound by the instructions taught by The Christ.

From the beginning to the end of Acts, Jesus is actively fulfilling the prophecies of the Old Testament.  One of these prophecies was introducing the Holy Spirit to the gathered people by defining and demonstrating the Spirit’s purpose.  Jesus instructed the Apostles in preparation for spreading the Gospel far and wide to the people.   It is quite plausible for the book of Acts to be titled the ‘Acts of the Risen Jesus’ for there is a great deal of evidence to support His mighty manifestation in action throughout the book’s chapters.

Before we can make an educated determination between the three titles, we must look closely at the final title, ‘Acts of the Holy Spirit’.  Are there more details on the Holy Spirit than that of the Acts of Jesus?  Right at the starting gate in chapter 1, the Holy Spirit is introduced and promised to the people by the risen Christ; “v 8- But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  From that point on the Holy Spirit is one of the main features of Acts.  Within it are a minimum of five cases/events which feature the bold manifestation of the Holy Spirit.  As previously mentioned, the first one was with the pronouncement of the Spirit coming upon the people and giving them power in a mighty rushing wind demonstration.

“In Acts 2, it records the earth changing events of the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit comes, fulfilling Christ’s promise to wait until the Holy Spirit arrives to empower and direct the witness.  The Spirit transforms a small group of fearful men into a thriving, worldwide Church that is ever moving forward and fulfilling the great commission of Matt: 28:.” [Morris: pg 12]

The second notable manifestation of the Holy Spirit is found in Acts 8.  It moves the reader forward past the Day of Pentecost and to the evidence depicting the Holy Spirit is within people and the manifesting gifts are clearly evident.  It was at this point that Simon witnessed others receiving the Holy Spirit upon them when the Apostles placed their hands upon people’s heads.  However Simon thought money could purchase this power he was witnessing, he was gravely was mistaken. Going deeper into chapter 8 we learn of the Apostles travelling to spread the news, and it was during this time they met up with the eunuch.  Philip was directed and obeyed the command to share the Good News of Jesus with the Ethiopian eunuch.  As the two men rode along together, they stopped along the road and the eunuch was baptized.  During the baptism, when both Philip and the eunuch came up from the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip up away into the heavens.

The third time the Holy Spirit was greatly manifested was shortly after Saul (Apostle Paul) became a believer, when he audibly heard the voice of Jesus.  Another disciple named Ananias in Damascus was sent by the Lord in answer to prayer from Saul to heal his blindness.  Ananias laid hands on Saul and he was immediately baptized in the Holy Spirit and his sight was restored.  After this event, Saul began preaching that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.  This story of the mighty manifestation of the Spirit is featured in Acts 9.  It was further noted in 1 Corinthians 14:18 that Paul spoke in tongues more than the other Apostles.  Paul became a living testament to the receiving the spiritual gift of tongues.  He most likely received the gift during the baptism of the Holy Spirit, even though Acts 9 does not specifically state it.

The fourth case of the Holy Spirit in Acts occurred in chapter 10 at the home of a Roman Officer named Cornelius in Caesarea.  Cornelius was a God fearing man along with his entire household.  Peter had been sent to the home of Cornelius at the direction of the Holy Spirit through a vision.  While visiting the home, Peter was teaching about Jesus and the resurrection, and the Holy Spirit fell upon everyone in the home who heard the message.  This was evidenced as they began speaking in tongues and praising God much to the amazement of Peter.

One of the last examples of the Spirit gift manifestation in Acts, was among a group of believers in Ephesus according to Acts 19.  When Paul saw the group of believers he asked if they had received the Holy Spirit when they believed?  Their reply was “no”, so  Paul then asked which baptism had they experienced?  The believers replied, “ that of John”.  Paul said to them

(v 4) “John’s baptism was to demonstrate a desire to turn from sin and turn to God.  John himself told the people to believe in Jesus, the One John said would come later.”  (v 6) “Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them; they spoke in other tongues and prophesied.”

With only 5 bold manifestations of the Holy Spirit testified to in the Book of Acts, one would think this is barely enough evidence to suggest the book is mainly about the Acts of the Holy Spirit.  However there are other considerations to take into account. The New Testament mentions the Holy Spirit 264 times throughout.  Of the 264, Acts alone features 57 mentions of the Holy Spirit.  This fact breaks down to about 22% of Acts is about the Holy Spirit.  Because the Spirit is mentioned so many times in Acts, is why the book is often called the ‘Acts of the Holy Spirit’. When Luke wrote the book of Acts, he included a very strong emphasis on the Spirit working through and in the Apostles.  Acts predominantly features the Holy Spirit and the manifestations that followed from the out pouring on the day of Pentecost.  These events are very important because they were responsible for the birth of the Church as we know it today.  With all the focus on the Holy Spirit in Acts, it is reasonably referred to as the, “Acts of the Holy Spirit”.

