Dr Paul Allen

By John Piper Today we look at how to best speak of a culture’s sins — when we must do so. Such work is complicated by the fact that Paul seems to tell us there are some sins in a culture that are simply too wicked and too “shameful” to even speak of. That’s according to Ephesians 5:12, at least on the surface of it. So what shameful sins should Christians not even speak about? The question is from a listener named Dan. “Pastor John, hello to you! I am an elder at my church, and I was thinking about how sin is to be addressed by Christian preachers, both pastorally to the congregation and in calling out the sins of culture. What advice would you give preachers on how to avoid merely complaining or going off on angry rants about cultural sins, and how to wisely identify and call for repentance from sins inside the church? So what cultural sins do we expose and speak out against? What cultural sins do we ignore or refrain from talking about because of their vulgarity? And how do you thin...

Words are powerful. They transform lives and make history. They birth nations and topple empires. They make peace and fuel wars. They make covenants in marriage and wound those we most cherish. They change hearts and give news of eternal life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Words are foundational to everything we think, do, and say in all of life. Nevertheless, words are not ends in themselves. Words exist because God spoke them into existence that He might communicate with us. He spoke the world into existence and has graciously spoken to us in His sacred Word. When He created us in His image, He gave us the gift of speech in order that we might commune with Him in prayer, fellowship with one another, hear and preach the life-giving gospel, train our children in the way they should go, and open our lips that we might proclaim His praises. However, we have abused God's gift. Rather than praising God, we take His name in vain. Rather than building up one another, we flatter, g...

Title page of the irst edition of the Bay Psalm Book (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel , if thou wilt hearken unto me. . . . open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." ( Psalm 81:8 ,  10 )   This psalm was evidently used as an introduction to one of Israel's feasts and begins on a note of joy ( vv. 1-4 ) and a reflection on God 's sovereign provision for the people ( vv. 5-7 ). But then it merges into a warning not to leave the God of their fathers, sternly reminding them of the commandment, "There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god" ( v. 9 ).   Such rebellion grieves God. "So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels" ( v. 12 ). When we will not go His way, He does not abandon us, but does allow us to go our way. He permits us to learn hard lessons by our own folly, lessons that He would rather have tau...

Image via Wikipedia "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise." ( Proverbs 10:19 )   The book of Proverbs has much wise counsel concerning the use of the tongue. It contains, for example, no less than 27 sober warnings against speaking lies!  There are also at least eight condemnations of gossiping. For example: "A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter" ( 11:13 ).   Then there are warnings against using the tongue to criticize, or to slander, or to hurt.  A good example is in  12:18 : "There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health," and also in  18:8 : "The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly."   Too much talking is also dangerous, as our text for the day points out, for it often results in sin. In this connection, one of the most picturesque pro...