This is from Ray Comfort, a pastor. Unlike staffworkers from the typical evangelical campus ministries, he has done open-air preaching for over 30 years, if not over 40 years, pastors churchers, dealt the nasty hecklers, physical threats on a constant basis and written many books on evangelism, atheism, evolution, etc:
"I am looking for Tracts that say: God loves You... I don't want to say to anyone, 'YOU ARE A SINNER'...Do you have any such Tracts?"
We can't help you. All of our tracts are based on the biblical presentation of the gospel, not on the errors of modern evangelistic methods.
Nowhere in scripture will you find any gospel presentation beginning with "God loves you." This error has happened because the Church forsook the use of the moral Law (the Ten Commandments) in its capacity to bring the knowledge of sin (see Romans 7:7). When there's no knowledge of sin, sinners aren't seen as devious criminals in God's eyes. They are rather seen as unfortunate individuals who have made mistakes in life and therefore need love and sympathy, rather than hearing about sin and being commanded to repent.
When a deceitful criminal is standing before a judge, the judge is looking for contrition (sorrow) and the only way that will happen is if the criminal sees the seriousness of his crimes. It would be ludicrous if a prosecutor suddenly began telling the criminal how much the judge loved him, and how he just wanted the best for him.
And so it is a mistake to approach devious sinners with the message of God's love. Almost every time the Scriptures speak of God's love, it is in direct correlation to the cross: "For God so loved the world that HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON," "Herein is love, not that we loved God, be that He loved us AND SENT HIS SON TO BE A PROPITION FOR OUR SINS," "God commended His love to toward us in that while we were yet sinners CHRIST DIED FOR US," etc.
So if you want to express God's love for sinners, preach the cross. And if you want to preach the cross, you must talk about sin. And you can't talk about sin without talking about God's Law as Jesus did, "For by the Law is the knowledge of sin" (see Romans 3:19,20, 7:7,13).
If such thoughts upset you, you're not alone. Please read these:
"FINALLY finished this book ["The Way of the Master"] after five years, which I'm embarrassed to admit. I not only battled a bad case of procrastination, but of pride and anger at the first 3 chapters. I used and believed 'the wonderful life' method but God took the blinders off and transformed my heart! I know now I was not soundly saved and have repented, and I'm on fire to win the lost, and bringing this to our church. -- Trish."
PASTOR JEROD MCPHERSON: "'Hell's Best Kept Secret' has completely destroyed my theology. What was first anger toward you caused me to search the Scripture, and has now turned to a sincere thank-you."www.HellsBestKeptSecret.com
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