Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I read an article by Dr. Michael Brown in Charisma News that addresses one of the root problems in the Christian church in influencing our culture and associated society to make a difference in a lost and dying in sin world for a godly change towards making disciples through the peace of Christ. I have witnessed this issue personally in a couple churches that I have attended and realize that “ear-tickling social ministry” has both an agenda and a negative effect on conviction of sin and actually allows sinners to be comfortable in their sinning and rebellion against a just and holy God by leaving out details and distort the real message of the gospel and the truth, thereby creating a false salvation and security, in reality deceiving people and keeping them hell bound on the wide road to destruction. Here is an example of how it works: remove the first half of Romans 6:23 (above) and only preach the second half. That’s an incomplete thought and an intentional half-truth. It is the reason that many [not all] churches are not a part of the solution to the problems in our sin-sick society, but a part of the problem.
Dr. Brown explains that Paul warned Timothy that the "time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths" (2 Timothy 4:3-4). That warning proved true in Timothy's day, and it has proved true many times since, especially today, when we have a multitude of ear-tickling preachers. How can we recognize them? [Instead of making “disciples” of all nations, they are in the business of making “friends” of all nations.]
[Illusionists (aka magicians) can be very entertaining when that is what we are intentionally going to watch. We like seeing misdirection and slight-of-hand that tricks us and makes us say: “how did they do that!”] We know that deception is very deceiving and that no one is willingly duped. And we know that no one stands up and says, "What I'm teaching is false doctrine meant to deceive and keep you hell-bound in your sin!" We also know that it is arrogant for any one of us to think that we alone have sound biblical doctrinal teaching while everyone else is in error. Yet the Apostle Paul did not warn Timothy in vain, nor is he warning us in vain, and so we must ask ourselves what, exactly, are the distinguishing characteristics of ear-tickling preachers.
1. Ear-tickling preachers bypass self-denial and the cross. Jesus told His disciples that if anyone wanted to follow Him, they had to deny themselves and take up the cross (see Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; in Luke 9:23 where He says we must take up our cross daily). And Paul taught that "those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:24).
Saying no to self and taking up the cross—meaning, giving up the claim to our own sinful lives, dying to this sinful world and renouncing its god-rejecting claims—is a fundamental part of discipleship. Yet ear-tickling preachers will not talk about it. The reason is obvious: It is not what our flesh wants to hear, therefore convicting and offending “self”.
2. Ear-ticking preachers go light on sin. Throughout the Scriptures, both Old Testament and New Testament, including the Gospels, Acts, the Letters, and Revelation, there are warnings about the dangers of sin and calls to turn away from sin. Sin is the root problem in the world, our culture and society, not more importantly, separates people from their Creator God and is sending them to eternal damnation in Hell.
Of course, it is absolutely true that through the death and resurrection of Jesus and by the power of the Spirit we have been given victory over sin. And it is absolutely true that the message of the grace of God, rightly understood, turns us away from sin (see Titus 2:11-14). But that doesn't mean that as Christians leaders, we no longer need to warn our hearers about the deceitfulness of sin or urge them to vigilant against sin. [In reality, they put loving your neighbor as yourself ahead of loving God with all your heart, your mind, your soul and your strength. Truly, sin is the root cause of all problems. It caused the death of the spirit in humanity, the separation between man and God plus the sin nature of the flesh, so that people not only have no conviction of sin in the God-rejecting world today, but are comfortable in their sinful lifestyle, enjoy their sin for a season in thought word and actions against the just, holy and sovereign Creator God of heaven and earth and see no reason to change]. To the contrary, grace is by faith and because so much grace has been given to us that repent and accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, our responsibility before God is even greater (see Hebrew 2:1-4; 10:26-31; 12:25-29). The free gift of God is offered, but must be received.
Let's continue Dr. Brown's message on ear-tickling preaching in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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