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Back to 2 Cor. 5 — Paul calls us “ambassadors” for Christ.

So, as I understand the role of an ambassador, our message is to be whatever his message is; we don’t get to change the particulars.

I look at it this way, if Jack says you’ve been bad and were in danger of being hung by the Sheriff, but Jack intervened and cleared your name, are you mad at Jack because he told you that you were about to get hung for being bad, or are you completely relieved, and grateful to Jack for saving your life?

I think part of preaching the severity of the predicament of the sinner is to give the legitimate backdrop for the kindness and mercy of God manifest in His forgiveness. If we never know how completely deadly our situation was, how could we begin to be properly grateful for being saved out of it?

I COMPLETELY agree that there’s no call to OVERDO it, and lambaste sinners with insults, and threats of hellfire and brimstone. But it’s the kindness of God that leads sinners to repentance, and part of revealing the depth of His kindness is revealing the depth of the debt that He forgave.

And here’s — I think — the bottom line: absent God personally executing Divine judgment upon His Son at Calvary, He would be bound by Divine Justice to execute that judgement upon each and every one of us. We were REALLY in the very WORST of ways, and I think it amplifies our gratitude toward Him for us to contemplate it. So, yeah, maybe you don’t just POUR it on the new guy just getting to the alter to get saved, but you give him a taste so he can understand there’s gravity to this matter; there’s a humongous downside he’s free of because of Jesus’ sacrifice on The Cross.

Above all this: heed the Holy Spirit in the moment; he will be faithful to guide you to say it the right way for that person, or for that group.