DON'T TURN AWAY YOUR EARS

"4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4:4 And THEY SHALL TURN AWAY THEIR EARS FROM THE TRUTH, and shall be turned unto fables."

(2 Timothy 4:3, 4)My dear Brother or Sister in Christ, send a pastor into any Church at this end of the world who shall "declare all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:27), and "keep back nothing that is profitable" (Acts 20:20). Let him be one who shall proclaim boldly justification by faith, regeneration by the Spirit (John 3:3-5), and holiness of life (Hebrews 12:14). Let him be one who shall draw the line clearly between the converted and the unconverted, and give both to sinners and to the righteous their portion (John 5:28, 29). Let him continually produce out of THE BIBLE a plain, undeniable description of the true character of the Christian (Exodus 20:1-17). Let him show that anyone who does not have that character cannot have any reasonable hope of being saved. Let him continually press that description upon the consciences of his hearers, and urge upon them repeatedly that anyone who dies without the character of Christ (Romans 12:9-21) will be lost. Let him do this, ably and affectionately, and after all, WHAT WILL THE RESULT BE? The result will be that while some few may repent and are saved, THE GREAT MAJORITY OF HIS HEARERS (Matthew 7:13, 14) will not receive and believe his doctrine (John 6:63-66). They may not oppose him openly. They may even esteem him highly, and respect him as an earnest, sincere, kind-hearted man, who wants their good. But they will not go any further. He may show them the express words of Christ and His apostles. He may quote text upon text, and passage upon passage. It will not be to any purpose. The great majority of his hearers will consider him "TOO STRICT," and "TOO CLOSE," and "TOO PARTICULAR" (Matthew 19:25). They will say among themselves that the world is not so bad as the pastor considers it to be and that people cannot be so good as the pastor wants them to be and that after all, they hope they shall all be saved at the last! I appeal to any pastor who has been any length of time in preaching the Gospel at this end of the world whether I am not saying the truth. Are not these things so?