got really excited the first time I found out about our sermon series for the traditional season of lent. The goal of the series is to provide a careful look on the Gospel. Yes, the Gospel! If you know me, that is one of the things that I am most crazy in love with. The Gospel of Jesus Christ. And if you do know me, you should know that I am quite sensitive on the topic. Nevertheless, it was a great (inexpressible) joy for me to be in hearing of the Gospel as it was preached in my local congregation.

Last Sunday was the second leg of the preaching series, where it was discussed and proclaimed that there are suspects of the “murder” of Christ. And I would confess to you that it was such a delight to hear the truth, where it was indeed said that it was God who was pleased to crush Him, the Christ (Isaiah 53:10). Indeed it wasn’t nail pierced hands and feet. Nor was it a crown of thorns and a wooden cross that saved us. But the fullness of the atonement for sins, and the justification of sinners was brought about by God pouring out His wrath to the sinless Holy One of God, a propitiation for our sins. The Lord Jesus Christ, who died and has risen on the third day, became the propitiation for our sins, and I submit to you though it was not delivered correctly the definitions for these theological terms (including justification and atonement; which I find offending since it seems that the church has such a low view of their congregation), the truth of that word (propitiation) cuts deeper than one would normally think. It is the appeasing of the wrath of God by sacrifice for the infinitely sinful sins and offenses committed against His infinite justice, holiness and glory. And the only thing able to appease such an infinite wrath of the infinite God of the ages for the infinite sinful sins of man was the Son of God, the Christ, the only one of infinite worth.

And it finally hit me. ‘Coz ever since that service began I had the weirdest feeling in my gut that something seems wrong. I had an unexplainable feeling of something being misplaced or forgotten. And I realized. . . we skip over so much today. Men and women come to church seeking for the knowledge of God, and for the sake of our tried and tested marketing strategies to break consumer resistance we bring out methodologies like the “iceberg principle.” “Make a study of a hundred percent, then carefully choose what to preach from that full bucket by compressing it into a mere ten percent”. . . just so the laymen would understand things easier. So we skip over the hard pressing parts. The guilt of sin was preached, but we deny the preaching of the reality of the infinite sinfulness of man in light of the infinite holiness of God.

There’s a lot to be said about this but what really got to me was this realization of mine: I think God can forgive much preaching today (Well, not really). But one thing that God would not forgive is the preaching of “another gospel”. For the most part, if I squint my eyes a little, I can have myself see that it was a plausible sermon of the gospel. It went well, started kinda off, but still tackled some of the core truths. But then, as the sermon came to a close it all went down the drain. “The Hour of Decision.” One word to describe this deed: Legalism.

We would adhere, preach and believe that Christ saves. . . but, you have to make a decision? That’s not the Gospel of Jesus Christ! That is clearly another gospel! Salvation by works! This is the message that is preached again and again: “God will save you if, and only if you make that decision.” And I submit to you that that is no gospel at all because the one and only true Gospel proclaims that Salvation is a work of God and it is Christ alone that saves. God does not save in virtue of good works, including the good work of so called “making a decision”, but in the virtue of His own glory, purpose, will, and of the ultimate expression of His attribute, that He is indeed love.

More than anything dear reader I want it to be clear to you the seriousness of this great great disservice to the church. If we would take Scripture for what it is and says, it really is a very fearful thing to go about this ignorance of the truth of scripture just because we are satisfied with some degree of theological attainment that we have gained in this “cultural christianity”, where in such bliss in ignorance we deny any error in preaching and think ourselves faithful servants. But no! It is a deception and heresy!

Paul has given us a warning from this great fault, where I pray that some may find repentance from in seeking the truth of the doctrines of God: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.(Gal 1:8)” Anathema, fit for burning and destruction! Do you realize how deep that goes? That it isn’t just a simple error of something “little” that is missed, but in every sense it is a total deviation of the truth of the Word of God!

If you would as so much deny the things said, I pray that you would consider one thing, and think to yourselves to what is more important: Pragmatism or Truth?