Saturday, March 25, 2006

Do We Need To "Spread Love"?

The following is a news clipping I pulled from the Internet:

“Pope Benedict XVI installed his first group of cardinals Friday, crowning 15 new princes of the Roman Catholic Church with scarlet hats symbolizing their willingness to shed blood in defense of the faith. Nearly a year after he became leader of the world's most powerful religious institution, Benedict used a solemn, regal ceremony in St. Peter's Square to urge his followers to proclaim a message of love "far and wide" that would unite and bolster Christians everywhere.”

As I listened to the news and followed the story of the installation of these Cardinals, I was impressed (not in a good way) by the various ways it was reported that the Pope charged these men, namely “to proclaim a message of love ‘far and wide’ that would unite and bolster Christians everywhere.” One news agency reported that the directive was to “spread love everywhere.”

Now I don’t want to sound like the unloving ogre, yet I have a real problem with the repeated cries, coming from all circles of Christianity, that the Church is to unite around this message of “love.” It is not that I dislike the message of “love.” My problem is that their so-called message of “love” is not my message, or better said, it is not God’s message. What is meant by this term “love” anyway? How convenient, that the message of Christ could be conveyed so ambiguously, using a term with which very few would argue. So, here I go, arguing with the term.

A quick review of a concordance will reveal that the Scriptures never call believers to such a nebulous task, a task to “spread love” or “proclaim a message of love.”

In Exodus 9:16, the LORD, speaking through Moses to Pharaoh a message of repentance and wrath said, "But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth.” Now there is a message of “love.”

In Deuteronomy 32:3-4, Moses makes this his message of proclamation, 3 "For I proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! 4 The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.”

In Psalm 96:2 we receive this charge, “Sing to the LORD, bless His name; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.” The message is not to be ambiguous. What on earth does anyone understand by hearing the phrase, “a message of love?” Rather, the message is far more specific as we “proclaim good tiding of His salvation.” Now we are getting somewhere. The message of God’s people is to proclaim “salvation” – deliverance from something dark and horrible, our own sin. Listen to the Apostle Paul’s proclamation in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4;

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

The message to be spread is not to be some vague or hazy sentimental message of “love” but rather is a message to notify man of his deplorable condition before God, namely that man is a sinner in desperate need of God’s intervention. Is this not truly the message to be spread?

Ephesians 2:1; 4-5

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins…4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)…”

Yes, this is a message of “love”, but it is a “love” greatly unknown to the masses of people. We cannot afford to speak in such veiled terms, but must boldly proclaim the true essence of the Gospel, a Gospel motivated by the love of God, but a Gospel that nevertheless strikes a piercing blow to the confidence and arrogance of man; a message that is to cause a person to realize he is a sinner, and, that unless he repents, he will face a Christless eternity in hell.

Consider the words of Revelation 14:6-7. What is the message of the Gospel here?

6 And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; 7 and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters."

Again we learn that the Gospel is to fear God, to give Him glory, to tremble at His coming judgment upon sin, to worship Him who is the Creator. Beloved, there is so much more that could be said, but suffice it to say we must resist the temptation to be vague in our presentation of the Gospel. Let us pray with the Apostle Paul,

19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak (Ephesians 6:19-20).


Soli Deo Gloria,


Pastor Ed

4 comments:

4given said...

Excellent post.

Michael Terry, Jr. said...

God is indeed soverign. I just read and article by J. Gresham Machen this morning entitled "The Importance of Christian Scholarship in The Defense of The Faith" it contained this quote which i think goes perfectly with what Pastor has blogged.

"Again, men tell us that our preaching should be positive and not negative, that we can preach the truth without attacking error. But if we follow that advice we shall have to close our Bible and desert its teachings. The New Testament is a polemic book almost from beginning to end. Some years ago I was in a company of teachers of the Bible in the colleges and other educational institutions of America. One of the most eminent theological professors in the country made an address. In it he admitted that there are unfortunate controversies about doctrine in the Epistles of Paul; but, said he in effect, the real essence of Paul's teaching is found in the hymn to Christian love in the thirteenth chapter of I Corinthians; and we can avoid controversy today, if we will only devote the chief attention to that inspiring hymn. In reply, I am bound to say that the example was singularly ill-chosen. That hymn to Christian love is in the midst of a great polemic passage; it would never have been written if Paul had been opposed to controversy with error in the Church. It was because his soul was stirred within him by a wrong use of the spiritual gifts that he was able to write that glorious hymn. So it is always in the Church. Every really great Christian utterance, it may almost be said, is born in controversy. It is when men have felt compelled to take a stand against error that they have risen to the really great heights in the celebration of truth."

4given said...

As a member of your church, I have to say, I am so glad you are not out to win a popularity contest. ha. I mean that sincerely. If you were, you wouldn't post such things... and you wouldn't preach God's Word... you would be swayed by what is "in".

Pastor Ed Godfrey said...

Its a good thing - I don't think I could ever win a popularity contest anyway! Praise God for the gift of service!