One incidence of water on the fire happens when a Christian gets excited about sharing the Gospel. Those who are not obedient to the call of every Christian to go and tell the good news are sometimes guilty of watering on the fire. You have probably seen this before, or maybe even been guilty of it yourself. A believer has such a fire for the Lord, they want to see all their friends and loved ones come to Christ. I have to add that those faithfully obeying the Lord's call to share the Gospel should never become prideful in their obedience, but rather desire to serve the Lord and be an example, to encourage others to come along in the work. This is to be done in love and exhortation, not judgment.
Let's be honest here and admit that when someone else is excited about the Lord and we have become apathetic about reaching the lost, these fired up new believers make us feel guilty. And well they should! We ought never let the fire burn out in our hearts. Those with more years following the Lord should be serving as an example to the new Christians, teaching them to follow what the Lord commands. We should stand with Jeremiah the prophet in saying:
"If I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it.
~ Jeremiah 20:9 ~
Moving on , we see another way we can have water on the fire. We can also water down the Biblical message so that it will be more palatable to the hearer. While I have no desire to be offensive, and I have great love for those I wish to reach, I must see the importance of being honest to what God's Word actually says. The message of the Gospel is offensive to those who reject God, hate Him, or deny His existence. Not all are ignorant of God, and many unknowingly have placed themselves in God's place, deciding for themselves what is right and wrong for them. God's creation proclaiming themselves wiser than the Creator is offensive to God, and we ought to remember that we belong to Him, purchased with the blood of Christ.
Christians are called as ambassadors, to speak on behalf of the Lord, not to be politically correct in an attempt to please men. There is a reason that when Paul spoke in Acts 17, the result was mixed. Some mocked, others agreed to hear more. Of those who heard, not many believed. We must be honest in our proclamation of the Gospel. Paul spoke of God as Creator, of judgment, and of repentance. Note the text of the message I wrote:
God created the Earth and all it contains. Some day He will destroy the Earth in judgment, by fire. Do you think God will save from judgment those who hate Him and deny His existence? Sin separates you from God and makes Him your enemy. God is just, and those who die in their sin will spend eternity in the lake of fire. Please humble yourself before God, for you, as all others, have sinned against Him. Jesus Christ took the judgment on Himself., to redeem those who will repent and believe. Only Jesus Christ can save you.
This was a hard message for me to write, even after all these years of preaching the Gospel. Why? Because in the flesh, I want to be liked, and I know that most will reject a message of judgment. I would like to have more space, more words to say, but if I only have so much time, what is the most important thing to say? Due to the watered down message so often preached, many don't believe God will judge anyone. It has been said by many that God forgives all by default, but that is not the message of the Bible. God will punish eternally those who die in their sin. God will burn up the heavens and the Earth, the elements will melt with a fervent heat! That is God's Word, and a warning to those who are attached to the material world and neglect God.
God's Word says that being friends with the world is to make oneself His enemy. James 4:8-10 is a harsh passage, written to Christians. Proclaiming God's righteous jealousy when His own cross the line, going from seeking and saving the lost to dismissing sin, and God calls it adultery against Him in James 4:4. This passage does not paint a pretty picture, but rather speaks of the need for purity, mourning, weeping, and humility as we approach the Lord.
"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."
We don't find in the Bible anyone being led in a "sinner's prayer", telling someone to "just ask Jesus into their heart", or any such thing. The message of Jesus was "Repent, or you will all likewise perish" and "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Peter's message to the Jews was that they killed the Messiah. Stephen preached the history of the Jewish nation and pointed his finger at those responsible for the murder of the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, I believe some have gone too far in the love movement and forgotten that sin separates us from God. Sin deserves the payment of death. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty of sin, and that is a just penalty for all, as all have sinned and fallen immensely short of God's glory. All have sinned, but not all have been saved. One must repent and believe.
I don't believe we should join the crowd who is crying "God hates you" or protest funerals, as some have done. I also don't think we should create crafty slogans and fun church services to attract sinners to attend, lulling them to a false sense of security if they indeed are headed for Hell. We must love the lost enough to show them the Light. We must do as Jesus commanded, to go forth, preach the Gospel, and live a life that is a living sacrifice as an example of what it truly means to follow Christ. In our desire to bring people to Christ, let us be careful not to lead them to water that will not satisfy, to a false sense of security for those who have not repented or trusted in Christ. They cannot just come to the church and try to clean up their lives in their own strength, they must come through Christ.
I urge you to consider how you ought to share the Gospel in your home, workplace, school, and neighborhood. I am not saying the same methods will be used by all, but the message cannot be changed to make people accept it. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, and is for all who believe. Let us proclaim the truth in love, and let God convict the hearts of the hearer. We must not attempt to do the work of God, or even worse, to subvert the power of God's Word in order to see what we believe to be better results.
