The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Maybe we've been missing something...

I suspect that we would not be in agreement with either the definition of "a loving way" nor with "a way they will understand"!

What I see and hear all too often is that this "loving way" is expressed by such phrases as, "God loves you just the way you are!", which translates into not condemning people's lifestyle, etc. With such attitudes, which by the way is totally alien to biblical teaching which demands that those who profess to be disciples of Christ be enemies of this world and its philosophies, methodologies and lifestyles, sin is all too often tolerated, diminished and even ignored. The Gospel demands one repentant. But what are unbelievers to repent of if their entire lives are acceptable? To love the lost means to take pity on them and to show them their need of Christ because their every thought, word and deed is sinful and worthy of judgment. To love the lost means to tell them the truth that they are at enmity with God and unless God should show them mercy, they are hopelessly lost and without any ability to change their present situation.

Secondly, as to this matter of speaking to the lost "in a way they will understand", too often this is expressed by a "dumbing down" of the Gospel; e.g., using their language when speaking to them. I find this totally unacceptable and dishonoring to the Lord Most High. Those who have been brought out of darkness into the marvelous light have been changed in every facet of their lives, particularly in their understanding and relationship to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus they have been and continue to be radically transformed so that they no longer think, speak or act as they once did but rather they are "new creatures". Lovers of God cannot speak of God as "the big guy in the sky" or use any such phraseology. They revere the name of God and of Christ. They speak of sin as sin and not simply as "mistakes", "less than acceptable choices", or such euphemisms. Understanding comes from the enlightening of the mind by the Holy Spirit as the one who is witnessing to the truth is faithful in speaking the truth.

"It is an inexpressible grief to me to see the church spending its energies in a vain attempt to lower its testimony to suit the ever-changing sentiment of the world about it." - Benjamin B. Warfield

In His Grace,