My Reflection on Paul Washer's Two Extremes That Destroy a Church

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I remember the unforgettable, irritating argument with people over the Scripture. I thought about the time I argued with someone over the Gospel. I tend to think that the only way to witness to the lost is to be as cheesy and offensive as possible towards them. But I thought there's one principle that I fail to consider: it's speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). It also brings me back to 1 Corinthians 13:2 that says I may know a lot but use is it if I don't have any love towards unbelievers? Not the worldly kind of love but the love that rebukes people for their sake and not for my own sake.

It's wrong to have a Joel Osteen or sugar-coated feel good gospel. I have every right to get mad at it but to pick fights with its followers is uncalled for. I remembered I argued with an older brother in Christ who said I shouldn't be argumentative towards people. I tend to forget that what set the Christians apart and what makes them bear fruit is not their own merit. Fruit-bearing is by the grace of God and not by one's own effort (John 15:1-8, Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 2:11-14).

I really feel guilty on the part where Paul Washer addressed the issue of lacking love. There's the problem when sometimes some Christians can backslide because they fail to show love. Even if these people don't live like the rest of the unsaved world but this backsliding can be Christians stuck in some form of Pharisaical behavior. It makes them fail to remember at that time that their changed life is a result of God's grace and not their own effort. It should all start with showing love, the basics of the Gospel before handling on the bigger issues.

In short one sin can't be corrected by another sin. Sin will always be sin and it can only be corrected and countered with godly behavior. Am I showing godly behavior in fighting the extreme of watered down "Christianity" with love for people or am I just doing it just to show off? 

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