Preaching the Good and Bad

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“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. The Lord works out everything to its proper end— even the wicked for a day of disaster” (Proverbs 16:3-4, NIV Bible). One of the soothing promises in the bible for the believers, as they trust in the Lord for everything! But it also says in the verse 4, God, even works out to its proper end for the wicked people in their disaster – I suppose, many wouldn’t like this bible statement since they call it condemnation! According to the commoners, every coin has two sides – being told that, the things of heaven have no difference when it comes to judgment!

It has been a trend all over the world nowadays to preach alone the comforting part of the bible. As evangelism stands for spreading the good-news by public preaching and personal witness, often the truth of the gospel is left behind for no reason except the fear of public acceptance. Looking back to the history of the bible, the boldness of believers was marvelous as their works tend to be the significant building blocks of Christianity, though stained with their own blood. Even Jesus Christ had stood ever stern in His teachings, to the point of death as He ultimately glorified the father in heaven as purposed. It’s imperative for a true believer to stand firm and speak things what has been taught by the Lord as divine precepts – not pacifying the hearers by compromising the deeds of their unrighteousness or negligence.

Every promise in the bible is true and it is given out exclusively for the disciples of the Lord – not for anyone or everyone who do not deserve to come closer. Yet, the invitation is all around in the form of God’s grace through faith as we are attracted since we are called. Perhaps, those personal experiences with God, knowing the word of God, being together or in the vicinity of God’s people, are the signs of that invitation, I guess. But still, it is not our work; it is the work of the Lord to bring His chosen to a proper end, according to His plan.

Therefore, teaching the attributes of God is absolutely not necessary as they are the free gifts to the people of the Lord; instead, teach how to revere God by staying holy, with a submissive heart for obeying His decrees. In other words, teaching the derivatives of love is quite inappropriate when “love” is an attribute of the spirit or God Himself. It is better to teach God’s precepts, where the love and its branches flow naturally towards the life of the bearer. It’s easy to say “come to the Lord” – but the whole process seems quite complex and meticulous, as many stumble unless God is willing! As a conclusion, teach or preach the precepts of the Lord boldly – and there are no need to pacify anyone in terms of the spirituality. Amen