The Truth is Never Arrogant

Category: Excerpts

The truth is never arrogant but the truth is a matter of fact. Now in the delivery of the truth, the messenger can be proud, unloving and arrogant. It is true that our actions will either substantiate the message or undermine it. To proclaim an exclusive Gospel is not the proclamation of a proud man, but the proclamation of a man whom God has humbled and rescued by Jesus Christ.


View the full sermon, “The Exclusivity of Christianity“.

Transcript

You may be thinking, "Oh, Brother Lee, the world just thinks that Christians are arrogant and intolerant and irrelevant." Arrogant? You need to capture this. Truth is never arrogant. It doesn't involve arrogance. Truth is a matter of fact. Now the delivery of the truth however, the vessel, the ambassador can be proud and unloving and arrogant. That's true. It's true that our actions and our methodologies will either substantiate the truth we proclaim or undermine it. But the truth itself is never arrogant or proud. To proclaim an exclusive Gospel is not the proclamation of a proud man; it's the proclamation of a man that has been humbled by the grace of God that rescued him. Arrogant? No. Not arrogant. Intolerant? No. Not intolerant. Really, Christians should be the most tolerant people in the earth. Paul writes, "Love endures all things." That's pretty tolerant. But this tolerance, this love for our neighbor doesn't dull the edge of the Gospel blade. It sharpens it. What we shouldn't be able to tolerate that we often do - I, myself included - what we shouldn't be able to tolerate is the thought of anyone perishing apart from hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That's what we shouldn't tolerate. We won't embrace the lies of this age. We won't agree with false religions. We will stand for an exclusive Gospel that powerfully rescues men from sin. We will love our neighbors. We will serve the needy. We will minister to the oppressed and share the Gospel with a dying world that needs Jesus. Intolerant? I don't think so. Irrelevant? God forbid. The Gospel is the furthest thing from irrelevant. It's about as relevant as anything under heaven - likely, exceedingly more so. It's the only cure for sinners. Of course, the world would not consider the only cure for cancer to be irrelevant. That would be especially relevant. Well, the Gospel then is no less relevant to the needy sinner. How will then they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? It is relevant, church. So don't let the world put you into the mold of being unkind, unloving, unfair or arrogant. Is it unloving to share the Gospel of reconciliation with one alienated from God? I don't think so. Is it unkind to speak Gospel encouragements to the broken-hearted? I don't think so. Is it arrogant to offer Christ and eternal life to the dying sinner? Of course not. So preach the Gospel, brethren. Use words. Love the souls of men. Why? Because salvation is in Christ alone. The Gospel is exclusive.