Borderline Truth???

By John Clardy

Proverbs 23:23   Buy the truth, and sell it not…

Acts 20:27         For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

It used to be that the most important credentials a preacher could possess were his strong conviction that all scripture is the inspired and infallible Word of God and his commitment to boldly proclaim the whole counsel of God, even that which was not popular.

Congregations understood that strong biblical preaching produced strong biblical people.  They understood that even though the purpose of preaching was not to condemn people, it was for the purpose of convicting the saint and sinner alike! 

But today, more often than not, congregations consider different factors when considering a preacher to fill pastoral vacancies. What seminary (cemetery) did he attend?  Does he have a degree in Divinity and Theology? Will he fit in to the culture of the community and congregation?  And most importantly, will he preach what people want to hear? Will he be politically correct and not offend anyone?

Today, many sermons are what I would call "borderline sermons."  They don’t purposely teach error, but neither do they deal with eternal issues, like sin, immorality and eternity.  As a result, preaching has become unbalanced because it focuses only on the love and grace of God and ignores the judgment and justice of God. 

Many sermons are purely motivational and could be used for many secular occasions without criticism or objection from anyone present.  Sermons are expected to be entertaining and invigorating, so they contain lots of stories, jokes and personal references, but very little Scripture.

Paul wrote to his son in the gospel, Timothy, and warned him of a time when people would seek out preachers that desired popularity and that would tickle their ears.  Because of their lust for pleasure, they would rather turn away from truth and follow after fables. 

2 Tim 4:1-4

1          I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

2          Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

3          For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4          And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

One of the signs of the last days is the abundance of false prophets and preachers out for profit. Jesus warned there would be many that would come in the name of Christ and they would deceive many. They would come with a message of “borderline truth” and even perform miracles, but instead of seeking to save the souls, they seek to build their own kingdoms. 

Preaching for the purpose of being offensive is never right! Truth is always to be preached in love.  But necessary truths cannot be omitted just because they might offend someone.  If the Word offends, you don’t change it! You change yourself so that it no longer offends you but edifies you! The purpose of preaching is the salvation of men!  Do you want to be saved?  Then seek out those who will not shun their duty to declare the whole counsel of God! The truth is there is no such thing as “borderline truth” or “borderline salvation”!