Thursday 15 March 2012

Would the people of the world need to hear more grace or more repentance ?

The radical grace preachers will argue, "Of course, this world is full of condemnation. The people of the world today need to hear more radical grace and goodnews because they are always condemned by the world. There are also too many condemnation from the churches who preach sins, condemnation, and repentance. There are too many people feel condemned until they have stress and nervous breakdown. That's why the church should preach more grace, more peace, and more prosperity.."
I will ask them, Are you sure the people of the world or sinners have become too righteous to hear the repentance message? Have they become more righteous people because they have sinned less? Or have they become too good to do any repentance ? No. If more sinners feel condemned or become offended easily by the slightest of any repentance message, it would only show that men have not become better, more righteous, or more humble than before; instead men have become more sinful and more selfish as prophesied by the Lord:  Mat 24:11-12 KJV  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.  (12)  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

God's preachers should know the right perspective to preach repentance

I will tell them, Yes, there would always be 'fragile' people or mentally weak people who could feel easily condemned by anything or anyone; but the majority of us do not belong to this category. The majority are under sins and need to hear the repentance message. Please think, If men from the past need to hear repentance message from the Lord and the Apostles, does it make sense to say that men today would not need to hear repentance any more ? No, men today need to hear repentance all the more because they have not become better than before ! Many men or sinners feel more condemned today probably because they have sinned more. Hearing the grace message without hearing repentance may not be the solution. Sweeping it under the carpet will not show people that they need to repent. Moreover, it is not the gospel which Jesus and the Apostles preached. The gospel they preached is the gospel with the preaching of repentance.

The preaching of repentance is the gospel
Why do I say that repentance is the gospel, and that it is the gospel which can never bring condemnation ?
  1. It is the gospel for the sinners because if they have repented, they will be saved. Act 11:17-18 KJV  Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?  (18)  When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
  2. It is the gospel for the world because if more men have repented, the world will become a better place. Our babies will have safer milk without any melamine. Our old parents will be more well taken of by their children. Our money in the bank will be more secured when there are less greedy CEOs and bankers.
  3. however, if no one has repented or if everyone would just repent like the Pharisees, we will have problem.  
Have you heard of preachers who said that Jesus will teach you and do everything for you ? Yes, I would think that the preachers who do not teach any repentance or God's laws, by giving the excuse that Jesus will do everything including teaching the people to repent and to do good, are as irresponsible as the preachers or the Pharisees who do not help the people but would just say, Corban or just say that God will help them. They are not God's preachers or servants.
    Are there many churches preaching sins and condemnation?
    I will tell them, If there are churches who preach sin and condemnation, please tell us. I would think that it is necessary to expose them too. However, if you cannot give us any examples, then it could be a false accusation. It could be just a deliberate false impression or 'religious sales gimmick' which give sinners or the ignorant people the idea that many churches who preach repentance are preaching sins and condemnation. Yes, of course, churches who preach repentance would be most easily misunderstood as condemning churches because they have to tell people to repent. If people do not like to repent, these people would just write to us that this church is condemning them or that church is preaching against their sins. However, we know that the preaching of repentance and condemnation of sins is not preached against anyone in particular. Do we accept the fact that all men have sinned ? If we know that, why should anyone of us feel offended because a pastor, a preacher, or a church has preached too strongly against sins, corruption, greediness, and hypocrisy? However, when people feel pricked in their hearts, they will either:
    1. repent Act 2:37-41 KJV  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?  (38)  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ..  (40)  And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.  (41)  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
      or
    2. leave and remain unrepentant, worst, they may accuse us for preaching condemnation: Act 5:31-33 KJV  Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.  (32)  And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.  (33)  When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.Act 7:54 KJV  When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
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