The Law

Soul Harvest Ministries of Minnesota

Soul Harvest : FAQ : The Law

Why do we preach the Law or why do we preach about sin? There are a few answers to this question:

1) The bible teaches that God’s Law is perfect in converting the soul. It is foolish to assume that we can come up with a better way of evangelizing. Other types of evangelism can lead to false conversions or conversions that just don’t last.

Psalm 19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;

Galatians 3:24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

2) Many say Jesus preached the “Good news”, not about sin. First Jesus and the Apostles used the Law in evangelizing (Luke 10:25-28, Luke 18:18-22), and preached a message of repentance, which of course is preaching against sin. Second it’s only Good news if you see your need for it. The bible say’s the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, it’s good news only to those that have accepted Jesus and repented to others it certainly isn't good news.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Example: Let’s say I tell you I have a cure for a terrible disease and I’m giving it to you. You might think “Well that’s nice, but I’m fine, I don’t need it”. Now let’s say I first start by telling you that you have all the symptoms for a terrible disease. I go into detail about all the symptoms, describing them clearly to you. You now see that you truly have that disease and when I offer the cure you will accept it with great joy and thankfulness, hence the “Good news”.

Some say Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world, but to save it. He didn’t need to condemn the world because the world was already condemned, it needed a savior.

John 3:18-21 but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

3) Probably the biggest stumbling block when it comes to getting most to receive Christ as their savior is they see themselves as a good person. They are depending on their own goodness to save them, but God said no one is good.

Mark 10:18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.

1 John 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Romans 3:12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” .

Romans 3:19-20 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”

Many will initially say they are a sinner, but just in general terms, once you probe a little deeper most of the time they will go on to justify their sins and see no need to repent. Through the years of evangelizing I would say about 95% fall into this category. Now compared to the worlds standards they might be good, but compared to God’s law, which is what we will be judged by, none of us is good. All have sinned.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

I will give you an example. Have you ever dusted a room and right after you dusted things looked really clean. Then you opened the curtains and let the sunlight into the room. All of a sudden that same room that appeared clean now has dust floating all over the place. The law is that light which exposes our sin and shows us our need for a savior.

Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light;

Another example: Watch sheep as they graze in the green fields, their wool looks so white and clean. Now let’s say that the same sheep is standing in a field of snow. He looks dirty and the white color is dingy at best. It all depends on what you compare it to. Many of us look fine compared to the world’s standard, but compare us to God’s standard and we look much different.

4) You need to understand the culture they where evangelizing too. The Jews where extremely familiar with the “Law” and sin, this had been done by priests and Pharisees for years so the need to preach on sins wasn’t as important. Also John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus, and what did he preach? Repentance!

Matthew 3:1-10 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “ The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘ Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.’” Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

To get further reading on why modern day evangelism is so ineffective and why the answer to this problem is using the "Law" read: "Hell's best kept secret"