The Danger of Silence in a Sinful World.

TRETS 14/9/2017

The Danger of Silence in a Sinful World.

Ezekiel 3. 17-20, Ezekiel 33. 7-9, Isaiah 58.1

There are grave consequences when Christians keep silence in this wicked, sinful and corrupt world. His sin is a great transgression against God who had called him to be a watchman over the people. Believers are to be a purifying agent in the world and at the same time be a warning signpost to the sinners in the world. His purpose is to extend God’s love to the world and to warn unrepentant sinners of the coming judgment of God. However, his silence and indifference to the plight of sinners around him would be seen as negligence which brings upon him the blood of the unreached sinners around. Even the world would assume that he is in their support as “silence means consent”. The Lord, therefore, wants every saved soul to rise up to the call to be watchmen in our communities and neighborhood irrespective of our tribe, tongue, color or race and to reach out to souls that are dying around us. Doing this shall surely bring God’s blessings unto us in this world and in the world to come.

Deplorable Conditions of the sinful and wicked world

Ezekiel 22.23-29, Hosea 12.7, Jeremiah 8.20, Luke 10.30, Ezek 18.4, Luk. 13.3-5, Romans 1.29-32.

The world is filled with wickedness and extremely sinful. As it was in the days of prophet Ezekiel so it is today (if not worse). Prophet Ezekiel described the land as being greatly polluted with 1. Corruption 2. Violence 3. Robbery 4. Political and ritual killings 5. Fake drugs and substandard products on our markets (This trend has destroyed many lives and rendered many people almost useless and paralyzed) 6. Bribery and corruption among the general public and security agents 7. False prophets and teachers deceiving many unsuspecting worshippers. 8. Immorality and unfaithfulness among young people and married couples. These are sinful practices that attract divine indignation and judgment from the Almighty. And God has appointed a day of judgment which can come upon them unawares any time (Luke 21.35).

Divine Call to be a Witness in the World. Ezekiel 33. 7-8, Isa. 58.1, Mark 16.15, Acts 26.18, 2 Cor. 5. 18-20, Ephesians 5. 11.

Every Christian is a watchman in his community over the souls of sinners around him. We are called to salvation to save others from sin and to bring them to the savior. Our task is to live holily and righteously before them and to preach God’s love to them. Not only that, we are also to warn and reprove them of the impending judgment. We are to caution them boldly whenever we see evil doing. Our position and must be clear and firm against sinful practices as we must vehemently resist all form of compromise that may drag us into the world and its lust. Our lifestyle must be distinct from that of the world as we live to the glory of God. We also must preach to them everywhere using every available opportunity we have so as to reconcile them to the Saviour. Finally, we must constantly pray for their salvation, that God should break their hardened heart and make them tender to God’s word. We can see examples in Ezekiel, John the Baptist, Paul the Apostle, and the early church.

Damnable Consequences of silent watchmen in the World.  Ezekiel 3. 18, 1 Kings 20. 39-40, Luke 12.47, James 4.17.

To be a watchman is to be alert, awake and being outspoken to warn always. Silence at the sight of danger is contrary to the ministry of Watchmen and it's tantamount to his peril. The world is already at the extreme sinfulness against God, and God is angry with the sinners every day, hence His judgment looms upon them and may come anytime. There are dangerous consequences of being silent in the midst of the perilous world. (i) The sinners whom Christ died for will continue to perish against the will of God, (ii) the labour and sacrifice of Christ over them will be continuously wasted, (iii) many new converts would not have a strong model as example to follow and can easily fall back to sin (backsliding of new converts), (iv) The conscience of tender ones will become hardened in sin and wickedness will persist without the fear of God in the land. (v) The church (God’s mouthpiece) will have no voice in the society anymore and everyone will continue in wickedness as they like, (vi) God’s fury shall come upon the wickedness of the land, (vii) God’s judgment shall come upon the silent watchman. To avert these negative consequences, we must repent of all indifference towards evangelism. We must use every opportunity to win souls into the kingdom before it’s too late.