Ever had someone make you feel 'bad'? Where they said something that seemed to be negative and made you mad or sad? Because it seemed negative and made you mad or sad, does that make it wrong? Is it sin to say things that seem to be negative? Is it a sin to say things that make people mad or sad? Do your feelings dictate what is good or bad?
These questions are key to be able to discern truth. It is key for you to know yourself and see who you really are.
Negative Words - negativity:
The modern form of Christianity and The American Christian Religion paint saying negative things as something wrong; thus a sin. Is is a flat out lie. Here is why:
You are a sinner.
That is a negative statement. Yet the statement is true and it is not a wrong to state so. Why is it NOT wrong to state truths such as this? Because it is PART of the Gospel Message!
Jesus was murdered
Jesus was crucified
Jesus died for your sins
These are negative statements that all are part of the GOOD NEWS! So what exactly was Jesus murdered and crucified because of? God states it best:
"24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for [c]a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed [d]forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is [e]unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing [f]indecent acts and receiving in [g]their own persons the due penalty of their error.
28 And just as they did not see fit [h]to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, [i]haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them." - Romans 1:24-32
This is the NEED for the GOOD NEWS! When you avoid and erase the 'negative' truths you take away the need. This is besides the fact that God's word makes a majority 'negative' statements.
Mad? Hurt? Sad?
When we are confronted with negative truths about ourselves and the world we live in; we should not get a nice warm fuzzy feeling in side. We should get mad about sin, hurt by sin, and sad because of sin.
But who is to blame when we are mad, hurt, and/or sad? SIN! Sin is to blame. We are victims and slaves to it. Once saved and freed from sin, we are still affected by it- we age, hurt, feel pain, lose memory, mobility, and physically die. There is no 'claiming it and declaring it in Jesus name' that will stop this.
CONVICTION
Before we even come to faith, we are first CONVICTED by the Holy Spirit! This is where our eyes are opened to all our sin. We see ourselves for who we truly are, a sinner before a holy God. This is NOT a positive warm and bubbly experience but it is an necessary and awesome one.
God uses people for this, as messages of his Gospel. The Holy Spirit works through people to convict us! They are used to deliver his truth of our sin! The phrase "truth hurts" is not a bad thing! The blind and lose sinful world wants you to think otherwise.
Positivism and Emotionalism
These New Age and modern concepts corrupt and attempt to silence the voices of truth and hide from the convictions of the Holy Spirit.
The most positive and loving thing we can ever do in this life is share with someone the awesome truth of why Jesus Christ was murdered on their behalf and why HE had to take their place... because of their sins.
Corrupted Gospel
Positivism, emotionalism, and sugar coated pep talk spiritual preaching has never saved a single soul. It has just corrupted the Gospel Message to the point that God is nothing more than a personal genie in a bottle for personal health wealth and self centered happiness.
The true life changing eternal saving message goes straight to the problem; the problem of sin. It addresses the issue and solves it for all eternity.
Being Offensive:
Jesus offended religious people so greatly it caused them to hate him so much to the point of compelling them to murder him. The apostles, while spreading The Gospel, offended the Jews and Romans to the point of persecution and their own murder.
Jesus states: "34 “Do not think that I came to [a]bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who has found his [b]life will lose it, and he who has lost his [c]life for My sake will find it." - Matthew 10:34-39
Offense does not mean it is wrong. The truth of God is offensive. Being offended can even be the beginnings of The Holy Spirits conviction with the individuals sinful nature rebelling and the emotion and feeling comes out as being offended.
Love, Kindness, Mercy, Gentleness
Because God's truths can be so offensive and hurtful to some people; Christians are called to be kind and gentle with these truths. We love people so much that we want them to come to know these truths and want people to know God's mercy.
But the gentle and kindness should never corrupt or hide what God has declared to be true.
There is no mercy if there is nothing to be merciful for;
There is no forgiveness if there is no offense to forgive;
Conclusion:
It does not matter how you 'feel' about something you are told. What matters is whether or not the message is true despite how you feel about it. Sin is not sin because it offends. Sin is sin because God has declared it so.
If you read something in the bible and you don't 'agree' with it. That does not change the fact that God decreed it. Whether you agree with it or not, if it is explicit, it is what it is no matter how you feel. Read Romans 1:26-32 and ask your self do you agree with God? Because its not about how you feel; its not about YOU. It is about God and what he has declared for all eternity.