It’s your decision

SCRIPTURE: Acts 18:1-8
“Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” (Acts 18:6)
Paul is referring to the ‘watchman’ task found in Ezekiel 3,

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.” (Ezekiel 3:17-19)

It was not Paul’s job to change their minds, only to let them know.
In the end, it is their own decision, not ours.
As followers of Jesus, we may eagerly wish for people to receive the invitation, or heed the warning.
But God has given each person the ability to respond, and only He can work in their hearts to respond.
Do we take this to the extreme, that we are responsible for all our neighbors, coworkers, classmates, etc?
Scary thought, there are many people I have not warned or invited.
I don’t see it like this; it is only to those that he does speak with that he says this.
In other words, when you have the opportunity to share, and they do not accept it, don’t pressure them.
In the end, it is their own decision, not ours.
“If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.” (Matthew 10:14)
Because we love them, we honour their desire not to accept our message.
God is not done with them yet, He can send others to them as well.
But on our end it is important to communicate grace and freedom, and to let them know…
‘It’s your decision!’
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, thank You for respecting us not to pressure us. And thank You for not giving up when we are resistant, but for sending other messengers to get our attention. In the end, it is our decision, but we couldn’t do it without You.