Dan Souza
For the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ
Local Church
Independent Baptist
Fundamental
Evangelist
Non-Compromising
Soul Winning
Kings James Bible

Controversy in religion is a hateful thing.  It is hard enough to fight the Devil, the world and the flesh, without private differences in our own camp.

But there is one thing which is even worse than controversy, and that is false doctrine tolerated, allowed and permitted without protest or molestation.

There are times when  controversy is not only a duty but a benefit.  It is a plain and scriptural duty to "contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints."
Jude 3
                                                                                                                                                               J.C. Ryle

 
In almost all coffee shops, diners and donut shops you will find a sugar substitute called "Sweet and Low." It offers the user sweetness
without the effects of calories. Thus the conscience of the user is satisfied that they can have the sweets without the worrying about the results. In today's world this sweet and low concept has crept into our churches affecting not only the methods but also the message of the ministry.
Today we have a sweet and low gospel!
 
Today's sweet and low gospel tells so little of death to self, repentance and conversion. It tells men how they may have enjoyment by adding
God to their lives. It does not tell the sinner to die to self; the world and the flesh; but rather to live it up. Only now you can do for the
Lord! Today's sweet and low gospel is not opposed to the flesh of man but rather is its friend. Now the "convert" can live in a religious way
for his own pleasures and wants.
 
The preachers of this sweet and low gospel do not demand a hatred of sin nor a turning from it. Rather the approach is to acknowledge a less
than perfect life and desire for a better here and hereafter. The sweet and low gospel offers little in the way of demands upon a sinner. It saves the sinner's self-respect. Instead of breaking his ego and will, this sweet and low gospel says in essence, let the Lord redirect your life and
affairs so you can be happier and blessed. What the sinner needs is not redirection, but conversion and salvation! He needs to die; die to self
die to sin, die to works, die to unbelief. He must even die to death itself, so he may live. The sinner must see himself so lost in sin, so hopeless and helpless, the only way out is to die to this world calling upon the mercy of the Lord, and be born again into the kingdom of God. Today's
sweet and low gospel stresses the individual's self importance instead of his unholy and ungodly way of life. It stresses his importance to
God rather than God's importance to his eternal state and present lost condition.
 
Granted, the real gospel is sweet. God loving and showing mercy toward wicked, lost, fleshly and Hell doomed sinners is the sweetest
message to fall upon the ear of man. Yes, thank God, the gospel is low; low enough to be reached by any sinner who will respond to the call
of the Lord. God Almighty did not place salvation so high it cannot be obtained. The true gospel is sweet and low. Today's gospel is sweet
and low in a different way. It is not of God nor found in the Bible. Many are yielding today to this tendency of making the gospel artificially
sweet to the depraved palate of lost men; lowering its holy standard. Unknowingly, many are offering the sinner today a sweet and low
substitute for the real gospel.

 

Those under the condemnation and judgment of sin, must forsake their wicked ways; no excuses, no defense of self no covering of sin, no
light or half hearted acceptance of his sinful state and actions. There must be no sugar substitute for repentance. Only true repentance will
result in true conversion. Men must be saved only by God's way and on God's terms.