Truth or Comfort?

A man wrote the following to our ministry: “I don’t know who put me on your mailing list, but please remove my name immediately. I can’t stand your gloomy gospel and your hammering against sin. None of us is perfect, not even you. I’ve had it with your King James gospel of doom.”

Isaiah spoke of this kind of response: "This is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the Lord; who say to the seers, ‘Do not see,’ and to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us right things; speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. Get out of the way…’” (Isaiah 30:9-11, NKJV).

The word “smooth” in this verse means nice or flattery. The people of Israel were saying, in short, “Don’t tell us any more bad stuff. Describe how we’re going to prosper, how great things lie ahead of us. If not, then get out of our faces.”

No believer who hides sin in his heart ever wants to hear a holy, sin-exposing word. That person will always flee the Holy Spirit’s voice of truth. He will turn to a soft-on-sin preacher, offering smooth talk and flattering prophecies.

So, you ask, what hard message did God’s voice deliver to his people on Mount Sinai? He said, “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image… you shall not bow down to them nor serve them…” (Deuteronomy 5:6-9).

Here was the pure, unadulterated word of the Lord, coming directly from his mouth. It should have sent the people flying to their tents to smash their graven images. It should have stirred their hearts and brought them to their knees. Instead, they cried, “No more thunder, fire, shaking. No more audible voice speaking to us. Give us a spokesman who is like us and let him speak to us. Then we’ll hear and obey.”

Beloved, the very word that exposes sin is also the one God uses to lead you into freedom, life, and deeper fellowship with him. Let your heart be softened by it.