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| Pointing Out Sin? |
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Is pointing out sin mean or love?
For the last couple weeks we have been talking about using the 10 commandments in our evangelistic efforts to show our listeners what sin is. (Rom 7:7) What about pointing out sin that is not one of the 10 commandments? Getting drunk, homosexual relationships, sex before marriage, drug abuse?? Is it even biblical to point out sin or should we just preach Jesus? Let me share a quote, a scripture and a story.
John Wesley, founder of the Methodist church said, "Before I can preach love mercy,and grace, I must preach sin, law, and judgment."
Let's look at the Apostle Peter in Acts 3.
3:13 The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. 3:14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 3:15 and killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. Notice how many times Peter says YOU! Peter was getting up in their grill. He was very specific about their sin. Jesus said in John 7:7 they hated Him because He told them what they did was evil. Herod had John the Baptist put in prison in Matthew 14:4 because he told him to have his brother's wife was unlawful.
One Saturday, myself and a group of the real Jehovah's Witnesses(they stole a good name) were out being witnesses. We came upon a yard sale at 10am in the morning. I walked up to a man in a lawn chair and told him that we were out talking to people about eternal life. He seemed warm and willing to talk. He said he had been thinking of God. As I began to share on sin and the reason God had to send a savior, I noticed he was drinking a beer(at 10am). So I warned him that drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God. I didn't call him a drunkard but here's what happened next. He got out of his chair, said I'm not ready to talk about all that, started to get loud and aggressive and mean. Once I put my finger on his personal sin, there was a rise! So I want to encourage you to let the Lord speak through you to point out specifically a person's sin in hope of humility and repentance and a coversion of the heart. Remember Jesus pointing out the Samaritian woman's sin in John 4 at the well. Jesus did, Peter did, Paul did, I do, how about you?
So is specifically pointing out a lost person's sin in evangelism mean or is it real love?
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| To add a comment to "Pointing Out Sin?" |
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| December 15, 2007 |
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John the baptist did not speak about God's love to the people of Israel. He preached repentance to them, pointing his fingers at the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world. Those who heard John the baptist were convicted of their sins, confessed the same to him and then were baptized by him. We need preachers like John Wesley in our midst. John Lewis, you are doing a wonderful work. You have to preach the truth on the sin to the people. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts the people of their sin as they hear your messages. Preach the crucified Christ. John could not preach the crucified Christ because Christ was not crucified. If you do not preach on repentance and sin, the Holy Spirit cannot convict the people of their sins.
As you preach crucified Christ, you are touching on the effects of sin. Please carry on your wonderful ministry.
Job Anbalagan |
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| December 15, 2007 |
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Great topic Jeff. I agree with Job and I think he stated the point very well. Itis possible to express love and let Holy Spirit conviction do it's work. We do have a set of guidelines for living Christ well, TG, like it or not. The New Testament Bible was written to the believers. |
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| December 15, 2007 |
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I think we need to be very careful pointing fingers at other people. The scripture tells us that by His blood and the word of our testimony we overcome. Always be prepared to tell how God has changed you, how God has saved you. In the case you mention above it was obvious God had already been working on this person's heart. Perhaps your place in the process was to reinforce what God had been telling him already. That could very well have been the case. If so, you did well. Yet there are other possibilities, too. Could it be that he was already very convicted and had no clue how to rid himself of the guilt? He may have been waiting for someone to come along so he could say "how can I understand these words unless someone teaches me?"
Please know I am not saying or suggesting you did anything incorrectly. I am simply using your same example in my question to show that we have to be very careful.
In context Wesley was a preacher. Everybody knew he was a preacher, so they came to hear him preach. From that position of spiritual authority he can call out sin. It was always to a group. Sure there would be individuals who would be convicted, but he wouldn't call an individual out. When we go door-to-door, people invite us in which is just the opposite of when they go out to hear the preaching. When they invite us in, we need to show compassion and learn to walk alongside them, IMHO.
Once again...I am not saying you did anything wrong. I am saying it isn't an easy question to answer and we need to be careful. |
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| December 15, 2007 |
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I like the example of Jesus, who didn't condem sinners, i.e. Zacchaeus, woman caught in adultry (but did call the Pharisees a few choice words and those who were in violation of true ministry and Word going forth). When we are led by the Spirit, we will always do the right thing. Let Him decide which way to speak to a person, lest we get caught up in our flesh. Your enthusiasm, persistence and hunger for souls is valuble. DIfferent people need to hear different things from the Spirit. Keep up the good work.
