The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum A church reaches out to the world around them

I have a sneaking suspicion that this is not exactly what you meant to write, eh? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> For the sad fact is that people love their sin; so much so that they would risk an eternity in hell rather than repent of it and live before God in holiness. What people hate is to be confronted, challenged and called on the carpet for their sin. They will use any excuse to justify their sinful acts.

On the other side, the "ecclesiastically correct" approach is to bifurcate sinner and sin in two ways. 1) Doctrinal: God loves the sinner but hates the sin. For an excellent rebuttal of this unbiblical error see here: Does God Love the Sinner and Hate Only His Sin?. 2) Practical: Sin is simply a wrong deed, a mistake, bad choices and thus the person is basically good. There are two errors to be seen with this current approach to evangelism/ministry: a) It externalizes sin, ignoring and/or denying the truth that sin is the fruit of a bad heart. (Gen 6:5; 8:21; Matt 15:18, 19; Mk 7:21-23; Lk 6:43-45; Eph 2:1-3) I have no doubt whatsoever that this error is due to the modern church, regardless of denominational affiliation has either diminished or totally ignored the doctrine of Total Depravity. b) It fails to hold sinners accountable for their sins which are committed by them most willingly. Sinners are not "victims" of society, lack of education and/or money, poor upbringing, etc. and thus they sin. Nor do people "become" sinners when they sin. The truth is that people sin because they ARE sinners, and that by nature. Further sin is both acts of commission (transgression of God's law) and omission (failure to conform to God's law). And in both instances, sin is committed most freely and willingly. Therefore sinners need to be confronted with this most painful truth in order that they may know that they are hopelessly and helplessly lost and under the wrath of God unless God in His mercy should grant them grace and they repent and turn to Christ for the remission of their sins and the power to overcome their sin nature.

In His Grace,