While re-reading Martin Luther’s quotes from yesterday’s devotion, one quote really made an impression on me. Luther once said: “Always preach in such a way that if the people listening do not come to hate their sin, they will instead hate you.”1
As I thought about the life of Jesus, I realized that because of the message that He preached people had either one of two reactions. They either began to hate their sin and repent or they began to hate Jesus for His message. And just what was His message? (Matthew 4:17) tells us: “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” Very few people were ambivalent about Christ and His message because when He preached about sin people were either convicted in their hearts and repented or became belligerent and prideful in their hearts and enraged at Christ.
And my friends it will be no different for us today for human nature hasn’t changed in 2,000 years. If we just tell people that Jesus loves them, we are doing them a great disservice since this is only part of the Gospel message. When we then add that they are sinners in danger of eternal damnation if they don’t repent, we should expect the same reactions that Jesus received when He preached the need for repentance. They either loved Him or hated Him.
Preaching the full gospel message is not designed to make us popular but to save souls from going to hell. And if it makes us unpopular among the masses then so be it. Preaching about sin has a way of touching the human heart – either convicting it or enraging it. Our job as Christians is to preach the full gospel, pray for those we are sharing with, and live a Christ-like life. When we do these three things, and especially emulate Christ’s compassion toward sinners, we will no doubt touch some hearts for the kingdom. And for those who reject our message and us, I believe, we will give them something to think about that may one day help them realize that they are suppressing the truth about their sinfulness and their need for Jesus.
And it’s the same way with the Bible. Many people don’t want to go near the Bible because they know in their hearts that the biblical message will convict them of their sinful lifestyle – and they don’t want to change. So sadly, many don’t open the Bible thinking that if they don’t read it they can continue to sin. Dwight L. Moody said it well when he commented: “The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.”2
In the last analysis the Christian must realize that preaching about sin will never be popular among the masses but will earn us great approval from our heavenly Father. We are called to be a light to the lost and while exposing the sins of the human heart to the light, while never popular, is the only way to reach souls for Christ. So, let’s shine for Jesus for the light of the gospel is the only antidote for sin!
1 900 QUOTES BY MARTIN LUTHER [PAGE – 3] | A-Z Quotes (azquotes.com)
2 TOP 25 QUOTES BY DWIGHT L. MOODY (of 294) | A-Z Quotes (azquotes.com)