Speaking the Whole Truth: When Churches Soften God’s Word

You will tell them whatever I tell you to say, whether they listen or not…I saw a hand stretched out towards me, and it was holding a scroll…and I saw that there was writing on both sides — cries of grief were written there, and wails and groans. God said, “Mortal man, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel” Ezekiel 2:7,9,10; 3:1 (GNT).

As the prosperity gospel gained popularity, there have been more efforts within the evangelical community to make preaching less confrontational and more comforting.

The practice of appealing to people’s desires, feeding them what they want to hear so they return again and again has become more common in churches.

The trend toward large megachurches has led to a pattern of catering to congregants' desires, often delivering messages that suit their preferences.

In the past, the prophet Ezekiel was told to read from the scroll only messages of lamentation, mourning, and woe, and he was instructed to deliver these words to Israel.

He was not told to consider the preferences of his audience or to soften the message, as his integrity relied on his faithfulness to the word. This has always been the role of a Bible teacher or preacher, including those of us who share what we learn or discern from God’s Word here on Medium.

“The Bible was not given for our information but for our transformation.”

-D. L. Moody.

God’s Word has both sweet and bitter elements. It tells us, “all have sinned,” but it also declares, “God so loved the world.” One message cannot be presented without the other. We cannot highlight God’s love by ignoring human sinfulness;

We cannot focus on God’s gentleness by downplaying His wrath;

We cannot speak about heaven by avoiding the reality of hell;

We cannot emphasize God’s closeness by hiding His transcendent holiness. We cannot simply make disciples of Jesus without explaining what it takes to become one, what must be done, and the consequences of following Him.

Apostle Paul was bold enough to say, “I have not held back from announcing to you the whole purpose of God” (Acts 20:27). This divine purpose includes justification, sanctification, and glorification. Yet, modern Christianity has created a gap in the full counsel of God to make the message more agreeable and less unsettling for listeners. God’s Word is a double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12), yet many have turned it into a bouquet of flowers.

Biblical preaching is meant to comfort the grieving, offer hope to the lost and the hurting, and also to challenge, reprove, and make us examine our lives.

It is a ‘both-and’ task, and only in this way is the fullness of God’s message preserved. This is true today just as it was during Ezekiel’s time.

May we never compromise our loyalty and faithfulness to our awesome God while we share the Truth. For if we do, we must remember that we cannot please Him with our lives (Proverbs 3:3,4).

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Thanks for reading!

© Dr. Anudeep Manne