We can be a wall (in sin), a mirror (point out sin), or a glass (transparent view of God) to people. The way God mostly uses me is to show people the power and dominion we rightfully have, and tell them the advantages of a life with purpose, destiny and peace.
A few days ago I spoke to a large group of men in prison. I had no idea of what I was going to say to them, as I had been writing a blog about demon possession that day, but the Lord gave me a message about 10 minutes before I showed up. I told them about the names that God has for us (i.e. friend, son, saint, co-laborer, king etc.) and almost every hand went up during the invitation to a relationship with God.
I believe the proof is in the fruit. Be fruitful and multiply! |
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| December 15, 2007 |
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| Jeff--Personally, I almost never use the same approach twice when sharing Christ with folks. I try to meet them where they're at and show them the love of God (at least that's what I tell myself, though ADD may have something to do with it too). I DO always point out that we are ALL in need of a saviour, that all have sinned and no one is without accountability. It's not a soft-sell, but it's not "Sinners in the Hands of and Angry God" either. (Nothing against Jonathon Edwards. He Rocks!) But on those occasions when folks start to protest their own righteousness, or play the "I don't think I'm so bad. God is love. I think..." card, I go to the "Have you ever told a lie?" etc. Case by case. Spirit led, love based, but love with content, and unafraid to use the words sin or hell or accountability. |
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| December 15, 2007 |
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| BTW, Excellent series. |
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| December 15, 2007 |
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I have to agree with Tropical Guy. I have and do work with many types of people, mostly the deeply broken and crushed in life and they have been condemned all thier lives do to lack of understanding. So many times well meaning christians or not, dont bother putting there finger down INTO the soil of someone to find out WHY this person is doing the sinful acts they are, they would rather presume it is willingful sin or that they are just heathen and are complete gutter trash that they dont deserve the Love of Christ FIRST, to woo them into His Loving and Empathetic Arms of Forgivness. So many christians are mean and abrasive and do not take the time to consider how God looks upon those people, at thier heart and thier spirit. Someone here said "that Holy Spirit CANT convict them,UNLESS we point out thier great sins first and foremost" WOW! God is limited huh?? That is sad and unfair to Lord and the ones whom need Him most, to place such restrictions on Precious Holy Spirit, that He is so small and Powerless without your great revelation of sin, that HE cant do that without you doing this first part for Him, WHAT a religious spirit you have, and that grieves not only God but His Precious Heart, and that in turn effects the souls and spirits of mankind. God hates religion and He hates even more when people force sin down a crushed person throat, instead of revealing the Love and Power of Forgivenss, Healing and Deliverance. We are not Christ, and we are not Holy Spirit. We are to have above all the Love and Demeanor of Christ Jesus. The man on the cross saw the LOVE and Devotion of Christ and His true nature first and foremost, and He went to be with Lord that day by the way of Love, Peace, and Compassion and Forgiveness, not by pointing out that mans sin, that man already KNEW his sin. Are you so vain that you think people dont know rite from wrong for the most part and they arnt aware of what they have done and are doing? If so, I question who you are truly serving...self or God. Jesus only pointed out sin directly to the Pharisee and the religious whom *thought* they were so spiritual. You people whom go in condemnation "for" God only push precious lives away from the Truth and you do not have the Spirit of Compassion, Love, Empathy and Understanding nor Wisdom to even be trying to 'save the lost'. Your shoving religion and your own calissness down peoples spirits and soul. By far, I and many thousands more christians win spirits and souls to Christ by demonstrating and speaking of the Love of Christ First. Without the power of Holy Spirit and HEARING and KNOWING His Voice out of all voices, you cannot witness and know someone like they need. Jesus walked and talked and shared about His kingdom with the lowest of the lows and he did not rebuke them or condemn them, He spoke in Love and Understanding FIRST as He approached the prostitute, alcoholic, drug addict, sexually impure, the rejected, abandoned, betrayed, sick, and so many more, and it was done in Gentleness. Did He rebuke Mary Magdalene? No. Did he rebuke anyone but the Pharisee, the vain and lustful who did not choose to believe in His every fascet before themselves? Yes, He did rebuke and discipline His own people because He loved them as His children and they knew that He was correct. He did not and does not treat the lost and prodigal's like that no matter what your vainity in religiousity tells you. We are to walk as Christ did, in Love, Mercy, Empathy and Understanding, not like satan and the religious whom condemn. Christians kill and trample thier own, this is why God is calling His true remnant out of the four religious walls and He is assembling them in Spirit first and than it will and is manifesting into the flesh.
