AS miserable as sin….

C J Mahaney in an excelent book now available online:

Writing a century ago, J.C. Ryle offered a sharp but

simple explanation for the deficiencies he observed in the

Church: Dim or indistinct views of sin are the origin of

most of the errors, heresies and false doctrines of the present

day I believe that one of the chief wants of the

church in the nineteenth century has been, and is, clearer,

fuller teaching about sin. 5 If this was accurate during

his generation, how much more so today.

But we’ve gone a step further. Contemporary teaching

about self-esteem has replaced the doctrine of sin.

Consider this remark from one well-known author:

I don’t think anything has been done in the name of

Christ and under the banner of Christianity that has proven more destructive

to human personality,and hence counterproductive to

the evangelistic enterprise,than the

unchristian, uncouth strategy of attempting

to make people aware of their lost and sinful

condition

Lets just say I am with CJ on this. Our first need is to understand what sin is. To not teach people about thier sin is as evil as a doctor refusing to tell someone they have cancer and instead of surgery or chemotherapy giving a mild pain relieving syrup so as not to cause offence!