When it comes to evangelism, there is a big divide between those who believe the law of God must be used and those who claim such use is judgmental and thus state it should never be addressed. For the purposes of this article, I want to address some of the objections that are given by those who oppose the use of the law in evangelism.
Thou Shalt not Judge
Most objections center on Matthew 7: 1-5 in which Jesus Christ states, “Judge not that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but you do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
The primary reason that this passage is used is the very clear statement in verse 1, “Judge not that you be not judged.” It would seem that Jesus made a very unambiguous command that Christians are not to judge other people. Therefore, many Christians see that telling a person they are sinning by pointing to God’s law is making a judgment of that person. Since Christians are not to judge others, to point out another person’s sin is a clear violation of this command. Were this verse to be the only statement on the matter, perhaps they would be correct. However, the context of the following verses actually defines what Christ meant in this command.
Jesus asks His hearers in verse 3, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but you do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” The question must be asked, how can Christ’s hearers know that their brother has a speck in his eye? In order to determine there is a speck, one must be able to examine the eye of his brother and determine there is foreign matter that is not part of the eye and, therefore, know that it does not belong there. Or, to explain the analogy clearly, how can His hearers look at the lives of their brethren and know that there is sin in their lives? The hearers must be able to look at their brethren and discern that there is behavior that is contradictory to the law of God and, thus, must be repented of. In other words, they must be able to judge that their brother has sinned according to the law of God.
The second part of the question, “but you do not notice the log that is in your own eye” explains the intent of Christ’s command in verse 1. Jesus is not telling his disciples not to make a judgment, ever, that there is a speck in their brother’s eye. Rather, he has condemned those who would determine that the speck exists as if his hearers had no logs of their own! Jesus declares that, if we point out the sin of another in a hypocritical fashion, then we have sinned. This is to say that, if we are acting in such a fashion as to say we are without sin, if we speak in an arrogant and haughty fashion about the sin of others, we are sitting in the seat of judgment that belongs to God alone.
The heart which has been made new by the shed blood of Jesus Christ recognizes that it is rebellious and wicked. The soul that has been raised from the death of sin and lawlessness understands that it deserves the righteous wrath of God. Yet, in His mercy, God redeemed those sinful beings and gave them new hearts and made them new creations. Such grace is completely unmerited in any way, shape or form. Thus, the true Christian who sees the speck in his brother’s eye recognizes that his own sins far outweigh that of his brother’s and, through the grace of Christ, he was redeemed.
In verse 5, Jesus states, “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” It is this verse that actually refutes the idea that the Christian can never judge another’s behavior as being sinful. If we are the arrogant and haughty person, who never acts as though he has sinned, then we will speak in a manner that is condemning of our brother’s sin. We will degrade them as undeserving and we sit higher than them in God’s view. Such a judgment is the very hypocrisy Jesus condemns in this verse. Yet, he commands the Christian to recognize the log (sin) in his own eye (life) and to remove it (repent). Then we are to help our brother know that he has a speck (sin) in his eye (life) and remove it (repent). In other words, we are still to judge that our brother is in sin, but in a manner that demonstrates we too have sinned before God and have been redeemed by His grace. So we see that Matthew 7 is far from being the absolute proof that we are never to judge anyone at anytime. Rather, it is a call to execute humble and righteous judgment, bringing those in sin to the cross of Christ.
Only God Can Judge
One verse that has been used by those who oppose the use of the law is James 4:12, “There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?” Those who point to this verse make the claim that when Christians tell a person that they are a liar, a thief, or a murderer according to God’s law are passing judgment reserved for God alone.
When they say that God alone can judge, they are correct in one respect. Pastor John MacArthur notes in his study bible on this section that “He [God] alone has the authority to save those who repent from its [the law’s] penalty, and destroy those who refuse to repent.” Only God, who has authored the law (which is a direct reflection of his perfect nature) can pass everlasting judgment on those who fail to obey it. No Christian can declare a person condemned for all eternity in Hell. While a sinner may today be in rebellion to God, tomorrow God may bring him to repentance and faith in Christ. Therefore, as we do not know the plans God has for specific people, we can never say with certainty that any one person is definitely, without a shadow of a doubt going to hell. Only God has that knowledge and only He exercises that authority.