Before you speak for God, you better know that you know, He has spoken to you first. *Better to have a milstone tied around your neck and be tossed into the deepest ocean, than make one of the little ones stumble.* Many of you speak from the voice of religion and pride instead of Love. God always knows what's beneath ones soil and He knows how to approach someone who is bound up and captive in sin, willing or unwilling. * HE WHO HAS AN EAR TO HEAR, HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT IS SAYING. *
How do you know which spirit you are going to someone in, or which spirit is speaking to you? Condemnation ALWAYS drives people AWAY from Lord and Conviction will ALWAYS draw someone NEAR to God. * Always test the spirit coming out of your being and into your being!*
*His people perish for lack of understanding*
In Him,
Bloodwashd
P.S., Yes I know many of you will disagree and I dont care, I speak what Holy Spirit leads me to say. And yes I know you will challenge my very words and spirit, but I care not. I have come and spoken in Love first and Holy Spirit will do the rest. So, save yourselves the time to rebuke me, I will not responde back, as the Word of God says, *we are not to argue the Word* The Word will stand upon its self and He will show Himself approved, including those whom DO hear Him and whom DO blow the Horn of Truth. |  |
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| December 15, 2007 |
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| I believe that the people need to know what is sin and what is not, but I think we can do it in love and without judgement. Judging someone doesn't show Christ's love, only brings anger. I found letting God convict the sinner and I just love them and share the word of God with them. Just recently at college, I was sitting around the art table with five or six other students. We all were discussing what we believe about God and believe in Him. I just sat there and listen to them all. Vampire girl (is her nic name, don't know her real name, just know what other people call her) asked me what I believed, which was odd because we have many times discussed in detail about Jesus and she has listen to me. I said I believe in Jesus and everything in the bible from Genesis to Revelations. they were like wow. then another asked me what church I attend. I said pentecostal. needless to say without judging their beliefs they listen to every word I had to say and none of them could deny God either. Most of them has set in church and nobody ever told them truth about sin or what is consider to be a sin. people needs to know what sin is and what will happen to them if they don't stop their sin and come to Jesus but we can do this in a loving caring way and through the word of God. always use the word of God. |
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| December 15, 2007 |
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The glorious gospel, when preached to the sinners, deals with their sinful lives only. We need not and should condemn any sinner at all. We need not list out the sins like murder, adultery, etc. while presenting Christ to the unsaved. But we have to finally exhort the people to repent of their sins and accept Jesus Christ.
In the following link, you will read about the testimony of a great servant of God who had become an apostle of Christ after leaving the idols he worshipped. I produce an exerpt from his biography :
Conviction of sin and true repentance "One day, he heard the songs of worship by some people. They clapped their hands, sang songs, beat the trumpet and worshipped God. They prayed aloud. Some people informed that they had seen God. Sundarapandian participated in this church service on a Sunday. After the worship service was over, there was an announcement made in this church that if anybody wanted to talk to them in person to know more about God, he/she could remain in his/her seat. Others left the church but Sundarapandian sat there, waiting for someone to speak to him about God. Someone came to him and asked him what he wanted. Sundarapandian informed him that he wanted to see God. Then he was informed by that man that the former should see another person who stayed in Kodambakkam. (Let us note here that in this church, there was none who could tell Sunderapandian that the latter should repent of his sins and believe on Jesus Christ for salvation. It is a pity that the same situation prevails in every church). Sundarapandian went to Kodambakkam and met that person who was an atheist earlier and then became a believer of Christ. His name was Adinarayanan. Adinarayanan told Sunderapandian that the latter being a sinner could not see God. Sunderapandian argued that he had never committed sin in his life. Adinarayanan exhorted him to pray alone to Jesus. After some days, Sunderapandian again went to Adinarayanan’s house and informed him that he did not know whether he had committed any sin. Upon this, Adinarayanan asked him to pray to Jesus asking for a revelation of the sin in his life. On hearing this reply, Sunderapandian became enraged and informed Adinarayanan that the latter also cheated him like other people in this regard. Adinarayanan retorted, “You wanted a big thing of seeing God. But I asked him to do a small thing. Why cannot you do this small thing?” Sunderapandian returned home very disappointed. He went to bed with a heavy heart and wondered as to why he could not see God. One night at 11 pm, he became very despondent and started weeping uncontrollably. His heart was broken. Tears streamed down his face. At about 12 