“I don’t like to preach a lot about sin,” said the pastor. “That’s going to drive them away.” “Our church doesn’t preach doom and gloom,” said the lady. “It preaches good news.” “If you come to our church you’ll be made very welcome,” said another. “Not like some, where all they do is make you feel bad.” “I won’t preach holiness,” said the pastor. These are comments I heard in my early years as a Christian, not being spiritually mature and wise enough to know at the time that in reality, each foolishly believed the lie that if the church wants to make Christianity more attractive to outsiders, one must lower the high standards of God as revealed in the Bible.
Nobody lowers God’s high standards. In our attempts, all we do is lower our own. Pastors who won’t preach sin, judgment and holiness, not only are their standards low but they become a stumbling block to their people who are seeking to reach God’s high standards. I think of generations of Bible students just like them; they entered Bible Colleges and Seminaries on fire for the Lord Jesus Christ, but the “firemen” within put the fire out and then sent them out to churches as smoldering embers – a little bit of smoke but no flames! Yes, people do get saved under their preaching and baptized, but unless they continue diligently seeking the Lord for themselves they too will become smoldering embers, for the leader can’t take them where he won’t go.
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me…….. Acts 1:8. Holy Spirit-power – without it Christians can never attain God’s high standards; smoldering embers is the best they can ever be. Having said that, we must not think the Holy Spirit a mere power. “How we have degraded the Holy Spirit into a mere power by which we have to do our work.” Andrew Murray. God forbid! Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to us as a Person – a holy Person, who is grieved when His people attempt to lower God’s high standards. Without the Holy Spirit we have no power to preach the Gospel, no courage amidst reproach and persecution or to face and oppose Christ’s enemies.
More: without the power of the Holy Spirit we have no boldness to profess the name of Jesus, no strength to live according to His truth and commands, and no motivation to live a holy life. Without the power of the Holy Spirit we have no willingness to suffer trials and afflictions and no ability to wield spiritual power and authority over Satan the devil and his cohorts when we come up against them. Christians possessing Holy Spirit power have no interest or desire to covet that which so many smoldering embers in churches do covet – positional power and political power. Satan loves those; without them he has no chance of presenting watered-down gospel messages and introducing false doctrines and false teachers.
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it Matthew 7:13-14. Watered -down gospel messages don’t include Scriptures such as that one. They highly offend the purpose-driven life, seeker-friendly, prosperity gospel, LGBT-friendly mindset. So when they read that Scripture for themselves they don’t believe the narrow gate is narrow. “God loves everybody,” they’ll say. And as for, “narrow is the way……and few there are who find it,” in dismissing themselves from you you’ll hear, “You’re nothing but a right-wing fundamentalist!” or similar.
So what do we learn from this about smoldering embers? We learn most of them have a low view of the Bible and that they’ll compromise it at the drop of a hat! From that we learn why holiness is not a high priority for them, that judgment and hell don’t truly mean what Scripture says they mean and that end-times prophecy on the imminent return of Jesus Christ, the Rapture and 7-year great Tribulation are the writings of men, not God the Holy Spirit. In addition, we learn why most of them strongly support same-sex marriage, man-made climate change and why most of them strongly oppose the Jews their sole rights to the land of Israel. We learn that when push comes to shove between human emotions and biblical faith, it’s the latter that gets the shove!
Though the Bible is lowly viewed by smoldering embers not so, the revered Church Constitution. The leaders among them know that document back to front. What the Bible ought to settle with regards disputes and arguments, the Constitution does the job instead. To witness church people “come alive” as a result of Constitutional appeal is fascinating in my experience. What could God do with them if they held the same reverence for the Bible! The same applies for church programs such as Christmas in July, fund raising events for building maintenance and overseas missions and the annual church camp. Where it seems to be difficult for them to express “Praise God” in a church service, there’s no difficulty when involved in these things.
Smoldering embers hate having their will crossed. Most often their good ideas are not God’s ideas but the church embraces them in any case, believing it might be from God. But should someone who lives for the Lord ask if there’s anything redemptive in that idea they’ll turn on him or her in a second – quoting a Scripture in the process. In real terms that means a manipulative spirit rules the show, freely doing so because the Holy Spirit and the Bible are not given the place Jesus Christ gives them. A place like that doesn’t drive sinners away but it does drive the Savior’s saints away when they finally come to terms with the reality that to stay would only hinder their spiritual progression. Grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord and Savior…… 2 Peter 3:18.
Just as the Pharisees of Jesus’ day were controlled by religious spirits, so too, are the church’s smoldering embers. There is a great difference between them however. The Pharisees demanded all to stick rigidly to the letter of the Law of God; the smoldering embers kick it to the curb. “We’re not under the Law, we’re under grace!” they say. Sadly, they don’t truly understand what either one means for them. If they did they would be standing against all corruptions and perversions of doctrines and morals that have permeated their lives and fellowships. It’s true we’re not under the Law, but we are under Jesus, the Law-keeper in our heart. God’s high standards apply to us today as they always have. Be holy, for I am holy Leviticus 11:44-45; 1 Peter 1:16.
If God’s Old Testament Law is not given the respect it deserves by His people, God’s New Testament grace will not be given the respect it deserves either! In other words, if we don’t have sound understanding and appreciation of just what it is we have been saved from by Jesus death for sin, we will treat sin lightly – and smoldering embers do treat sin lightly! One reason we have the Books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy is to help us understand and appreciate that sin should never be treated lightly. This in turn helps us understand and appreciate the glorious gift of grace, that it should never be treated lightly either. Too, much of what these people call grace is not grace it’s merely another form of law disguised as grace.
The test of all true grace is demonstrated only by those living in accordance with the Holy Spirit. For as many as are led by the Holy Spirit of God, these are the sons of God Romans 8:14. Those led by the Holy Spirit are the only people capable of reaching God’s high standards; not that they will know when they have reached them, but that’s their desire nevertheless and they know God grants that kind of desire Psalm 37:4. Not only that, but they experience spiritual liberty in the process for, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty 2 Corinthians 3:17. Smoldering embers are not only unsettled in the presence of such Christians among them, they are angered by their presence – even when working overtime not to show it.
Yes, the preaching of sin does drive many people away, it always has, it always will. But the opposite is just as true, it also drives many to God. Without repentance, doom and gloom is an eternal reality – it’s called hell and Jesus died to keep us from it. That’s the good news! Under the Holy Spirit’s conviction we are made uncomfortable; sin and holiness cannot dwell together. Holiness must be preached. Unless we are living in the processes of being made holy by God we are not rightly relating to God. Worse than that, we trample on the grace of God. Smoldering embers need to acknowledge the sin of doing that, sincerely repent of it and get the fire of God back into them. As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught…….. Colossians 2:6-7.
“Yes, the preaching of sin does drive many people away, it always has, it always will. But the opposite is just as true, it also drives many to God…”
That is the essence of the word of God which is sharper than any two-edged sword and discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart. God bless you.
Amen, Larry … no if’s, no buts; simply yes or no. Thank you.