Interestingly, the flip side of this argument is something rarely, if ever, noted by those who oppose the use of the law. While we as Christians cannot declare with all certainty who is going to Hell, it is equally true that we cannot declare who is going to Heaven. If only God can condemn, then it is true that only He can save. And if it is only God who can save, then none of us can know who truly has been redeemed by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Yet, it is a sad truth that many churches today teach a form of “easy-believism,” saying that if someone says a “sinner’s prayer” that they will be saved for absolute certain. When those who have said the prayer and walked the aisle express doubt of their salvation, they are told to remember the date they made that profession and never doubt it. No examination of one’s fruit is allowed, for that is considered legalism. And if the professing Christian returns to his pre-professing sinful behavior, they are simply thought of as “backslidden,” but are still said to be saved.
Such a declaration of salvation is equally arrogant and sinful as it assumes a knowledge of things that only God Himself would have. Therefore, whether we sit in the seat of judgment to condemn or to pronounce salvation, we are wrong. Yet, most who raise this objection will never see the irony in that they are guilty of the very charge they make.
The question at hand, however, is whether the use of the law to reveal sin is assuming the authority of God to pass eternal judgment. The truth of the matter is that to share the gospel in any capacity, one must determine that a person is in fact a sinner in need of salvation. The heart of the gospel message is that Christ died for sinners. So, to tell someone at all that they need to trust in the completed work of Jesus Christ is to assert that they are in fact a sinner. And to say that they need salvation alone in Jesus Christ is to tell them that, because they are a sinner, God is going to judge them and send them to Hell. You cannot share the gospel message, even in a watered down stated, without making certain judgments about the person you are sharing it with.
If Christ died for sinners, and we are commanded to share Christ with the entire world, then we know that all are sinners according to God’s law. Those who oppose the use of the law play fast and loose with the language of James 4. They say that exposing the sinful deeds of men by showing them the law is assuming the role of judgment reserved for God. Yet, they agree that all people are sinners and will be sent to Hell outside of Jesus Christ. They make the same judgment, but in hopes of sounding kinder in their presentation, they want to eliminate God’s law from the picture. But in doing so, they remove the very need for the salvific work of Christ’s death. The law reveals the wicked heart of man which can never be reconciled to God of its own accord. By leading this sinner through the law of God, we demonstrate his desperate need for the substitionary atonement of Christ. It actually causes the sinner to see himself as God sees him, a rebel fit for the fires of Hell, and it reveals the kindness of God who would send His Son to receive the punishment he deserves. Thus, the preaching of the law is not passing eternal judgment; rather it is a warning cry of danger ahead. One that we are commanded to give with great compassion and boldness.
You Are Driving People Away from Jesus
Another common objection to the use of the law in evangelism is the claim that when an unbeliever is confronted with their sin, they feel judged, harassed and infuriated. Because of this, they will reject anything the Christian has to say about Jesus Christ. The argument is made that, rather than confront the unbeliever with his sin, Christians should focus on the love of Jesus. By telling the sinner he is loved by Jesus, he will feel welcomed and accepted. This will draw unbelievers to Jesus instead of driving them away.
This presentation sounds kind on its surface. As Christians, we should never seek to purposely ostracize and offend unbelievers. As noted above, we too were once rebels in need of salvation. To intentionally seek to offend those with whom we once identified is the height of arrogance and hypocrisy. However, the message of the gospel is offensive in and of itself because it tells self-righteous sinners that they are not good enough to warrant any kind of merit from God. While we seek to present the truth of the gospel with love and compassion, when the sinner is confronted with his desperate need to trust in Christ alone for his salvation, his sin hardened heart is going to object.
