Mark Dadian

To the editor,

A church is NOT a social club, a service organization or a fund raising entity. A Christian church is a gathering of like minded believers in the redemptive power of Jesus Christ, who are trying to live their lives in accordance with the teachings of Jesus, the disciples and the prophets of old. Like the prophets of old, Christian pastors are charged with the responsibility of reminding people of penalty for their sins, so much so that God declares, “If you do not tell the people of their sin, they will surely die in it, but YOU will be held guilty of their blood,” Ezek 33:7-9. Any preacher, priest, minister or rabbi then, who genuinely believes the scriptures, is motivated not only to NOT affirm the people in their sin, but all the more, hold their feet to the fires (of Hell as it were). So don’t blame him, his bishop or even the pope. If you have a problem with God’s Word, it’s God with whom you have an issue, and I recommend you read Job to see how that is best handled.

Now, if you don’t agree with these teachings, well, you are in good company. Most of the world lingers over the warm fuzzy interpretations of Jesus’ teachings, but when confronted by hard sayings that fly in the face of their LIFESTYLE, they reject Jesus, the church and anything that has to do with God’s righteousness. And don’t think to yourself that God is trying to bully you, “for God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through Him, the world might be saved, (John 3:17) In light of this, those who reject Jesus haven’t the courage to look their own sin in the eye, admit it is wrong before a Holy God, and turn from it. Instead, they form pity parties to commiserate about how unfairly they are viewed in light of God’s Word. They join organizations that tell them they’re “Okay, just the way god (sic) made you,” and plot to change the church to be something they personally find more palatable and, with any luck, just might tickle their ears.

To these individuals I would say this. If you insist on living a LIFESTYLE that God’s Word clearly speaks against, don’t expect those, who believe all God’s Word to be true, to welcome you with open arms. If you are a thief, adulterer, fornicator, murderer, drug dealer, witch, heretic or any of the other types of unrepentant people discussed in scripture, don’t expect the church to change its tenets (over 2000 years for Christianity alone) just to make you feel better about your sin. The church is a place where sincere people honestly confess their sin before a Holy God. He, then, forgives them and begins to work healing, restoration and transformation in their lives. John 3:18a states, “They that believe on Him are not condemned…”

If what you want is a group of people who will tell you you’re wonderful, regardless of your thought-life and actions, there are many dens of comfort that will gladly take you in to their fold, but beware! The membership fee is your ETERNAL SOUL. John 3:18, 19 concludes, “they that believe not are condemned already… (this is what original sin means, you’re born into it, are diseased by it, and unable to come into the presence of God (on your own) because of it; God didn’t make you diseased, but you inherited it from Adam, and that disease manifests itself in your sin; you cannot enter Heaven while diseased, it’s a sin free clean room; hence, you are condemned) …and people loved darkness rather than light (i.e. God), because their deeds were evil.” Yes, EVIL! Sin is evil! Your sin! My sin! All sin is evil in Gods sight! Alcoholism, pornography, gossip, lying, homosexuality, cheating on taxes, beating children, texting while driving, and the list goes on. Stop lying to yourself by seeking “affirming” churches so you can go on in your sin with a seared conscience. Stop wasting other peoples time trying to win them over to agreeing that your sin isn’t as bad as anothers’, or isn’t even REALLY sin at all, just an alternative lifestyle. If that’s truly what you believe, fine go ahead and believe it, but don’t try to ram it down the churches throat that, just because you want to believe this way, they have to now conform to YOUR emotional interpretation of a god, and give up the clear revelation of how to be restored to right relationship with the Holy Creator of all Creation. Come boldly before the throne of Grace and learn that the Love of God redeems us from the penalty of sin. Let’s stop the name calling and priest blaming, fess up to our faults, lay them at the foot of the Cross, and receive the forgiveness that God so richly provides.

As for me, I have no use for a preacher, priest, minister or rabbi who would prefer to water down God’s Word and be loved by the masses (all the while leading them straight to the gates of Hell), rather than having the integrity to tell parishioners the truth about their sin and, either God’s judgment of it (Rom6:23a - …for the wages of sin is death…) or His remedy for it (Rom6:23b …but the free gift of God is Eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.) And that’s the truth.

Mark Dadian

Laconia