Hurling Insults, Sarcastic Remarks,
Stirring Up The Flesh...But Is It Scriptural?
By Cobblestone Road Ministries
Luke 9:56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them...
No one ever comes to Christ by hearing sarcastic monologue from a pulpit. In other words, derogatory remarks are unnecessary in preaching. No one comes to Christ by hearing sarcastic remarks about their particular faith or sexual sins but rather they come to Christ when they hear WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS concerning sin. They come to Christ when they understand that God is holy and hates sin-- and that Jesus died for sinners. When a person hears THE Gospel-- that Jesus Christ paid the price of redemption for sinners-- and realizes their NEED of the Savior, they then believe the Gospel, receive Christ as their Savior and are saved.
Recently, I heard a "Fundamental" preacher on the internet, whom I will leave nameless, hurling insults left and right from his pulpit-- calling homosexuals "fag--ots" etc. Now, all that kind of talk is going to do is cause rebellion in the unsaved hearers because the bottom line is that if you don't point a person to Christ-- if you do not preach the wages of sin
is death, if you don't preach that every sinner-- whether homosexual or heterosexual or bi-sexual-- all sinners are lost and all are in need of the Savior, then there is no point to preaching.
When a preacher hurls insults and makes sarcastic and unnecessary remarks, he, in turn, is drawing people to himself [causing attention to himself] and stirring up the flesh within the congregation. BUT...When he preaches the Lord Jesus Christ, he is pointing people to Christ-- and allowing the HOLY SPIRIT to do the rest. It's as simple as that. We must remember that the Father draws a person to Christ-- and so anyone sitting in the church pew was lead to be there. The trouble these days is, will he or she even hear the Gospel presented? Dear ministers, don't monologue-- preach the Bible! Get out of the way. Put away your ego and open up your Bible and preach it in context and be lead by the Holy Spirit. If you are trying to reach the lost, the Lord Jesus died for sinners. It is not your monologue that is going to win someone to Christ-- it is the preaching of the Gospel-- the Good News-- that the Holy Spirit can use. God can't use your "two cent" insults-- God works in accordance with the preaching of His Holy Word. What does the Bible say? If you are going to be hated by the world, be hated for the right reasons-- not because you have elevated yourself above others in hurling insults. Be hated by the world because you preach God's Word and because you take a stand for Christ and take a stand against sin-- without condemning the sinner. It's not your place to condemn them. The Law of God condemns every sinner to realize their need for the Savior-- preaching God's Word brings the sinner to Christ.
Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness...
Romans 3:10-12 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Growing up, many years ago, we had a former homosexual in our church youth group. He had received Christ as his Savior. I was not aware of his past until he shared his testimony with me one day. He had been molested and raped by his uncle over the course of a few years in his early child-hood. He knew no other way to be. He described himself as damaged, depressed, and confused. He was looking for love in all the wrong places but when this young man came to Jesus Christ-- he came to be saved from his sin-- and not only homosexuality but all of his sins-- his lying, cheating, perversion, etc. And he was saved and God set him free from his homosexuality and he married a nice girl a few years later. Was he a poor soul before Christ? Yes he was. Was he overtly sensitive? Yes he was but the Lord began to transform him. We all saw the Lord working in his life.
God loves the homosexual but calls him to come and be saved. God hates the sin but loves the sinner and desires that all would come to Him and be saved from their sins.
Insulting someone, calling them names does not win souls-- it stirs up the flesh-- it stirs up anger. A love for the truth of the Gospel-- a love for the Lord Jesus Christ-- a love for Him will compel you to reach souls; speaking the truth in love, treating others with respect as you witness to them of the saving power of the Savior. Without the Lord Jesus, where would we be?
2 Peter 1:2-4 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
When Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman he did NOT hurl insults at her. He did not start out by saying, "You stupid adulterous woman, don't you know you are a sinner?" No. The Lord Jesus spoke the truth to her without causing her to go on the defense. He lead her into a conversation
in which she would ask questions concerning the Messiah. He was tactful in His words towards unsaved people and we must follow His example. We must be sensitive to the Lord's leading when we witness. All things must be said in love and in truth, with a humble spirit because there but
for the grace of God go we.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
It was the Lord Jesus Christ who saved us from our sin-- we are no longer under condemnation but under grace. We are no longer alienated from God but we are His children-- adopted into His family through the precious blood of Christ. It's not because we are good but because HE is good. It is Christ who took our place and paid the penalty of our sin. We now cry, "Abba Father" to God because of the awesome saving power of Jesus Christ. It was Christ who shed His most precious blood for us-- whereby we are forgiven and our sins washed away.
The message is Good News. The Lord Jesus did not die for self-righteous people who think they are better than everyone else. He died for the hopelessly lost. He died for those who KNOW they are sinners and recognize that Jesus is the Savior. I don't know who is reading this article today, but if you know that you are lost and want to be saved, having your sins are forgiven, Jesus can and will save you. Know that you can be free from your sin today. I invite you to click on this link and read WHY Jesus died for us and why we must accept Him as Savior. He will put His Spirit in you and you will be born from above. He will give you a new heart to serve Him with and will give you the power to be an overcomer. Only Jesus the Messiah can set you free! God loves you and so do we!
John 3:17-21 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 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. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved
us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Further Reading:
Why Did Jesus Die For Us?
Proof That Jesus Is The Jewish Messiah
Messiah Jesus - Traced Through The Hebrew Scriptures
Evidence Of God's Love In A Blade Of Grass
Cease Not To Teach and Preach Jesus Christ
Used with permission
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