Luke 3:7-9
Suggested further reading: Luke 13:1-5
John made a great impact on his generation as even Jesus noted in Matthew 11:11. Let us note the character of John’s ministry.
John spoke with a holy boldness. He spoke openly and forcefully of the hidden and highly visible sins of his generation and used strong language in doing so. He was not tempted by his popularity nor cared who was offended by his words. He knew that the spiritual condition of people was so desperate that only some strong remedies could cure them.
Ministries would be more useful if they balanced encouragement with warning. Naturally, cranky personalities and harsh words often cause more hurt than help but flattering people while failing to mention sin, judgment, and hell is less than unhelpful as it treats sin as less than the evil that it is—it condemns people to hell forever.
How plainly John speaks about hell and danger! The subject of hell is always offensive to people. The minister who dwells much upon it will be regarded as a crank, harsh and unfeeling, and narrowminded. Men love to hear “smooth things” and avoid anything unpleasant. Sin, judgment, and hell must be preached if we desire to do good to souls.
Let us never be ashamed of the doctrine that there is wrath to come for the impenitent and that those who remain unrepentant will be lost forever. Silence on this subject can only encourage people to per-severe in wickedness and to believe the devil’s old lie that sin does not lead to death. No one will ever repent until he sees that he is in mortal peril with a real cause to be afraid. The religion in which there is no mention of hell is not the religion of John the Baptist, nor of our Lord Jesus, nor of His apostles.
Lanny Tanton is the Pastor at The Bible Church of the Lakes in Horseshoe Bay, Texas – just outside of Marble Falls. Pastor Tanton welcomes you to our website and hopes that you’ll enjoy reading these insightful blog posts. Please contact us if you have further questions!!