pm, all the sins committed by him even when he was 5 years old came to his mind, one by one. He felt like someone telling him about this. He had a note book and started writing all his sins in this note book. On the dictation of that person, he filled the pages with his writings. That note book of 40 pages was filled. He cried over his sins day in and day out. He cried out while working in the shop also. This continued for 33 days. He realized that even though he was a devout Christian and attended the church regularly for 23 years, he did not know the truth that Jesus was the true God and that salvation was only through His Name. Adinarayanan preached the gospel of salvation to Sundarapandian. But still Sundarapandian did not get the assurance of forgiveness of his sins by God. (Let us note here how Sunderapandian repented of his sins). The Holy Spirit then brought to his mind a particular sin of theft committed by him when he was studying 8th standard. At that time, he stole a 50 paisa coin from his friend’s pocket. When the Holy Spirit asked him to return that money to his friend two-fold, Sundarapandian argued with the Holy Spirit saying that he would donate that money seven fold to some beggar or some physically handicapped person. But the Holy Spirit insisted that he repaid this amount to that particular person from whom he had stolen. Then he sent the money to his friend through Money Order and wrote to him in the Money Order form seeking his forgiveness. Afterwards, he got peace in his mind. Then another incident of theft committed by him was brought to his memory by the Holy Spirit. He had cheated a person of Rs.2.50. Immediately upon conviction he sent that money to that person. Another incident of his fight with his maternal aunt came to his mind. He had not talked to his aunt for a long time. Upon the conviction of this sin by the Holy Spirit he immediately wrote a letter to his aunt seeking her pardon. Like this, he was setting right the wrong things of the past committed by him, one by one. Even after confessing the sins known to him, he could not get the assurance of forgiveness of his sins. He still could not see the God whom he desired.
Deception through a church In the meantime, Sunderapandian attended a Christian prayer meeting where evil spirits were working. One evil spirit that operated a counterfeit gift of healing started influencing him. This evil spirit made him close his eyes and say something. He thought he committed a great blunder by attending this prayer meeting. He sought forgiveness of God. In order to get forgiveness of God, he went to a nearby park and starting performing “obeisance” to God 1000 times. He wanted to please God by undertaking such an obeisance. As he was completing obeisance for 900 times, he fell unconscious. It appeared to him that he got the peace of mind after doing such obeisance. He did all this under the influence of the evil spirit. When he opened the Bible, Psalm 107:23-31 came to him as a promise of God. Due to the deception by the evil spirit, he thought that the Holy Spirit led him to go to Sri Lanka for doing business. He gave some money to some unauthorized travel agents for going to Sri Lanka through an illegal channel. He along with others then waded through the chest deep sea water, boarded a boat stationed in the sea water and reached an island to go to Sri Lanka in an illegal manner. When he reached the island, somebody shouted, “The police are coming”. He immediately ran away from that place and while running, he stumbled upon some thorny bushes and fell down. He then cried out to God, saying, “Oh Lord, I will not tread on such a path. Please save me”. Then he fled that island and reached home. Experience of personal salvation Sunderapandian could not still see God. Again he went to Adinarayanan and tearfully opened his heart to him out of great agony and told that he could not see God. Adinarayanan asked him to stay with him at night and to pray with fasting. Adinarayanan assured him that the latter would definitely see God. At night, Sunderapandian wept and prayed in the room given to him for stay in the house of Adinarayanan. At 10 pm, Adinarayanan asked Sunderapandian whether he saw God. The latter replied in the negative. Adinarayanan encouraged him to continue to pray. At midnight, three sins committed by Sunderapandian came to his mind. They are – (i) In his house, Sunderapandian had built an altar for an idol and tied a talisman around his hand. The Holy Spirit urged him to remove this talisman from his hand. (ii) When he was studying in the school, he used to eve-tease the girls with bad thoughts. The Holy Spirit convicted him of this sin. (iii) The sinful thought of fornication he had harbored in his life was brought to his mind As the Holy Spirit convicted him of these sins, he hardened his heart and did not want to reveal to Adinarayanan what the Holy Spirit had exposed in his life. When Adinarayanan visited him and enquired about him whether the Holy Spirit spoke to his heart, the latter relented and revealed this to Adinarayanan, the man of God. While speaking to Adinarayanan, Sunderapandian wept and turned his face with a guilty conscience away from the former. He had never made such a confession of sin earlier. Sunderpandian could not forget that glorious day when he died to his sins and accepted Jesus Christ. Adinarayanan prayed for him and sent him home. But still Sunderapandian wanted to see God. The following day was a Sunday. He could not go to church on that day as he had attended his work in the shop. He was still crying with a burden in his heart