Please excuse my passion on this subject. as I have seen many Christians stop witnessing altogether because they have no defense against his passage. I purposely don't give the passage location because I am especially speaking to those that use it but don't even know where to find it.
Be careful that we don't take on the world-view but keep or at least learn to acquire the Christ view. Fact is we are supposed to judge people (bring their sin to light) but the world-view tells us otherwise. Know your scripture so that the wicked of the world don't fool you. They find solitude, even safety from God's law in the statement "judge yet not that you may not be judge"
Because so many Christian think they are to be loved they have departed from sound doctrine and take on the thoughts and ways of the world. But I will not have you ignorant to what the truth is. I would normally write this as a personal message but I think it is needed for everyone that says they are a Christian, and everyone that tries to hide behind scripture while rolling around in the filth of their own sin. I am not a Christian extremist, but I love God too much to water-down or prostitute (sell out) His word to make new friends or even hold on to old friends.
James 4:4 “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God
”
Many Christians use the cliché “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” However I think this expression came about to teach us to understand our limited and sometimes just plain wrong view of love and hate. But God's love is perfect, just as His hate is perfect.
Because He is God, God can hate without any sinful intent. Therefore, He can hate the sin and the sinner in a perfectly holy way and still be able to perfectly forgive the unregenerate sinner at the instant of repentance and faith in Christ Jesus. Because we cannot love perfectly (without prejudice or lust) nor can we hate perfectly (without prejudice or malice) as God can, we must remind ourselves to “love the sinner and hate the sin”
Therefore we separate these two so that we hate sin by refusing to take part in it and by condemning it when we see it. (Just so you don't miss the point I will repeat this with quotations) "Condemning it when we see it" which may appear as judging the individual while in fact it is hating the sin.
Because He is God, God can hate without any sinful intent. Therefore, He can hate the sin and the sinner in a perfectly holy way and still be able to perfectly forgive the unregenerate sinner at the instant of repentance and faith in Christ Jesus. Because we cannot love perfectly (without prejudice or lust) nor can we hate perfectly (without prejudice or malice) as God can, we must remind ourselves to “love the sinner and hate the sin”
Therefore we separate these two so that we hate sin by refusing to take part in it and by condemning it when we see it. (Just so you don't miss the point I will repeat this with quotations) "Condemning it when we see it" which may appear as judging the individual while in fact it is hating the sin.
When Jesus spoke to the church at Ephesus he spoke of hate toward sin as a quality in which should be desired and even was a quality which was a part of him, consider..
(written in two versions for understanding)
Revelation 2:6 “But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.”(KJV)
Revelation 2:6 “ But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”(NIV 2011)
Revelation 2:6 “But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.”(KJV)
Revelation 2:6 “ But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”(NIV 2011)
The Greek word translated as hate both times in that passage is “miseō" strong's G3404 (pronounced me-say-oh)[1] Therefore we see in no uncertain way hate is an attribute to be expressed rightly and that sin is to be hated, never to be excused or taken lightly. It does not matter if the sin is in your mother, your son, your daughter, your best friend, or even yourself. Sin must be hated and exposed for what it is.
- Now we love the sinners by being faithful in witnessing to them of the forgiveness that is available through Jesus Christ.
- We love the sinner by treating them with respect and kindness even though he/she knows (because we have made it clear) you do not approve of (hate) his lifestyle and/or choices.
- We do this knowing that it is not loving to allow a person to remain stuck in sin, in fact it is deceitful and hatred because you are saying to them “I hate you so much that I not going to bring your sin to light but will allow you to die in your sin and go to hell.”.
This is in no way being extreme. Ask yourself can your friend walk outside and be run over by a car the second he/she leave you? If that happens you have allowed him to go to hell in his sin because you did not want to hurt his feeling.
The time to reveal his sin is not when you have built a good relationship with him. He may not have the luxury of time to his advantage. The time to reveal his/her sin is when you see it. Because we don't know what God has for him or even worst what the devil has waiting for him the instant we walk away. In the words of Mark Cahill there is only "One thing you can't do in heaven" that's the very thing we must do here on earth. which is witness, give the Gospel to the sinner (Matthews 28:16-20)
The time to reveal his sin is not when you have built a good relationship with him. He may not have the luxury of time to his advantage. The time to reveal his/her sin is when you see it. Because we don't know what God has for him or even worst what the devil has waiting for him the instant we walk away. In the words of Mark Cahill there is only "One thing you can't do in heaven" that's the very thing we must do here on earth. which is witness, give the Gospel to the sinner (Matthews 28:16-20)
He may get angry, and may not want to speak to you again, But we must listen to the Holy Spirit to guide us in what and how we should share our faith with them. I know for a fact that there is not one person who is lost that does not want to develop a relationship with God. Atheist and agnostics and many intellectual unregenerate sinners may deny they have a desire to know God or even the fact that there is a God, but inside they search for the missing thing in their lives that make them whole that gives their lives meaning.
