perpetual denial of the gospel -finney

sermonindex Jul 26, 2005

"Lastly--are not the Church in their present state, a standing, public, perpetual denial of the gospel? Do they not stand out before the world, as a living, unanswerable contradiction of the gospel; and do more to harden sinners and lead them into a spirit of caviling and infidelity, than all the efforts of professed infidels from the beginning of the world to the present day?"-Charles FinneyWhen I read this quote it really struck me how much of a witness we are as Christians in our day to the reality and power of the gospel. How many times our witness and testimony is marred and ruined in public or private. God help us to be a true representation of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our day and age.(Matthew 5:13) "if the salt has lost his savour..."

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philologos Jul 26, 2005

“And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.”(Ezek. 36:23)

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Bomar Jul 26, 2005

A righteous man who falters before the wicked Is like a murky spring and a polluted well.Proverbs 25:26

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RobertW Jul 26, 2005

"Lastly--are not the Church in their present state, a standing, public, perpetual denial of the gospel? Do they not stand out before the world, as a living, unanswerable contradiction of the gospel; and do more to harden sinners and lead them into a spirit of caviling and infidelity, than all the efforts of professed infidels from the beginning of the world to the present day?"-Charles FinneyThis is a good example of where the emphasis is in our times compared to Finney's. When a minister gets 'called down' today or a church gets called down it is usually for some sort of doctrinal compromise. Rarely is it for 'genuine' compromise (sin). Not to belittle doctrinal importance, but the focus of what doctrine is now and was then is totally different.Finney advocated "telling the house of Israel their sins." His point was simple, "I'll stop rebuking in public when the people stop sinning in public." Imagine a "lighthouse on wheels". Ships are navagating and instead of watching those ships sail off out of sight the lighthouse just motors up and keeps a safe distance. In this scenerio the world never realizes its own sinfulness because the contrast never changes. The church is always the same distance away.