COMFORTERS AND CONFRONTERS

COMFORTERS AND CONFRONTERS
I hope you read my previous post on ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER. But there is another facet to this.

Some People Want To Be Encouraged In Their Continued Error.

They like the accolades, but reject and ignore the counsel that is offered by loving and mature believers. They want to discover and choose their own corrections, rather than allow someone else to call them to accountability or lead them into a new or different light. They may even ask less spiritual people for evaluations, but reject the insights of believers who are more mature.
Proverbs 12:15
(15) The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
Proverbs 19:20
(20) Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

God Provides Both, "comforters" and "confronters." God's leading and counsel includes the negative and the positive. A negative directive from God is for the purpose of producing a positive reality in the believer. This is seen throughout the Bible.
* Remember the Mount of Blessing (Gerizim) and the Mount of Cursing (Ebal)?
Deuteronomy 11:26-29
(26) Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;
(27) A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:
(28) And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
(29) And it shall come to pass, when the LORD thy God hath brought thee in unto the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal.
* Remember the Ten Commandments, with "thou shalt not" and "thou shalt" verses?
* Remember Psalm 1?
Psalms 1:1-2
(1) Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
(2) But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
The blessed person is the one who realized there are dos and don'ts in life.

God provides light through Scripture and godly counsel. God gives good counsel, through godly parents, pastors and peers.

Consequences
Those who refuse counsel, those who refuse the negative form of encouragement, eventually cut off the very people who can give them the best counsel and the most sincere and beneficial praise. But they would rather have the praise of those who are less discerning and more easily impressed.
Proverbs 26:12
(12) Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
Proverbs 27:5-6
(5) Open rebuke is better than secret love.
(6) Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Proverbs 27:17
(17) Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Broken Ties
At some point, the wise and loving believer no longer offers counsel to the hardened, and haughty friend because it is like casting pearls before swine. The ties that bind are broken, as one moves further and further away from loving and sound counsel.