The Need to Preach Against Sin
AN important part of the faithful preaching of the word is the rebuking of sin, and to do this successfully requires a heart full of love for sinners and abhorrence for sin. Of late years the marked tendency has been to lower the standard of Christian experience to meet the inclinations of those who still cling to the world, rather than to maintain the gospel standard, and seek earnestly and fearlessly to bring all to it. This situation is vigorously dealt with in Zion's Herald, in an article from which we take the following paragraph:— One would infer, from much of the preaching to which the pew is forced to listen, that we were living in a redeemed rather than in a tremendously sinful world. The revolt from a type of preaching so familiar a quarter of a century ago, in which the exceeding “sinfulness of sin” was overemphasized, has carried the pulpit to an extreme of optimism, gentleness, and often softness. There is imperative need that the pendulum swing back, and that the pulpit deal with mankind as the Bible reveals it, and as the intelligent and open-eyed student finds it. Sin, now, as heretofore, is everywhere, in some form, and all pulpits must deal with it frankly and fearlessly. It must always be remembered that “by the law is the knowledge of sin,” and that the law must be preached in such a way “that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.” The law needs to be proclaimed, as from Mount Sinai of old, but not merely that the people may see the fire and hear the thunder, but that they may also behold the river of life flowing from the rock. Jesus preached the gospel in such a way as to rebuke sin, and yet He had the deserved name of being the Friend of sinners. We should learn from His example.