Someone recently said that church signs should make the community feel welcome. They also said that church signs should not mention anything negative about sin. Let’s examine this line of reasoning by using a secular analogy.
Suppose that a few doctors learned that smoking kills and suppose that the majority of the community is ignorant of this fact. What would the community think if the doctors were to send a letter to everyone informing them that smoking kills? Would some the community be upset? Would some be grateful? Their reactions would be irrelevant to the doctors’ love for saving lives.
How much more valuable is saving the community from the “soul-killing” power of sin? Paul said that the wages of sin is death and that he warns people about sin because of the terror of the Lord. [1] Should the community know about the dangers of sin? Will some be upset? Will some be grateful? How people react to God’s Word is irrelevant to the church’s love for saving souls from an eternal Hell. That is what speaking the truth in love is all about[2]; love for the soul, not the feelings. Sometimes, feelings need to be hurt and Christians should realize that any aspect of the truth is going to offend someone. “There is a God” offends some of the atheists. “Baptism saves” offends some of the Baptists. “Jesus loves the whole world” offends some of the Presbyterians. The list could go on and on.
In summary, the community needs to know that the church loves them. Church signs should have a balance of positive and negative messages. The church is here to reveal the wisdom of God to a lost and dying world.[3]
Yorumlar