Scripture teaches us much about the condition of the human heart. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” In our world, the mantra of those who believe we are good by nature is to say, “Trust your heart.” This common statement tells people that if they simply follow their heart, the seat of their emotions, they can never go wrong. In fact, it is said that when we deny our hearts, we will be led astray by others and be hurt. However, the prophet Jeremiah exposes the fallacy of this belief by cutting straight to the “heart” of the matter. He clearly states, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that the heart is a sin factory. There is nothing good or noble in the human heart. Outside of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, the heart is foul and loathsome. The only thing the heart does is lead us further into sin.
The idea that a sinner whose heart is already darkened and rebellious can be driven away from God is fallacious. In fact, the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 3:10-18, “…as it is written:
‘None is righteous, no not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they
have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.’
‘Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.’
‘The venom of asps is under their lips.’
‘Their mouth is full of curses and biterness’
‘Their feet are swift to shed blood;
in their path are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not
known.’
‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’”
In quoting from the Psalms, Paul lays out the case that the unbeliever is hardened against the things of God. He has no desire to obey God and no interest in the promises of eternal life. At his core, the unbeliever is a wretched and wicked sinner who wants nothing to do with God. This person cannot be driven away from God as he is already in a full sprint, running as far away from the Lord as he can. It is with this backdrop in mind that Paul wrote in verse 19, “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.” The law cannot drive away the unbeliever, it can only stop him in his tracks and expose the flight that he is already on. While the law has no power in itself to cause a man to obey God, it does reveal that he is in wicked rebellion to the Lord. Therefore, the right use of the law in evangelism breaks down the walls of self-righteousness, proving that no man can stand guiltless before God.
When we as Christians share the law of God with people and show them that their actions have put them at war with Him, we are not being judgmental, nor are we driving them away. We are desperately calling out a warning to them that the direction they are headed in leads to death. They are running at break neck speed into the cavernous maw of eternal torment. The proclamation of God’s law is a warning sign that tells them of the dangers ahead. Therefore, no one can rightly claim the use of the law is driving people away, because the truth is that the law is illuminating the broad road to condemnation that people are already on.
Preach the Law and the Gospel
In reviewing the objections to the use of the law in evangelism, we see that those who do object are concerned with the perception of unbelievers. They do not wish to sound harsh and condemnatory to those with whom they are sharing the gospel. This is understandable as we desire to share the good news of Christ’s love with the world. It almost sounds contradictory to say that using the law and its negative consequences can be part of the good news. But it is precisely because of the law and God’s judgment that Christ’s propitiatory work on the cross is good news. Were it not for the fact that man is at war with God through his wicked works, Christ would never have had to die for sinners. So the only way it makes sense as good news is if there is bad news for those who approach the judgment seat with their own works.
As Christians, our concern should not be how we are perceived by the lost; rather it should be to bring the highest honor and glory to our Savior. If we spend the majority of our Christian walk tailoring what we say and do so that the world might be attracted to us, we have stopped being concerned with honoring God. We are worshiping the god of worldly image as we care more about how the lost see us than whether we have done the work of God according to His will. Whatever work we set about to do for the Lord, it should be done having drawn from the scriptures all that God has commanded. In the realm of evangelism, that includes the use of the law to expose the sin that condemns all mankind.
The apostle Paul taught that the law makes the whole world guilty before God (Romans 3:19), that it was the law that tells us what sin is (Romans 7:7) and that the law is a schoolmaster which leads us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). The law is an essential component of the gospel message because it clearly exposes man for the sinner he is. It demonstrates that we have rebelled against our Creator and are deserving of His eternal condemnation. Therefore, for the Christian to rightly share the gospel message, the harsh message of the law must be included. I urge my brethren who have strongly opposed this component of the gospel to consider what I have written here. Souls depart this world by the thousands daily. It should grieve us mightily that many of them are heading into eternal torment for their sins. Therefore, we must preach all of the gospel message, not just the parts we think sound nicer. Their eternity rests on it.
This is good
Much thanks.