HALF-IN, HALF-OUT
The final element I will highlight in diagnosing the issue of the halfGospel is the level of commitment required to pursue true holiness. In the modern church today, there is more talk of grace than ever before. Grace is an amazing thing, but it must be balanced with truth. Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NIV). In John 17:17, Jesus also prayed, “Make them holy by Your truth; teach them your word, which is truth” (emphasis added).
Wow! This shows us that very simply put, righteousness comes by God’s amazing grace, but holiness, the pursuit of being like God, comes only through the revelatory truth of God’s Word. God’s Word gives us the standards that help us get free and stay free from the snares of the enemy. If these standards are not articulated, however, then freedom does not come and people are inevitably caught up by the “snares of the fowler” and dragged back into the bondage of sin that once held them captive.
A huge misconception and popularly taught message today is that people will be changed by the grace of God if they just hang around long enough. While there is merit to being in God’s presence and change happening in our lives, the real roots of pride, perversion and greed will never be uprooted without the full measure of God’s truth being proclaimed and applied.
The definitive issue that illustrates this point best is that of homosexuality. This abominable sin is aggressively asserting itself into every aspect of culture and, sadly, even in the church. Because of the prevailing winds of opinion, not only have many church leaders chosen not to address this important issue, but they have also become extremely leery of anyone who would take on this topic or even mention it from the pulpit. How can we expect to defeat this horrible bondage that has wrapped its icy tentacles around so many of this generation if we refuse to address it head-on?
The halfGospel always finds ways to excuse and justify lack of conviction. It would even paint those who lovingly point out the awful deceptions of the enemy as being hateful, legalistic or out of touch. Oh, that God would raise up men and women who would once again preach the full Gospel of righteousness through repentance and holiness through consistent application of God’s Word!
ACTION STEPS
Now that we have clearly outlined the problem of a halfGospel, here are some action steps that we can take to ensure the full Gospel is preached:
- Seek God, not man’s approval–for any true minister of the Gospel, the priority must always be to hear the heart of God and not the applause of man.
- Diligently study God’s Word–while books and resources are helpful at times, we must get back to the original DNA of the Gospel as outlined in God’s Word, not as interpreted by man.
- Rely on God’s Spirit, not personal gift or intellect–the early apostles relied completely on the Holy Spirit to speak and work through them for the saving of the lost. We must return to this pattern in order to see New Testament results!
Joel Stockstill is a well-known prophetic voice, youth pastor and author of the free e-book halfGospel, from which this article is excerpted. To download the entire e-book for free, visit halfgospel.com.
Curt Landry 
Michael L. Brown 
Rabbi Eric Tokajer