Many have been so indoctrinated with the “don’t offend anyone” philosophy that even many Christians are afraid to speak up against moral and spiritual wrongs in this world. That thinking is not biblical. Christians should stand up and speak out on the issues of our time. Certainly the biblical teaching never intends the Christian to be purposefully rude and hurtful to anyone. We are to warn the world, however, of encroaching dangers and pitfalls. We have the spiritual eyes to see them coming, and we are to warn those that cannot see or understand them. Yes, the guilty person or persons may scream bloody murder when their violation of God’s principles has been exposed, but it is still our obligation to help them, and it is not necessarily hateful or unloving of us to help them. It certainly is not pushing it down their throat when we show them what God’s Word says. We are to be the “Light of the world,” so we can illuminate. When we speak out our “light” ought to alter the darkness. Nowhere in the Bible are we told to tolerate sin and to be quiet and allow it to continue unopposed and certainly not in the church house. It is the Pastor’s responsibility to expose sin and call it like it is. (2 Timothy 4:1-4) We are in a battle (Ephesians 6:12) and it certainly is not easy. A battle indicates that it will be rough, and many times people may get their feelings hurt. Certainly, looking the other way and letting sin continue is not a battle. How do you know your compromising with sin, is when you start tolerating it, when it doesn’t bother you any more then your start justifying it by blaming others for your iniquities. (Proverbs 14:9) The world sometimes believes that we are being hateful and unloving by condemning their sin. Actually, it takes a whole lot more love to stand up against it and voice a Biblical opinion against a possibly socially accepted sin and be unpopular. It can only be love when preachers and layman stand up against the hisses of the public; when they speak out against adultery, homosexuality, abortion, and other sins. Actually, it is not showing any love or compassion when you know it is wrong and you shut your mouth. If you know that deceitfulness is wrong, do not wink at it. Speak out. You know that homosexuality destroys lives; don’t tolerate it. Abortion ruins the lives of the mothers and kills the children and sometimes the mothers, so don’t stand quietly by while colleagues at the workplace discuss it and consider it. When a friend mentions his adultery, don’t agree with his reasons. If you know a neighbor is not saved, don’t allow him to go to Hell. Speak up! Sin is sin, and if we don’t tell them, who will? The liberal “Christians” that object the most about our making a stand and being “hateful” are probably the least loving. If they really believe what they read in their Bibles and what they hear from the pulpit, why are they remaining silent when the world is crumbling? We have the truth; we should brandish it with honor and pride. It is interesting that that same group will turn their noses up at us and judge, “Some Christian you are.” Well, if they really are Christians, then they need to be like Christ, as the name implies. What would Christ do if He were in an unbiblical situation? At one time, Jesus called Herod a fox Luke 13:32. The leader was a fox: sneaky and politically maneuvering to have control and “votes” at the same time. Our Saviour did not pull His punches. He called him exactly what he was. Even when knowing that He might be killed for the remark after the Pharisees who heard Him reported it to the ruler, our Saviour made a stand. He certainly didn’t tolerate it. Seventeen times in the Scriptures Jesus called people hypocrites. In most of these instances He was talking specifically to the religious leaders and teachers. He was not concerned about being politically correct. They were saying one thing and living another. They were hypocrites, and the all knowing God called them what they were. He did not think of a way to show them without hurting their feelings or to reason politely with them. Jesus told them the truth, and certainly feelings were hurt. Eventually, Christ lost His life because of the crowd He offended. Rather than turn from their wicked ways, they decided to have the person that was making them uncomfortable with their convictions killed. Even though today we don’t see much Pastor killings, they are far and between, but we do see verbal attacks on the Pastor and his family and it is usually from a crowd that does not want to change and does not like to be told what to do. Proverbs 15:5, 31 tells us, a wise person hears a rebuke and turns from his wrong ways. Those hypocrites were certainly not wise. Twice each Jesus and John the Baptist called people “vipers.” A viper is a stealthy, inconspicuous, deadly snake. Those people wielded deadly tongues and doctrines that bit into lives, destroyed them and eventually sent others to Hell. They were sinful, and sin made the Son of God angry. Sin should make us angry. The world needs once again to see that it is wrong, and they will not unless the “light” shines in their dark, sinful places and exposes it. By the way, speaking out against sin is not judging. We have all heard people defensively quote, “Judge not, that ye be not judged,” to get conviction off their backs. Listen, discerning wrong activity is not judging. We do have to discern many things in this world. If you don’t discern that the stove is hot, you will burn yourself every day. Likewise we need to discern that gossip is wickedness and that we should keep from that sin, along with other wickedness. If those quoting that verse would read the rest of Matthew 7, they would find at least three things God wants us to “judge” so we don’t get hurt by them. Verse 17 urges us to recognize that some who claim to be Christians may not really be because they are not producing spiritual fruit that a true Christian should exhibit. Remember, true Biblical repentance is a changed mind towards God and sin that results in a changed life. If there is no change as far as your communication, your modesty, the things you do, and how you carry yourself then you may not be saved. Finally, verse 21 makes it very clear: Not everyone who claims to be a Christian really is.
A quick study will reveal most of the things Christ spoke out against full in the above three categories. Today’s convicted crowd, as in biblical days, still hates it when they are called what they are. More than once I have heard a defensive remark when I was telling people that Jesus called out names. “Well, you’re not Jesus,” they proclaimed. They certainly hoped that distraction would place the guilt on me and I would stop bringing their sin to light. But other people of God also named sin. John the Baptist found himself before a powerful leader who was in an immoral situation. Boldly, he told Herod that it was wrong for him to have his brother’s wife. Angered by John’s telling him that he was wrong, Herod had John thrown in prison. Later John lost his head. John knew the truth and told it.
Elijah stood all alone on Mount Carmel and mocked the false god of the prophets of Baal. “Well, he shouldn’t have been so unkind and inconsiderate to them. They have the right to have their own beliefs,” some would defend today. Listen, No one has any right to have other gods. There is ONE God and ONE way. God’s law commands not to worship any other than the one true God. Their worship was sin. Sin hurts others around it, and it was hurting His people. It made Elijah mad. After he proved to the bystanders and the false prophets who was the true God, he had the false prophets killed. There certainly was no toleration there.
In the centuries following the New Testament era, Christians have often stood up to be counted. Many died because of their stand. True Christianity was grown with the blood of martyrs. Many times they were killed for their “religious” views, for speaking out and for just living a righteous life. Some of the martyrs could have kept their lives if they had shut their mouths, but the truth should not be kept quiet.
It could be offensive to call names or point fingers at a sin, but many of us needed offending to turn from our wicked ways. Few have turned to the right path by suggestions, toleration to fear to point sin out. Let me help you here, sometimes it is better for you to be offended in order to repent than to be cast into an everlasting fire. (Amen!) You see, the ideal of straight preaching is not to run you off, but to get you to a place of repentance and faith so you can receive forgiveness of sins.
Yes, it is the Holy Spirit that does the convicting, but He does use His Children as messengers. If you really have the mind of Christ, you will love the things that God loves and hate the things that He hates. He hates sin. It has destroys families and children, imprison multitudes, ruins lives and sends far too many to Hell.
Getting rid of true Christianity, (God’s witnesses) does not diminish the truth it can only briefly quiet the conviction. We need to call sin what it is and not lessen its reproach. If we don’t speak up, who will?