There is rich content found within Luke’s pages in Acts.  The book chronicles historical information on all three of our subjects; the Apostles, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  This book is the bridge between the four gospels and the epistles.  The bridge logically links together the life of Jesus as described in the gospels and then the development of Christian theology and ethics as told in the epistles.  The gospel tells us of failed men who change with the discipling of Jesus Christ, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  They become Apostles with changed hearts on fire for the love of Christ. The Christian Church’s birth is chronicled within its pages.

“From a theological standpoint, Acts was written to trace the development of the body of Christ over the one-generation transition from a primarily Jewish membership to a predominantly Gentile membership.  This apologetic work presents Christianity distinct from Judaism but also as its fulfillment”. [Morris: pg 11]

Morris’s writings produces five key points in reference to the overall purpose of Acts:  Registration – experiences of the people of God are recorded.  Continuation – Luke shows how Acts continues the story of Jesus as the ascended, exalted one.  Propagation – the words you speak results in the life you live.  Vindication – Acts was given to the Roman world to let the history and message of the church vindicate its claim to divine origin.  Edification – Acts was inspired and written to profit in teaching, to bring reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. [Pgs: 13-14]

Who we are, what we have and what we can do are all verified in the Book of Acts.  This book is not a complete record of everything that occurred in the Church after the Savior’s ascension.  However Luke does tells us much through engaging storytelling about the Apostle Paul, some about Peter and more brief stories of the other 10 Apostles.  Acts also emphasizes the Holy Spirit’s power for witnessing, service and changing men into Disciples of Christ.  Also the book is about Jesus, His outpouring of the Holy Spirit, His discipleship of the Apostles and how He began the spread of the Gospel.

I believe the title of Acts falls more on the emphasis of what Jesus was doing in and through the Apostles by the gift of the Holy Spirit to build, edify and expand the Word of the Lord throughout the lands.  Acts of the Risen Christ I believe is the foundation of Luke’s writings.

In conclusion, Jerusalem had just over one hundred believers after the ascension of Jesus.  However the church grew into the thousands on the Day of Pentecost, increasing even more as the good news was spread to Rome.  Acts features the last words of Jesus on earth, and His instruction to the disciples to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The waiting made possible the acts of the believers and the massive growth of the church.  Today we need to follow the example provided for us in Acts.  No matter how eager we are to serve God, no matter how determined or committed, we cannot achieve the fullest without waiting on the Holy Spirit, His power, His guidance and wisdom to help us reach out with our full potential to meet the needs of those around us and in the world today.  We must be full of the Holy Spirit before we can pour into others.  Ultimately the book of Acts is appropriately titled, because it is a culmination of all three acts…the Apostles, the Holy Spirit and ultimately the Risen Christ.  Acts is a historical account of the church as a result of these three working together.

References:

Bible Gateway – Scriptures,  http://www.biblegateway.com, Internet

Bible, New Testament, NLT- Billy Graham Special Edition, Tyndale House Publishers 1996, Book

Biblehub Website, http://biblehub.com/luke/21-24.htm, Internet

New Testament Student Study Guide (2003) – https://www.lds.org/manual/new-testament-student-study-guide/the-acts-of-the-apostles?lang=eng, Internet

Exploring the Book of Acts – Morrison, Michael, https://www.gci.org/bible/actsintro, Internet

Morris, Bill (Ministries, Inc.), ACTS, TH-301 2006 Covenant Bible College & Seminary, Syllabus

Truthbook, Discover Jesus,  http://truthbook.com/jesus/twelve-apostles/simon-the-zealot,  Internet

What Christians Want to Know – Peach, David,  https://www.gci.org/bible/actsintro, Internet

What Christians Want to Know, Wellman, Jack,  http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/the-apostle-thomas-biography-doubting-life-and-death/, Internet

Five Cases of the Holy Spirit – Lee, Witness, http://www.ministrysamples.org/excerpts/THE-MANIFESTATION-OF-THE-SPIRIT-IN-THE-FIVE-CASES-IN-ACTS-1.HTML, Internet

 

 

Dating with Purpose

I am thinking this morning about my decisions as a young 17 year old, nieve about so many things, yet making adult decisions that would last a lifetime. Todays devotion by Pastor Greg Laurie (Harvest.org) stirred my mind on these things. Of all my decisions, good or bad, the best one I ever made about marriage was to be sure those who I dated were christian. For me I never considered dating as something to do. Many kids today date because its what teens and young adults do to have fun. But from a very young age I always considered those whom I dated as a possible soulmate. I always felt dating was meant not just for fun but rather for finding the one you want to spend your life with. I took it seriously from the start.

I had my own set of rules my date must fulfill before I would continue a relationship with them. I must admit as a 56 year old, I have a few life regrets, but sticking to my rules as a teenager is not one of them. My rules, were based on biblical principals I had learned from one of my biggest influencers, Youth Pastor Gary Hayden at First Baptist Church. Also surrounding myself with friends that were also Christians.

What were my dating rules? 1. My date must believe in God and Jesus as His only son. My date must be willing to go to church and worship with me. No exceptions. Those who were unwilling never got subsequent dates with me.

