FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD IS ENMITY WITH GOD

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By Akin Ojumu

Some of the most popular megachurch pastors in the world today belong to the cult of Oprah Winfrey. Several of these men and women who are supposed to be ministers of the Gospel have received enthusiastic endorsement from the prophetess of the religion of humanism herself. 

Their version of the Gospel message, which is approved by Oprah Winfrey and promoted on her sprawling media empire, goes along these lines…

“Calling people to repent is a ministry of condemnation. Most people know what they are doing is wrong. Christians aren’t supposed to beat people down by reminding them of their sins. It’s unkind to use the Gospel as a cudgel to knock sinners over the head for their sins.”

And in their opinion...

“Repentance is simply the changing of mind from thinking negatively to thinking positively, from depression to having a positive expectation of good. You don’t have to have a breast-beating shout, “Jesus! Jesus!” in order to repent.”

And it doesn’t stop there…

“There’s no need for godly sorrow over sin, and no need to feel bad about your sin. All you gotta do is believe that Jesus died on the cross. You don't have to have sorrow over your sin, and you don’t even need to feel bad about your sin at all. Just believe and you will be saved, and you will go to heaven and be with God.”

The cult of Oprah Winfrey loves this adulterated gospel, and the reprobate world finds it quite appealing. Like moths to light, unregenerate souls are drawn to pastors who preach this message that offers no challenge to their lawlessness and does not remind them of their wretchedness. 

Churches where this Oprah-approved gospel is preached are often packed to the rafters. Pastors who proclaim such an empty gospel are eagerly accepted as friends by the sinful world and they attract millions of unregenerate followers on social media.

“But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.” (Galatians 5:11).

Nevertheless, the Bible tells us that the message of the Cross is confrontational and offensive. The Gospel that saves confronts sinners with their sinfulness and it reveals the hopelessness of their destitute state. Because it stirs up guilt within their souls and it causes them great distress, the message of the Cross offends the transgressors of God’s precepts.

Consequently, a Christian message that does not convict people of their depth of sin is not of God. A Gospel that does not confront sinners with their true depraved spiritual condition is no gospel at all.

If, as a preacher, you feel the need to water down the salvation message so as not to offend the hearers, the genuineness of your Christianity is doubtful.

If, as a pastor, you think it prudent to present the Gospel in a way the world finds more palatable and acceptable, what you are preaching is not the true Gospel.

A man of God who believes preaching a hard-hitting Gospel is inimical to the numerical growth of his Church, because people find such an uncompromising message offensive and off-putting, seriously needs to examine himself whether he is still in the faith.

A Gospel that appeases the world has no life in it, and there’s no power in a Christian message that assuages the world. Prioritizing popularity over sincerity and focusing on accumulating a huge following over telling the Truth of God, will only lead sinners along the broad road that leads to destruction. It’s impossible to preach a Gospel of repentance when acceptance by the world assumes such a huge importance.

Genuine repentance comes when sinners are confronted with their wretchedness. It’s the hearing of the unadulterated Gospel that leads to godly sorrow. The power of God unto salvation comes only when the unembellished Gospel is preached.

Any servant of the God who preaches a message approved by Oprah Winfrey has most certainly lost his way. An Oprah-endorsed minister of the Gospel has most definitely lost his Holy Spirit endorsement.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16).

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