WOW

Sometimes I get it twisted. I believe that my theology is sound but the problem arises when the subtleness of the world seeps into my presentation. Looks like somewhere along the line, I’ve bought into the idea of “winning” souls. This elevated idea of “winning” inherently takes the power from the information and places it firmly (and solely) in the presentation.
But what does The Bible say? How much does the word of God talk about winning souls? This is how we learn: By holding up everything we think we know to the light of truth.

Do a Bible word search for the word – win. If you search the KJV, you’re likely to come up with about a few references and interestingly enough, one reference in Philippians 3:8 speaks directly to the true objective of winning “Christ”.
Now search for the word “warn”.
I don’t want this to play out as some sort of conspiracy theory, but I also don’t want us to be asleep at the wheel….or asleep TO the Will of Christ. The meaning behind words are changing about as fast as anything else. Of course, our presentation and delivery of The Gospel is to be seasoned with Grace, but this is not a grace intended to soften the reality of the truth. It’s the truth that makes The Gospel the good news that it is.
Seems that in our culture today, warning people is tantamount to threatening them, and crying out for someone's clarity to the gospel is seen as high-minded, patronizing pity. Calling out or exposing sin as an affront to a Holy God is offensive and usually brings immediate responses of ‘fighting words’ – judging, hypocrite, and bigotry.

Almost immediately, there’s a few thousand, hundred thousand or millions (if it goes viral) of onlookers claiming that you obviously don’t know anything about The gentle, tender, all-loving Christ. And in response, we’re put off, put down and walk away feeling like “Am I wrong? - Are they right?” Because of the focus on presentation, we totally disregard (and/or vehemently oppose) the notion that sharing the truth of the Gospel may be offensive. It may make some, even many, downright MAD at us and it doesn’t mean that it’s unchristian, it usually just means that people love their sin and we live in a day where many have found a way to hurl labels in an attempt to protect it from any negative connotation.

Here’s The Word:

Acts 20:31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Jeremiah 6:10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

Ezekiel 3:18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Mathew 3:7 But when he (Jesus) saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

I used the last verse to make it clear that The gentle, tender, all-loving Christ could be quite abrupt on occasion…but like I said, the culture is redefining words at a rapid pace.

In closing, we are definitely to be about our witness. Striving for excellence, not of ourselves, but because of Christ who’s worthy and who gives us the strength AND direction to do so. But don’t let fear or sinful retribution be the reason you shrink back from ‘tearfully’ warning people about the wrath to come. The stakes are too high. Paul famously says in 1 Corinthians 9:22 that he’s ‘become all things to all men that by all means, he may save some.’ – this helps us see that we DO have a common starting place with all. We all start in sin, and those who can humbly receive this truth are well on their way to receiving The Remedy, but though all may not be “won”, all should be warned.

Colossians 1:28 (Christ) Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

In Him,
Cros