to see God. The following Friday, he took a bath in the morning and did not eat anything. The Holy Spirit urged him to read the Bible. When he opened the Bible, the Holy Spirit spoke to him from Zechariah 3:4 – “…take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment” He then closed and opened the Bible. The same page containing this verse only opened from the Bible. This happened three times. It was a great surprise to him. His heart was filled with divine peace. Even then he doubted whether God had forgiven his sins. Holding the Bible in his hands, he thought over it. At that time, a spider was seen moving on his hand. It went towards the Bible in his hand. Sunderpandian asked God for a sign. If his sins were truly forgiven by God, that spider should go around the Bible three times and then go away from that place. The spider then started to go towards the Bible but retreated. This kindled his anxiety and he wept loudly. The Holy Spirit convicted him of his unbelief. Then a miracle happened. The spider walked towards the Bible, went around it and then left that place. Remaining on his knees during prayers, he watched this miracle. The unbelief immediately disappeared. The burden of sin on his back rolled away. Then he cried out to God, “Oh, Lord, I came here to see you. But still I could not see and speak to You. I could not hear You either” At that time, he head a voice speak to his heart calling him, “My son!” Upon hearing this voice, he perceived that it was the voice of his Beloved Lord. All the doubts and worries disappeared immediately. Divine peace filled his heart. He further heard the voice of God speak, “My son, I am with you. The change that took place in your heart is the evidence of My presence. You are seeing Me. I have forgiven all your sins and have delivered you from all your troubles”. Sunderapandian ultimately saw God and experienced salvation. It was a glorious day in his life, which could not be forgotten by him for ever. The Lord became his father and his mother. He felt like being in the bosom of his real mother. He decided to preach the love of God to others throughout his life. The golden date of his salvation was 5-7-1960 and the place where he met God was Chennai, the place where the Apostle Thomas was martyred. It was 2.30 p.m.
http://sounderapandian.googlepages.com/
Please take time to read his entire biography. You will be thrilled to know how Jesus met him and changed his life.
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| December 15, 2007 |
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Thank you for all your comments. As I have said in the past, different message to different hearts. Bloodwashed-I see you have worked with people who are crushed. You mention the thief on the cross and the adulteress woman. By the response of both, they were humbled and the Lord dealt grace as always to the humble. I think explaining the difference between condemning and convicting would help. First, I don't and nobody can condemn anyone. John 3:17-18 says they are condemned if they don't believe. Condemning is lost with no door out. Convicting is acknowledging sin, guilt, and judgment thereof which is intended to bring repentance. Godly sorrow leads to repentance. So I also agree that Holy Spirit can convict all on His own, however He does much of it through the foolishness of preaching.
To remark on your comment-Are you so vain that you think people dont know rite from wrong for the most part and they arnt aware of what they have done and are doing? -Most lost people don't believe what they have done is sin that deserves hell forever! They don't know they are children of the devil and the wrath of God abides on them. Go ask the homosexual that just got married on the steps of San Francisco. They wear their sin proudly like a necklace and believe that God loves them and they are secure in their false belief. I believe and have found many, many, many like that and the message to them is to reveal, awake, and convict, not to be mean, but in hopes that they would realize the gravity of their sin and their need of a Savior. To let them burn forever without warning them like Peter did on the day of Pentecost is unthinkable(Acts 2:40)
So I disagree that most people know they have done wrong and are already convicted. I think most people think they are good and thinks God understands that we aren't perfect or they are just not as bad as an ax murderer and God is a forgiving God?? 16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; But Jehovah weigheth the spirits.
They are unrepentant, ignorant of the real God, and need a loving follower of Jesus who is bold enought to tell them the truth. They are lost and deserve judgment and a remedy for their sin has been provided. Jesus. So turn and run to Him or face pending just judgment!
24:25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
Has anyone been afraid after you preached to them like they did with Paul? If someone is humbled or broken over their sin, grace, the cross, and forgivness should be offered. If someone is not there the love that is thought of as being mushy, hugging, blessing, etc.. in place of preaching on thier sin is not real love! Real genuine Jesus kind of love would tell the proud sinner the truth in hopes of repentance!
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| December 16, 2007 |
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Jeff,
I thank God for your wonderful message. May the Lord continue to use you mightily in your nation. Amen.
Job Anbalagan |
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