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As stewards of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we do no service to men by making light of sin, skirting around the issue, or avoiding it altogether. Men have only one problem: they are under the wrath of God because of their sin. (John 3:36) To deny this is to deny one of the most foundational doctrines of Christianity.
It is not unloving to tell men that they are sinners, but it is the grossest form of immorality not to tell them! In fact, God declares that their blood will be on our hands if we do not warn them of their sin and the coming judgment. (Ezekial 33:8)
To seek to preach the gospel without making sin an issue is like trying to heal the brokenness of people superficially, saying, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace. (Jeremiah 6:14)
The Scriptures tell us that the law was not given as a means of salvation, but as an instrument for exposing both the vileness of sin (i.e., that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful) and the sinfulness of man (i.e., all the world may become guilty before God). (Romans 7:13; 3:19)
...there is no evidence in the New Testament that this ministry of the law should not continue to be an essential part of our gospel proclamation.
The old preachers called it the breaking up of fallow ground, turning over rocks, and pulling back curtains. (Jeremiah 4:3; Hosea 10:12) They saw the need to hold men up to the mirror of God’s law so that they might see their destitute condition and cry out for mercy. Of course, this is not to be done with a spirit of pride or arrogance, and we are not to handle people roughly. God has not called us to be a belligerent or offensive people, even though the truth we preach with all humility may be a great offense to many.
Was the apostle Paul merely an angry and bitter man with an ax to grind against humanity? No! He loved humanity to such an extent that he poured out his life like a drink offering on behalf of the Gentiles, and he even wished himself accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of his fellow Jew. (Philippians 2:17; Romans 9:3)
Paul preached against sin for the same reason that the physician works to diagnose his patient’s illness and is willing to tell him even the worst of news. It is a labor of love for the salvation of the hearer. Any other response by a doctor or preacher would be loveless and immoral.
It may be appropriate at this time to ask ourselves if our gospel preaching has such a purpose. Do we love enough to teach truth, expose sin, and confront our hearers? Do we possess a biblical compassion that tells men the truth in hope that their hearts will be broken under the weight of their sin and they must look to Christ alone? Are we willing to risk being misunderstood and maligned in order that truth might be told and men might be saved?
Modern man has become the feeble character that he is because he is self-absorbed and living in rebellion against God. He is loaded down with guilt because he is guilty. He needs God’s Word to expose his sin and bring him to repentance. Only then will there be a biblical brokenness that leads to life.
(From: The Gospel's Power & Message, by Paul Washer, Ch. 10, (c) 2012 Reformed Heritage Books.)
