There are many professing believers who love the all-love Jesus but who don’t know the word of God. Yet, Jesus is the Word of God and he said that if anyone loves him, he will keep his words. Which means we must first know his words, as we cannot keep that which we don’t know.
Such professing believers often wince at the mention of sinners being condemned, arguing that we mustn’t condemn others. This response either comes from a lack of knowing God’s word, or a rejection of it as it doesn’t fit with the all-love Jesus.
However, there’s a BIG difference between condemning people and warning them of the wrath to come. People need to know that Jesus is the only way to God, and that if they are not in Christ they are not only children of disobedience but also have the wrath of God abiding on them. Unless and until they repent and turn to Jesus for forgiveness of sins.
Here’s what Jesus said when talking to Nicodemus:
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18)
Jesus didn’t condemn folk, but he made it clear that without faith in him folk are condemned already. That’s a harsh and uncomfortable truth for many.
John the Baptist (remember, Jesus said that there was not a greater prophet born than John the Baptist) is the one who said that unbelievers have the wrath of God abiding on them. Like Jesus, John wasn’t condemning folk but warning them of the reality of their situation.
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)
These verses are clear. And if we are to be watchmen, knowing the sword is coming to slay the unrighteous, we must tell folk the truth, that because of their rebellion against God their default position is that they are “condemned already” with the “wrath of God abiding on them”.
If we don’t like these words, we must take it up with the Lord, not with those who follow the examples of Jesus and John in telling it as it is. Smooth words that soothe a sinner are of the devil. “Yea, hath God said?”
Hard words might cause concern, anxiety, fear, etc., but much better for a person to feel these things now, even deeply over a sustained period of time, and as a consequence, repent and believe. Rather than be falsely comforted with smooth words now, only to find themselves in hades followed by the lake of fire and brimstone.
We need to be biblical. Lest we find when it’s too late that the soil of our heart is not the good soil but stony ground.
But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. (Matthew 13:20-21)
And if we are concerned that the soil of our heart is filled with stones, we must remove the stones, all that we learned from the world, and feed the soil of our hearts with the word of God, the words of eternal life, which have the power to strengthen our faith and sanctify us.
This is from the true Lord’s prayer, when Jesus was in fervent prayer in the garden of Gethsemane.
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (John 17:17)
Let us love the word of God.