The Madness of Sinners and a Gracious God is one of life’s great paradoxes. “The Madness of Sinners” is the title of chapter 8 of George Swinnock’s book The Blessed and Boundless God.
On the Madness of Sinners, Swinnock writes:
If God is incomparable, sinners who dare to offend Him to His face must be entirely mad. If we were to see a man (without cause) striving against an army of soldiers, provoking them to kill him, we would think he was mad. Why else would he lead himself to certain ruin? Every time we willfully break God’s laws, we act like a madman. We fight against God, who is stronger than millions of armies. We provoke the Almighty, who is able to wink us into hell.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Heb 10:31 (See: What does it mean to have the fear of God?)
Years ago I spent more time reading prophecy books and articles than anything else. I tried to read books and listen to those who opposed my own belief as well. This led me to read Barbara Rossing’s polemical book The Rapture Exposed – The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation.
What’s the connection?
Aside from Rossing’s theological bias (it was woeful); I was astonished at how she invented an innocuous “Lambkin” Jesus Christ of Revelation. For Rossing, there is no sin to pay for, and hence no Wrath of Christ. According to her, the “fundamentalists” get it all wrong.
How could a smart person like Barbara Rossing possibly miss the obvious? She didn’t. She just refused to believe the plain sense of what she read. The true root of the problem is allegiance.
As an ELCA scholar, her culturally-driven hermeneutics demand that she ignores biblical truth. Her view sees Scripture as fallible and to be interpreted form a postmodern cultural vantage point. In this system, homosexual practices and abortion aren’t sins. However, sins may be committed against the environment or (for example) by advocating Zionism over the plight of the Palestinians. (See Exposing the ELCA)
Rossing’s book was eye-opening. But not in the way she intended. It was a lesson in how some professing Christians deal with God’s Word, the gospel and sin. So, Christ didn’t die on the cross for our sins, He served as a sacrificial example. For progressive Christians there is no hell – except perhaps on earth, created by fundamentalist mindsets.
You might consider the ELCA an aberrant group. This is a big mistake. The madness of re-defining sin and ignoring its consequences has been going main-stream for a long time. In fact, the striving for Social Justice is leading to a redefining of the gospel by professing evangelicals in the “woke movement.” Be very careful and watchful.
I’m struck with the impression when reading older books at how people in the past seemed more concerned about their eternal destiny (both believers and unbelievers). Sin and hell are out of vogue now. We don’t like to talk about it.
One of the vilest con jobs in the history of humanity is the idea that we’re not terminally sick because of sin, and in need of redemption. Are we like speeding motorists ignoring the warning signs that the road we’re on ends with a cliff leading into an abyss?
The other side of this madness is that there’s a glorious antidote to our terminal sickness, yet most refuse it. George Swinnock writes regarding sin:
Will we be so bewitched as to lose real mercies for lying vanities; the fountain of living waters for broken cisterns; the food of angels for the world’s scraps; a precious soul, inestimable Savior, and incomparable God for a toy and trifle? Did anyone ever buy so dear or sell so cheap or manifest such madness?
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Rom 8:1
See also Ephesians 3:14-21…
…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
If you want to hear the message of the gospel clearly articulated, listen to Dr Steven Lawson at the 59 minute mark of this Ligonier Video. If you haven’t come to Christ, the time to do so is now. Don’t wait.
Maranatha!
Further reading:
What is the Gospel?
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