Malachi 2
7) For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts.
9) Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.
17) Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied Him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and He delighted in them....
Ministers of the Word have a serious responsibility to study the Word of God thoroughly, dig deep, and seek to understand God's laws and ways. Ministers are the messenger of the Lord.
As the messenger of the Lord, ministers are responsible for warning against sin and admonishing/directing in the paths of righteousness, even if a person doesn't want to hear.
A minister can not be partial concerning God's Word and Law, excusing away sin or making someone feel saved and ok in the eyes of God when they are doing something contrary to God's Word.
A minister can not comfort a person saying God delights in them and will bless them when they are doing something contrary to God's Law.
A minister has a responsibility from God to speak the Truth and warn against sin. Someone's eternity is depending on it. A person may get angry and upset but at least they can never say no one warned them nor will their blood be required at the minister's hands. (Ezekiel 33:1-11)
A minister must seek out, know, and teach others the difference between right and wrong, what is sin and what is righteous, and they must teach the difference between the holy and the profane.
Ezekiel 22:26 - Her priests have violated My law, and have profane Mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from My sabbath's, and I am profane among them.
Ezekiel 44:23 - And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
While God is loving, no sin can enter there. We must get sin out of our lives and ministers have the responsibility to warn us against what grieves the heart of God.
Malachi 3:5 - And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hirelings in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not Me, saith the LORD of hosts.
We are living in a time when people believe they can continue in sin and yet still make heaven their home. That is one of the devil's greatest lies! Paul warned against this deception in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10...
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall NOT inherit the Kingdom of God? BE NOT DECEIVED: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the Kingdom of God.
Those that do such things will not be saved. But the good news is that it's not too late to repent and turn from sin. It's not too late to correct the course from the path of destruction on to the straight and narrow way that leads to life eternal.
But ministers, how will they know unless you teach them?
God did not call you to cater to the people's preferences. He called you to preach the Word, without fear or favor of men. Speak the Word boldly without fear (Phil 1:14) for it is only God whom you must fear for He is the One you will give account to.
We are in the Endtime hours. There are many who are heaping to themselves teachers that preach cute motivational messages that make them feel warm and fuzzy inside but are not leading them to an altar of repentance.
They are turning away their ears from the Truth and don't want to receive it becauseit wouldrequire repentance and change from them. They get angry and rail against those who still preach and hold strong to sound doctrine. Social media makes it too easy to do that publicly. They have no fear of God in them. But keep preaching anyway!
Too many have watered down the message so as not to offend. That watered down message is not going to bring true conversion and change. Yes, you preach it in love, but sincere love for souls will not stay silent when they see they are heading down the wrong path toward a place prepared for the devil and his angels. Sincere love will reach with compassion on some, but others must be reached for with urgency and fervently trying to pull them out of the fires of hell before it's eternally too late (Jude 1:22-23).
Bro T.W. Barnes said it so wisely many years ago.....
"It's time to stop preaching what we think
And preach what the Bible says.
It's time to stop preaching what we feel.
Sometimes we feel wrong about things.
Preach the Word."
Souls are depending on it.
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