The Gospel Aimed at Sin
By T. E. Bowen
Much of the preaching in these days is of little profit, for the simple reason that no one gets hit with the gospel. It sometimes appears that the representative of God purposely sets his target either above or to one side of his congregation, so that no one present could possibly get hurt. While the Word of God teaches us to guard carefully the feelings and rights of others, yet when it comes to dealing with sin, no tame messages are in place. God, by his Spirit, so speaks to individual hearts under the plain gospel message that the hearer is led to ask himself, “Is it I?” When Nathan went to the king and pointed out through a parable his great sin, he did not leave David to query very long as to who was meant. He closed the message with, “Thou art the man.” It is sin God is after. He wants his messengers to deal telling blows against sin, not individuals. But the Spirit of God always applies it to the hearer. He knows how to apply the keen edge of truth so that not a tissue untainted by sin shall be cut out of the heart. It divides at the right place. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Heb. 4:12. If people attend church with any other motive than to have their sins revealed to their own view a little more vividly than before; if the messenger of God goes to speak anything else than the word of the Lord,—that word which is of such power, containing both life and death, and which is given for the purpose of condemning sin in the flesh,—then all will have assembled in vain. They will not return benefited, better prepared to grapple with temptation, neither can they truthfully say that God indeed was in the place. Men and women do not need to be flattered. God is very sparing of his praises for frail humanity. But he loves sinners. Christ gave himself to die, that he might destroy sin, and save the sinner. This beautiful distinction the servant of Christ ever should keep before him, and his own soul will be watered as he fearlessly condemns sin, and at the same time tenderly loves the sinner. Occasionally by chance a target might be hit in shooting at random, but usually people aim at whatever they design to shoot. The devil does not enjoy himself when sin is attacked by the servant of Christ. However, he can take his usual nap in church, so long as everything else is talked of except the sins of the people. God says, Show my people their sins, and spare not,—spare sin not. The gospel is the power of God manifested against sin. Nothing can destroy sin but the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore the need of the world, lying in sin and wickedness, is the pure gospel. Shall it have it?