Confronting Our Shame and Nakedness Before a Holy and Righteous God

Western Christianity has jettisoned true Biblical teaching by failing to preach and teach about sin. Yes, sin! We have become so indoctrinated with easy listening church services that we no longer hear what the Lord says is important to address in our lives. People love to go to church and hear the music, sing sometimes, listen to a whitewashed soft and chewy sermon and then merrily go home and continue their lives without knowing what may keep them from really knowing Jesus Christ.

Consider two events from scripture. Two events told and described by our Lord.

Writing in the Sand – the Adulterous Woman:

“When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” -John 8:10-11 (KJV)

Just a day or so before the Pharisees and Scribers called Jesus a deceiver, yet now they called Him Master. They were trying to trick Him into answering this issue with something they could accuse Him of later. However, it backfired on them. The woman was [selectively] caught in adultery (where was the man?) and brought before Jesus and the crowd armed with stones ready to put her to death as was the law of Moses. But Jesus answered back after writing in something in the sand – “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” Wow, what a reply! Notice then after this really sunk into their spirits who left first. Of course after I’m sure they felt so convicted that they had no reply and dropped their weapons (the stones). It was the older or elder ones; obviously the ones who had accumulated the most unidentified and unrepentant sin in their lives.

Now Jesus didn’t ask her to attend a “Recovery” group or come in for counseling or ask her to come and have a donut, latte or coffee or even offer her attendance at a small group meeting. He didn’t beat around the bush. Hello…, present day pastors in your comfy present day churches! He addressed her sin and told her to stop sinning. You ever hear this in our ‘luxury” or highly attended churches these days?

BTW, I believe that Jesus was writing the Ten Commandments in the sand so as to recount all the sins that the crowd possessed but were never confronted with or repented of.

Man Healed but Given a Direct Warning:

“The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. … Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” -John 5:7-9, 14 (KJV)

The second event concerns a man that was healed. And again the Jews were trying to corral Jesus in another legalistic trap  – this time of healing on the Sabbath. (Folks, a brief stop here just to say that Jesus Christ is awesome, loving, kind, merciful and so worthy to be praised.) The man didn’t even know who it was that healed Him for Jesus quickly left that place. However, the healed man was found later in the temple – examine Jesus’ stark chastising comment to him. “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” Why would Jesus say this? Again, the Lord didn’t invite the healed man over to the pastry table for a pastry and coffee. He addressed the man’s sin straight on – head on! His sin was paralyzed in the headlights of Christ’s mercy, love and justice.

Perhaps He knew his heart and what would become of him in the future unless Jesus had addressed him this way. Maybe it’s because the man lived a sinful lifestyle or … but notice how again the Lord didn’t beat around the bush but instead hit him square between the eyes with the impacting awareness of his sin and the results of continued sin. Now come on, if Jesus can say this in a church service why can’t our esteemed and popular pastors and teachers do the same today?

Churches and People are Spiritually Sick and Weak For They Don’t Confront Their Sin:

I firmly believe we have a weak and sickly churches that care little about preaching the Gospel and even less about people and their soul’s destination. We have cowards in the pulpits that will be judged severely unless they get it together and start preaching the way the Lord did and the Gospel says. We have hate and all kinds of other sin befalling Christians, churches and now our nation because people aren’t taught what is sin and what is not. The leaders of the church do not differentiate between the holy and the profane – Eze 22:26. The church is failing miserably in its mantle to preach the full council of the word of God.

“Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.” -Eze 22:26 (KJV)

In the Bible shame is a word used to indicate unconfessed and unrepentant sin. Nakedness in our natural sight describes a person with no clothes. Biblically, nakedness describes our spiritual state of sin and shame before a holy and righteous God.  In Revelation 3, the Lord rebukes the Laodicean church for being lukewarm for they didn’t realize (were not told) that they were pitiful, poor, blind and naked. Naked in unconfessed and unrepentant sin. Not clothed with the righteousness of Jesus who died and the cross for us for the forgiveness of sins. Remember, we have to ask for forgiveness and then amend our ways – thoughts and attitudes.

We hear almost constantly of conferences, seminars, rallies  and conference events. Now my question is how much will be said about sin and repentance at these events. Oh yeah, you will see lots of raised hands and tear soaked faces but how many are told of their sin and actually repent? I bet … few if any! That’s the track record. How can I tell? This nation and its churches are not making a difference in peoples lives or nationally – not being taught the awareness of personal sin is disastrous to the spiritual health of churches, people and nations. And because of it we have a weak America drowning in sin.

Jesus knew the importance of directly yet firmly addressing the sin of peoples lives and telling them in no uncertain terms to stop doing it or else. Strong teaching! This should be a clarion call to us as Christians, to the church and its leaders. Tell the people about sin and the results of not knowing it or repenting of it. Friends, if your sin is not confronted and called out in your life what will be the destination of your soul when the Lord calls your name into eternity?  

I am sounding the alarm of ineffective church preaching and inadequate church teaching in this message today.  I love all of you enough to tell you (and I) the hard truth of scripture as the Lord, His prophets and His Apostles taught. If these words impact and change your life for the Gospels’ sake then I have done my job. Praise be to God! Amen!

Seek the Lord while He may be found!

Grace and peace,

-BPWatcher, Internet Preacher and Bible Prophecy Watchman

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