Jun 26
17
THE SPIRIT OF TRUE PREACHING
There is a big difference in preaching at someone and preaching to someone. There is a big difference in preaching to condemn someone for being wrong and preaching to convict someone that God is right. There is a big difference in loving to preach and preaching in love to those you love.
Romans 9 is as clear a passage in all of the Bible concerning God’s sovereign election, sovereign mercy, sovereign grace and power. But we need to begin preaching the Truth in the spirit in which Paul wrote it. He began by saying, “I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart… for my brethren, my kinsman” (vs. 2-3). No man spoke the Truth more boldly or plainly, yet he did so “In love” (Ephesians 4:15). We need to uncompromisingly preach the Truth of the Gospel of God’s sovereign grace in Christ. But, Oh for grace to preach the Gospel of Christ in the spirit of Christ, Who cried, “Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem!” Christ was the only One who had a right to get mad at people, yet he wept over them.
Paul Mahan