I want to spend some time in the upcoming weeks looking at issues that Christians are facing today. Today, I want to start off with talking about a “Diluted Faith.”
A diluted faith is like trying to take an aspirin for an appendix that is about to burst.” There are real dangers in watering down the clear message of the Gospel, because the tragic results are eternal.
If we don’t get the full strength of the Gospel, we could be deceived into thinking we’re doing just fine, when we’re actually getting worse. The devil is mass-distributing a watered-down version of the message among God’s people. He’s content to let people go to some churches where God’s Word is so diluted, that it won’t make any transforming difference in their lives.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 (ESV) says, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
Today, there are pastors and teachers who are not sharing a straight, biblically sound message, and there are people in churches who don’t want a straight biblically based message. The people don’t want to take anything that’s hard to swallow. They generally want what’s easy and sweet to their senses. They want someone who will give them a “feel good” diluted talk, that doesn’t challenge them to change, or to turn them away from sin.
The gospel gets watered down because some pastors and teachers, who are wolves in sheep’s clothing, want to be popular, or do it for pride, money, or they want to draw away followers after themselves for power and influence. Acts 20:29 says, “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.”
A diluted message fails to teach the profound worship, reverence, humility, repentance and the understanding of God’s nature, principles, decrees, love, standards, and work in our lives. It also doesn’t focus God’s people to be Christ centered.
So how can we, as Christians, recognize that someone is serving up a diluted gospel? We need to search it out what is being said for ourselves. We should not accept or believe what we are being told because of who is telling the story, or receive it at face value. We need to study the Bible, with guidance from the Holy Spirit, to see if it lines up with the God’s Word.
An undiluted gospel is going to talk about real sin. It points out what sin is, even if it’s unpopular in the modern culture to do so. If a person hides behind the excuse that they don’t want to offend anyone by talking about sin, then beware of them and their false message.
A straight forward biblical based message involves real repentance for sin, a sorrow for sin, and a turning away from it. Repentance for sins, means there is real remorse, regret, and contrition for past sin. There should be the challenge to change for the better as a result of remorse or regret for our sins.
Does the Bible talk about repentance? Most definitely. Just look at the messages of John the Baptist and Jesus, they both said for us to “Repent.” Jesus said in Matthew 9:13 (NKJV), “For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Jesus makes it quite clear that His faithful followers will be the light of the world. They will be a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden. Notice, He doesn’t say we should try to be the light of the world or a city that can’t be hidden. He simply declares that His true followers will be obvious to the whole world. And if the Light is hidden that will be obvious as well.
Be diligent and always look for the truth.
Blessings,
Pastor Chuck
A diluted faith is like trying to take an aspirin for an appendix that is about to burst.” There are real dangers in watering down the clear message of the Gospel, because the tragic results are eternal.
If we don’t get the full strength of the Gospel, we could be deceived into thinking we’re doing just fine, when we’re actually getting worse. The devil is mass-distributing a watered-down version of the message among God’s people. He’s content to let people go to some churches where God’s Word is so diluted, that it won’t make any transforming difference in their lives.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 (ESV) says, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
Today, there are pastors and teachers who are not sharing a straight, biblically sound message, and there are people in churches who don’t want a straight biblically based message. The people don’t want to take anything that’s hard to swallow. They generally want what’s easy and sweet to their senses. They want someone who will give them a “feel good” diluted talk, that doesn’t challenge them to change, or to turn them away from sin.
The gospel gets watered down because some pastors and teachers, who are wolves in sheep’s clothing, want to be popular, or do it for pride, money, or they want to draw away followers after themselves for power and influence. Acts 20:29 says, “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.”
A diluted message fails to teach the profound worship, reverence, humility, repentance and the understanding of God’s nature, principles, decrees, love, standards, and work in our lives. It also doesn’t focus God’s people to be Christ centered.
So how can we, as Christians, recognize that someone is serving up a diluted gospel? We need to search it out what is being said for ourselves. We should not accept or believe what we are being told because of who is telling the story, or receive it at face value. We need to study the Bible, with guidance from the Holy Spirit, to see if it lines up with the God’s Word.
An undiluted gospel is going to talk about real sin. It points out what sin is, even if it’s unpopular in the modern culture to do so. If a person hides behind the excuse that they don’t want to offend anyone by talking about sin, then beware of them and their false message.
A straight forward biblical based message involves real repentance for sin, a sorrow for sin, and a turning away from it. Repentance for sins, means there is real remorse, regret, and contrition for past sin. There should be the challenge to change for the better as a result of remorse or regret for our sins.
Does the Bible talk about repentance? Most definitely. Just look at the messages of John the Baptist and Jesus, they both said for us to “Repent.” Jesus said in Matthew 9:13 (NKJV), “For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Jesus makes it quite clear that His faithful followers will be the light of the world. They will be a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden. Notice, He doesn’t say we should try to be the light of the world or a city that can’t be hidden. He simply declares that His true followers will be obvious to the whole world. And if the Light is hidden that will be obvious as well.
Be diligent and always look for the truth.
Blessings,
Pastor Chuck
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