The Highway Forums General Discussion Devotional Quotes How to use rebuke in the winning of souls.

John Calvin

In that place then he did beat down the Galatians, because they exalted themselves, and did as it were set up their bristles [show fight] against God, through their lustiness. And now he reacheth them his hand, and lifteth them up again, and telleth them that after they have once felt and perceived their faults, they must not yet for all that think themselves utterly shut out from God, and from all hope of salvation. But this cannot be done except we have a carefulness to draw sinners to salvation. For many men will be vehement enough, and they shall have just cause so to do: but yet in the meanwhile their rigorousness will be so excessive, as it shall shut up men’s hearts, and make them take such stomach against the bitterness that is used towards them, that they shall cast themselves utterly out of order, yea and conceive a hatred against God and his word. Howbeit, they that are so oversharp will say they have just cause. Yea, but yet for all that, they which rebuke sin in the name of God, must always have a care and desire to bring those to salvation, which were in the highway to destruction. When they be so minded, no doubt but they will labor to win such as were out of the right way, and to make them perceive that they seek their welfare, and that although their rebukings be grievous, yet they fail not to be for their behoove [advantage]. (Sermon on Galatians 4:11-14)

EXCELLENT counsel from the "Doctor of the Holy Spirit", John Calvin. There are those who are overly harsh and who destroy rather than offer life to needy souls. But in our present hour, the opposite is unfortunately true. It is most popular today to gloss over sins and to deliberately obviate man's natural depravity and enmity toward God. Man's utter helpless and hopelessness is rarely ever heard from the mouths of the modern pastor, evangelist or common Christian who has self-appointed themselves as God's 'soul winner'.

Perhaps we should call this "ecclesiastical correctness"? Every attempt is made to not offend anyone by speaking "smooth things" (cf. Is. 30:8-13) which only serves to produce spurious professions of alleged faith and a false assurance of eternal life. Therefore, it is essential that we all beat sinners down and thereafter lift them up and point them to the Lord Christ, who alone is their only hope in life and death.