A few generations ago the church in America was known for her hellfire and brimstone preachers. These fiery orators loved to paint hell hot, sin ugly, and God angry. Sometimes they would preach about the terrors of God with such enthusiasm you might suspect that they enjoyed the prospect of sinners getting their just due in the place where the "worm never dies and the fire is not quenched...."

It was easy to tell who was a Christian in those days and who was not. Righteous males didn't "drink, or chew, or go with girls that do." Righteous women wore the plainest and ugliest clothing possible, with dresses that nearly reached the floor, and hairdos that nearly reached the ceiling. Most forms of entertainment were looked upon with suspicion-- having fun somehow didn't seem very righteous.

That was then--this is now...The pendulum today has swung in the opposite direction with a vengeance. Exit Christianity harsh; enter Christianity lite.

Tip-toeing Around Sin

In the modern Evangelical church today there are two cardinal sins that pastors attempt to avoid like the plague: 1) Don't be lengthy. 2) Don't be negative. People with habits that are questionable have nothing to fear from such churches today. Not only do the pastors fail to preach against sin specifically--the very mention of sin is considered taboo.

The goal for the church service is to keep things positive and keep things moving. Emphasize the goodness of God and His wonderful plan for your life. Stress Christ's willingness to help you not only get to Heaven, but to make sure that you are fulfilled in the here and now. In fact, better not to say anything about Heaven--the concept of an afterlife with God in a perfect place seems so irrelevant to today's modern generation as they strive for higher self-esteem and are preoccupied with their cell phones, blackberries, and laptops. Streets of gold and mansions in Heaven are so 1800's!!

In many churches the idea of directly appealing for sinners to come to Christ, and to take some action that indicates their willingness to do so, is anathema. Just preach a pleasant message and let them find Jesus in their own time and on their own terms. Keep in mind that I am not describing the "liberal" churches that deny the deity of Jesus Christ and can't even believe in His virgin birth and resurrection. No, many of the "lite" churches consider themselves staunchly Evangelical.

The Real Problem

The problem with such churches is really not so much in what they are saying. After all, God is good and Christ is more than willing to help you with your present situation and problems. We are exceedingly valuable in the sight of our Creator, and in Jesus life can be more than pleasant; it can be filled with "joy unspeakable and full of glory" (along with the inevitable trials and pressures that seem to come our way).

The problem is not so much in what they proclaim; it is what they dare not say. Perhaps the key doctrine that has gone AWOL from the church today is the doctrine of repentance. The idea of admitting ourselves to be rebels at enmity with a holy and sin-hating God doesn't fit well with our touchy-feely, warm and fuzzy brand of Christianity. Far better to speak of the need to be more well-balanced or have our attitudes adjusted, rather than tell people to their faces that they need to turn from their sins.

Sin Must Not Be Trivialized

By minimizing God's holiness and hatred for sin, pastors often think they are doing people a favor. They can draw them with honey, and later the new converts can learn that God may still get upset about certain things. But we do people no favor at all when we withhold from them the very essence of the One we yearn for them to know. The Cross never shines so brightly as when it is portrayed in the light of God's magestic holiness. Indeed it is that very holiness that made the Cross an absolute necessity.

Most of us have had times when someone who had hurt our feelings came and later apologized. Often, in an attempt to smooth things over, we might have said something like, "It was nothing," or "I never thought a thing about it." One thing you can be sure of--when you go to God with your sins, asking for His forgiveness, He wil never say, "It was nothing" or "I never thought about it." Your sins are a big deal to God. Such a big deal that the only way God could maintain His own integrity and forgive you was to have His only begotten Son die on the cross in YOUR PLACE!!

I am certainly not advocating a return to some harsh and legalistic strains of Christianity that held sway in the past. Preaching entire sermons on the evils of lipstick or suggesting that anyone who smokes cigarettes is on a fast train to hell is not only wrong, it is stupid! God's holiness is far bigger than health issues or cosmetics. On the other hand, preaching a soft and wimpy gospel that adulterers and practicing homosexuals can sit through a year of sermons and never feel the slightest twinge of guilt for their lifestyle is not much smarter.

The concepts of repentance and the holiness of God are not antiquated notions that are no longer relevant to modern Americans. As long as people still sin, and as long as God is still holy, there will be a need for preachers and teachers to emphasize these things. And having made plain that "then way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord" we can proclaim the glad tidings, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son....."!!

Rev. Joe Hildebrandt Sr,