Sorry Folks, True Christianity Won't Water Down Its Message!
When I look at this quote by Reformed Baptist preacher Pastor John F. Macarthur, I can't help but agree 100% with what he said. Now I don't really believe everything written in his commentaries but I agree he's a good expositor of the Scriptures with classic verse by verse preaching. When it comes to Christian preaching, unsaved people tend to have several wrong views on what Christian love is. The phrase "love one another" is so erroneously interpreted with a distorted view of what it means just as love is said to be one of the most abused words in the English language, if not the most abused word in the English language. Love is often confused with lust or confused with tolerance of any wrongdoing as if it were right. It is not the biblical definition of love because love can tolerate no error but rejoices in the truth.
Some people can tell me that I'm a wacko, a nutcase or a religious extremist or that I'm making the world worse by believing Jesus is the only Way to the Father. Any pastor who is firm in his message isn't going to be popular. It's not a popular thing to do to tell Roman Catholics they are not Christians or people that their good works will not save them. One of the most offensive messages that a world can hear today is salvation is only through Jesus Christ and your personal righteousness won't save you. If you want to know why Jeremiah wasn't popular, check out what Jeremiah 5:31 had to say that the people love their false prophets and priests bearing rule by the tradition of men. Worse, it has become politically incorrect to tell people that they are going to Hell, that they are practicing false religion and that there's only one Way to heaven, and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ.
It just reminded me why genuine Christian education isn't popular with the world. When I started to do some basic research on Calvinist discipline, these Calvinists were known to be very rigid and disciplined and among the most strict Calvinist groups were the Puritans. When I think about the history of Calvinist-established schools, they tend to be very conservative. When you go to a Christian school that's truly standing for the Word of God, do expect the school to ban a lot of stuff, not to encourage any activity that can distract one's studies, conservative dressing or anything that makes that place a militaristic Baptist or Evangelical school. Do I complain about the militaristic way of doing it? No, the Bible itself is in fact a very militaristic manual for Christian living! When I look at the Bible, it's a very rigid book that discusses about the sad fallen state of man, the consequence of sin and the very book that instructs righteous living.
At the same time, I am noticing that not so many people go to a militant Baptist or Protestant Christian assembly either. It's stupid how some people want salvation but never want sanctification which I call the "easy Christianity" crowd. Though they don't want to directly sing the Antinomian's hymn but their lifestyles are different. When I tell them that maybe they aren't saved, they are quick to tell me that I am teaching works salvation. It's no surprise those members of "easy Christianity" don't want to accept Charles Spurgeon as a Baptist preacher saying he makes salvation "complicated" with the idea that true faith begets works. For them, I am nothing more than a Pharisee when I warn that anybody who claims to be a Christian but lives like a devil can't be saved. True that while salvation is indeed by faith, but true faith will continue by the grace of God. They just want to get saved then live the way they want.
The standard for knowing you are doing a good job for God is not the praises of others but the Bible itself. Sad to say but people only cling to popular opinion than Biblical doctrine which is unpopular. But no matter how much you put it, no majority vote can change God's Law. Since true Christianity is rooted on the Word of God, then even if a Christian may stumble or fall but they will not completely fall away but in the long run, endure to the end. After all. there is that Higher Calling to press on for the Lord Jesus Christ.