But you have that missing thing, and all you have to do is share it. even if there is no unction of the Holy Spirit, Even if you think that God has abandon you at that instant you must reveal his sin (or as some people would say judge him) because you don't want to see him die in his sin.
God said in Ezekieal 3:20 … because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.”
The world at the devils instruction wants you to believe that you are judging him that you are being hateful and exclusive. The devil wants you to feel that you are insensitive and mean by revealing sin to the unregenerate sinner. What better deception is it to cause powerful men and women of God to become impotent in their faith than to shut their mouths at the point of sin?
Satan wins twice;
First because they never get to know their sin (and only the law of God reveals sin Romans 7:7) and die to damnation.
Second Because powerful men and women of God become disobedient to God because they are either afraid or refuse to hurt the feeling of the unregenerate sinner.
The world at the devils instruction wants you to believe that you are judging him that you are being hateful and exclusive. The devil wants you to feel that you are insensitive and mean by revealing sin to the unregenerate sinner. What better deception is it to cause powerful men and women of God to become impotent in their faith than to shut their mouths at the point of sin?
Satan wins twice;
First because they never get to know their sin (and only the law of God reveals sin Romans 7:7) and die to damnation.
Second Because powerful men and women of God become disobedient to God because they are either afraid or refuse to hurt the feeling of the unregenerate sinner.
Listen there should be an urgency to reveal sin to the unsaved and even the saved for God has made us watchmen over this would that we should lift up our voice like a trumpet.
Isaiah 58:1 “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins”
In this way we love the sinner by speaking the truth in love. We hate the sin by refusing to condone, ignore, or excuse it. So should we love the sinner and hate the sin? I would say no. this is a saying meant to justify our own ego. Before we think about the sinner we need to think about telling ourselves the truth.
- We love the sinner by refusing to let him go to hell;
- We hate the sinner by refusing to make know the goodness of God as expressed in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
If your desire is to see them saved never let it take a back seat to hurting their feelings. Jesus has commissioned us to give the truth. God has taken the responsibility of making their heart able to receive that truth. Salvation is the work of God through Christ Jesus. But faithfulness in witnessing is our responsibility. and the only godly way we can show strangers, family and friends that we love them. It makes no difference if they accept what we say, we can't save a single person. When Paul preached the word some people were saved, some people were not, other people wanted to kill him. How come we want to see people save by our witnessing but don't want to see them angry upset or turn against us? Are we better than the prophets and apostles that came before us?
I remember reading some famous preacher of the early turn of the 20th century say the sinner will have to leap over my dead body to get to hell. I took that as saying I will stand between them and hell with the sword of the Spirit pressed against his naked flesh. piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and ready to discern the thoughts and intents of their hearts.
Charles Spurgen said if youw desire to see everyone saved then you are probablely not saved yourself!
Your Brother in Christ
Charles Spurgen said if youw desire to see everyone saved then you are probablely not saved yourself!
Your Brother in Christ
Dr. T.Charves "FireSpeaks"Prearsall
other posts you may like
The Dichotomy of Judgment and Love
The Dichotomy of Judgment and Love
References
[1] Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for miseō (Strong's 3404)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2011. 13 May 2011. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3404&t=KJV >
Hi Troy,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post. However, sometimes it can really be difficult to confront people especially if you have sin in your life too…. And the person you want to confront knows about your sin.
But I think a true Christian will appreciate the chastisement. I know I would. It shows that you are loved.
This is so true however if you went to the most devote church, full with the most honest and loving Christians and said "Only those that are without any recent sin can make it to heaven" no one would get there.
ReplyDeleteAll of us are in sin so when we speak to unregenerate sinners of their salvation, if we do it from a place of our own righteousness we give off the impression that we are better than them or that we are without any sin which is deceitful. Because, at our very best we are not worthy of God, the bible says our most righteous acts are like filthy rags before God.
So we must make sin personal to them. Not say "you are living with a man/women that is not you wife and you are going to hell because of it." But with God’s law (psalm 19:7) we show them that at God appointed time God will judge the world and they will be found guilty and will be sentenced to eternal suffering in hell.
Them if they desire to learn more we tell them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ
AMEN!!! I'm passionate about this topic as well, because so many people fall into the trap and neglect their Christian responsibilities to be a witness to a dying world. We wrote a post similar to this on The Experience (http://www.experiencestmattsumc.com/2011/01/are-you-in-good-hands.html)
ReplyDeleteI submit to Christians that we read and digest the scriptures, so we will not fear this "judgement" piece.
“Now, son of man, I am making you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I say and warn them for me. 8 If I announce that some wicked people are sure to die and you fail to tell them to change their ways, then they will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. 9 But if you warn them to repent and they don’t repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself.~Ezekiel 33:7-9