The Straight, Fruitful Paths of the Lord - Acts 13, 14

by Diana Durrill

In today's passage Paul aggressively confronts a Jewish false prophet for trying to turn the proconsul (governor or deputy consul) away from faith in Jesus Christ.  Paul goes so far as to call him a "son of the devil" and "enemy of all righteousness."  I am envious of his boldness!  I admire the courage with which he speaks.  But what I love most about Paul's righteous tirade is this:

"Will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?" (13:10)

False prophets will do that.  They will complicate and muddle up the Christian walk, making it more complicated than it needs to be.  Oh, it's true that the gate to eternal life is narrow and the way is hard while the gate to eternal damnation is wide and easy (Matthew 7:13,14), but in the end, the paths of the Lord are straight.  The grace we are given for salvation can and should be applied to the Christian walk as well. Just as we came to Jesus Christ in humility and by faith (the narrow, hard surrender of our pride), so can we walk in humility and faith as we bask in the grace God has lavishly poured out on us.

False prophets tend to make the walk harder than the entrance into eternal life.  Everyone can come through their wide, easy gate (not requiring much humility or faith because of works), but no one can live up to their expectations, rules and regulations "necessary" for sanctification.  This is anti-gospel.  One way to discern the difference between truth and lies is by examining the fruit produced by those walking that path.  On the straight paths of the Lord you will see supernatural fruit (Galatians 5), but on the crooked paths of a false gospel you will lack the evidence of Spirit-produced fruit.  You may see man-made fruit (fake fruit) but you will be hard pressed to find the supernatural fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 7:15-20 says,

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will recognize them by their fruits.  Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits."

Which type of fruit are you producing?  Who's message are you listening to?  Are you striving to keep a list of do's and dont's, working to please the god of a false gospel?  Are you soaking up the message of ravenous wolves who seek to keep you from the fulness of joy that comes through faith in Christ?  Or are you enjoying the straight and fruitful paths of the Lord?  I pray that, like the disciples in Acts 13 verse 52, you find yourself filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.