A powerful lesson from ER?

Some of you may have seen Ray Comfort's recent email with a "A Powerful Lesson From ER". Of course, Ray does a great job of breaking it down.

The extended clip (see below) however adds a lot of understanding to where the writers of the show ultimately went with the concept, how they wrapped up the scene...and it paints a very telling picture of what contemporary culture thinks about "faith"! Is it any wonder that most churches dumb down the hard truths (a partial truth is a lie...isn't it?) when relativism has been so finely crafted, packaged and sold to the culture by the vast majority of the media outlets, newspapers, TV, movies - and even so many contemporary pastors/religious leaders and religions?

And why? Because those pastors don't want to "offend" anyone with the hard truth about what judgment, sin and ultimately grace and "atonement"...the true Gospel means.

The guy in the clip is a former prison doctor that has administered the "medication" to kill death row inmates during their executions...he's now dying of cancer and is looking for answers...

Here is the extended clip from ER.

What will it take to turn the tide of contemporary moral relativism in our culture and in our churches? We have to take hold of this one person at a time, we have to proclaim it to the spiritually dead in our churches, to the pastors and leaders in those churches...and we have to boldly proclaim it to the world one on one...one person at a time.

Remember the rich young ruler who fell to his knees before Jesus?

Matthew 10:17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

What do you think most contemporary Christians and Pastors would tell the rich young ruler at this point? No doubt that most would simply tell him to say the sinner's prayer, that Jesus would fill the God shaped hole in his heart and that he would have lasting joy, peace and happiness.

How did Jesus respond? And how should we witness about the truth of the Gospel? By speaking to a person's conscience (God's law that is written on our hearts):

Matthew 10:18,19 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. 19You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.

And the ruler's response? He proclaimed his own goodness (though we know clearly from scripture that none of us are intrinsically good in God's eyes):

Matthew 10:20 "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."

Jesus cut through this man's self perception of his own "goodness", his own self-righteousness by LOVINGLY pointing out to him that he had failed to keep the first commandment:

Matthew 10:21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
Matthew 10:22 At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

By the example of Jesus...is it loving to speak the hard clear truth of the Gospel? Or is it offensive, intolerant and simply not very "Christian" to show people their sinfulness, their unrighteousness before God through the lens of the His Moral Law?

And what does the New Testament say about the law?

Galatians 3:24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.

Romans 3:20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

1 John 3:4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.

Read through the New Testament again for yourself, pay careful attention to the relationship between the Law, sin and righteousness. Believe it or don't...I didnt' write it!

"If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don't like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself."
- Augustine.