Something Is Seriously Off About This...

The Logic of Sin Warnings and Christian Compassion

Let's just be logical for a moment. Why would the New Testament writers warn us about sin? Why would they warn us a lot about sin, like a lot, if we weren't going to sin? Those who have sinned spectacularly.

Yeah. Our posture, generally, is to look at them and say, you probably were never a Christian. It's insane. That's what our instinct is. Like, we've been conditioned to think that way. Now, again, please don't misunderstand me.

Sin, we just talked about last episode. Sin is slavery. Sin is bondage. It's a horrible use of freedom. And may the Lord protect us from the evil one and from the deceitfulness of sin. I pray these things for myself every day throughout the day.

I know you do too. And so I am not in any way making light of sin or acting like it's a good thing that Christians would just do whatever they feel like doing. I mean, this instinct to when somebody sins spectacularly, or if somebody is straying even for a period of time, the fact that we feel the need to immediately say, well, they were just probably always a faker, a false professor.

They were probably just never a Christian. And then that's our default. Something's off there. Totally. And of course, we call people to repentance. We practice church discipline so that people might be restored.

All those things are true. But I do think, to your point, we lose sight of how to deal with other believers with compassion. And we certainly lose sight of how to deal compassionately with our neighbor in the world in realizing that what they need actually is they need Christ explained to them.

They need Christ held out to them. But yeah, compassion and mercy and grace and these kinds of things should ooze out of Christians.

Compassion for the Weak and the Sinner

That's right.

And well, it's compassion for two things that you're saying just as you're thinking about this is compassion for the weak and compassion for the sinner. Right. So it's like I'm just going to say this now, the theonomist Christian nationalist movement is so burnt me out the way when you hear them talk, it's like compassion for the sinner is gone.

All we do is talk about what they've done wrong and how the country is going the wrong way. And we've got the leaders in the wrong. And it's like, do you understand that they act according to the course of the power they act?

They're going out. They're going to they're going according to the course of the world because they're of the world. And there is a supernatural nature that has to be changed. And it only comes if a Christian proclaims the gospel.

And we do so because we're compassionate towards them. Right. Jesus loved sinners. Let's just be frank about it. And sometimes I get just exhausted about how angry people are towards sinners and then those who are struggling, those who are weak.

The Mero Controversy and the Free Offer of Christ

I talk often about the Mero controversy, and I'm I'm not apologetic for that because I see in those those individuals in the 18th century church in Scotland, thoroughly reformed brethren as they were.

I see from them an unapologetic, unashamed emphasis of the offer of Christ to everyone, a commitment to preach all of Jesus for the salvation of of the whole sin. That's right. Jesus for justification and sanctification and glorification.

Christ for us and with us is what these guys were were being ridiculed. And that resonates in my soul in ways that are difficult for me to put into words and are a tremendous source of motivation and strength for me in the midst of times when there are trials and tribulations from within, from without, and assaults of the evil one.

We keep doing this because it it's so worth it. And to hold like, you know, that like come if you're weary and heavy laden, come to Jesus. If you're thirsty, come to the waters, man. Like that's the posture.

Yeah.