Monthly Archives: October 2009

“To give up our brethren as incurable were cruelty, as long as there are further means to be used.  We must not hate them, but plainly rebuke them…”

Last night I was reading Richard Baxter, one of the great Puritan writers.  This is a quote from his book The Reformed Pastor, where he talks about confronting others who are wrong.  He thinks through two options:

We can either stop rebuking people because they might be offended.

Or.

We can rebuke them so they will stop sinning.

Baxter’s conclusion is that it would be cruel to keep silent if there is something to say.  Of course, he wants to say it in tender love but the truth still needs to be spoken.

All of us know people we need to talk to.  We know a Christian who is in sin or someone who is not a Christian and needs the gospel.  The other night at small groups we had a powerful moment when I asked, “Who knows someone they should go talk to about this right away?”  Every hand around the circle went up.

I think about this a lot when it comes to evangelism.  To be evangelical means to believe the gospel.  We have the good news.  We have the truth of God’s love that Jesus died for our sins and rose again.  So why do so many Christians today think it is not polite to talk to people about it?  Here’s what Jesus said in the context of sending his disciples out to evangelize:

- Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Yes.  Some people may think we are cruel if we tell them about Jesus.  But what if he considers us cruel for not sharing with them the good news of his love?  Who will we fear offending?  Will we fear men or our Lord who commissioned us to go and make disciples?

I can’t speak for you, but I know what I am going to do.  I am going to agree with Richard Baxter.  I’m going to agree with Peter and John who were saying the same thing long ago…

- But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God.  For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

I am going to speak the gospel.

Don’t be a cruel Christian.  Join the chorus of people who are “not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes… (

)” Let’s pray that God will give us words to say so that others will be saved.

I can’t think of something more loving than that.