2. (This is something I think has really been lost on too many young adults today) The seriousness of an intimate relationship with my date. In otherwords, I believed that sex was sacred, not only for myself but for my chosen mate as well. I never bought into the double standard its ok for guys, but ladies must wait for marriage. I have always felt it was a two way street. I had preset limits on myself of what I would and would not do. I believed then and now that if I am going to wait for my soulmate, then I wanted my intended to do the same. Why? I am not sure I really understood then the positive consequences of waiting for total intimacy; but later I understood it creates a bond that is almost unbreakable in the marriage relationship. I encourage everyone to wait for intimacy. Life is full of the unexpected, protect yourself from it. In otherwords you may be in a relationship where you believe your date is your life soulmate and give in. Dont! is my advice to you. You may find yourself in a situation where your heart gets broken, dont let it be a double loss, both heart and bodily self. Wait for that committment and ring; you wont regret it. If he wont wait, he does not have the respect for you that he should and your entitled too. Even if you have already gone down that lane, its not too late to change and going forward wait for your soulmate God has intended just for you.

3. I felt it was imperative to talk about the important life issues, before saying I do. Children, how many? Working mom or not? Finances. What each other expects, and the roles in each others lives you need for a healthy relationship. For instance I got married at 18. We knew we were young and the statistics were against us. So we decided a couple basic rules that we thought would help us not be a statistic. a. We would enjoy as much as we could being teens “together” before embarking on the family life. b. We would never go to parties without each other, it leaves the door open for trouble. Just a couple examples that worked for us. But looking back I dont think it was the self imposed rules that worked for us as much as it was taking the time to talk through all these things and knowing what each other expected from the other and respecting them for it.

So why do you date, is the question? Do have a rule set you follow? Rules that establish honor, boundries and contribute to relationship success instead of fostering unpercieved trouble from the start?

I wanted to share some key scriptures with you regarding the principals presented here. But instead I found this awesome Crosswalk article laying it all out scripturally. I hope you will take the time to read it. And if your older, great get a new perspective for your children, your grandchildren and those whom you share responsibility in shaping their lives for the future.

https://www.crosswalk.com/family/singles/why-being-unequally-yoked-is-more-dangerous-than-you-think.html

Who Are You Really?

Who are you really? The evidence of who we are as an individual is in what we say and do. Who do you want to be? We have the power to be whomever we want too as an individual. We determine ourselves with every choice we make in our language, deeds, and actions.  We think we can hide behind a mask, but people see through it based on our actions.

None of us is perfect, however our goal as Christians is to be as “Christ like” as possible in ALL we SAY and DO. Philippians 2:”3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” (NLT)

BUT, sometimes the message we send to others about ourselves can be diluted even confusing. We sometimes tarnish ourselves with confusing signals to others. For example lets take a simple look at the reality tv star Dog the Bounty Hunter and his family. They have dedicated their lives to bringing in people who have broken the law in varying degrees. They try to talk to them about doing better while in their custody. They put forth an attitude for justice and they openly pray to Jesus as they do all this. So it seems they are Christians at work and serving God.

Then the viewer is taken on a short journey as they watch them do thier work. As they pursue the lawless and speak to each other, they curse like drunken sailors. Some present their attire in a very provacative manner, and some of the behaviors are just not above reproach. So then the question becomes who are these people? Are they the Christians they present themselves to be, or are they the filthy mouthed degenerates they behave like? Which is it?

You see the person they want us to know is unclear and tarnished, even confusing. On one hand they are prayerful believers, on the other hand they are tantilizing actors pretending to be believers, with their actions speaking louder than their prayers. So who are you? How do your actions speak about who you are on the inside, deep in your soul.

I think of the scripture ~ Matthew 12:34 “You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil?” For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Look at it this way; you trip over a piece of furniture and hurt your toe, an exclamation comes out of your mouth as you do it; what the exclamation is, literally tells you a lot about your heart. Is it profane or is just a descriptive ouch? Which person are you?

1 Kings 18:21 (GNT) “21 Elijah went up to the people and said, “How much longer will it take you to make up your minds? If the Lord is God, worship him; but if Baal is God, worship him!” But the people didn’t say a word.”

To be clear as they say so commonly today; just give yourself a check-up to see who you are presenting yourself to be. Take a look at your own Facebook page posts. Are your posts clean, presentable to God, encouraging, or are they filled with sex inuindos, language, debauchery, etc.? Who are you presenting to others? Is it the person you want to be, does it say much about your relationship with Christ? The answer is yours alone, but if its not representing you as the Christian you claim to be, there is work to be done in your soul. Who does Jesus say you (I) am? Is your self presentation clear or confusing?

Remember being a fence rider is very dangerous, with one side leaning toward Godliness, and one towards worldliness; sooner or later you will fall off that fence. When that time comes which side you land on is based on your true relationship with God. Proverbs 10:11 “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”