Not Ashamed of the Gospel

I have been told that I have been harsh when I preach. Someone says that I say things that offend some people. Personally, I think I temper quite a bit of my stuff and I believe I present in a manner that, while it is straight-forward, is a little softer than I would intend for it to be. I’m the kind of guy who does not like to pull too many, if any, punches. I say it like it is and don’t think I should apologize for saying it. Let me illustrate this idea.

Imagine if the prophet Nathan had decided not to be harsh with David when he was confronting him about his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba. I imagine if he had refused to speak any bit of the oracle God gave him to speak, God would have struck him dead.

Or suppose John the Baptist have veered in proclaiming to the Pharisees, “Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath.” I doubt anyone would have repented of their past life if John did not preach the coming of the kingdom in the manner he did.

And remember the great apostle Peter when on the day of Pentecost he refused to be slandered by the crowds of mockers and stood to address the crowd. His message was not pleasant; in fact it was a scathing commentary on the actions of the people around him who crucified the Son of God. Not the nicest message, yet he refused to tone it down.

Of course this list of great proclaimers of tough messages could not be complete if our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was not on it. Remember when he stood on a hill and addressed the cities of Korazin and Bethsaida with a scathing rebuke about their rejection of the prophets.

These men did not and (dare I say) refused to allow their message to be robbed of the sharp nature that they knew would cut directly to their listeners hearts and produce the fruits of repentance.

Why would they do this? Why would they allow their harsh message to be rung throughout history to the listening ears of non-believers? I believe Paul summed it best when he penned these words when writing to the Romans: “I’m not ashamed of the gospel…” To be unashamed of the gospel would necessitate that they confront their listeners with the harsh reality of sin, death and judgment. But why have the harshness? Why not preach the gospel in glittering generalities? I believe Paul answers this question with the next words of the same verse: “…for it is the power of God unto salvation; first for the Jew and then to the Greek.” To preach a gospel is without the message of sin, death and judgment would not only NOT be the gospel, but would rob God of his power to blast even the most stubborn and callous heart into submission to his will.

Thus, I refuse to not be harsh, for I am unashamed of the gospel and to preach a message without the things that we don’t like to speak of would be robbing God of his power to convert the unconverted.