I have met preachers who professed to embrace the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Jesus Christ, but refused to preach it in their churches because it would perhaps result in their ouster therefrom.

I have witnessed such preachers at sovereign grace conferences rejoicing in the messages they heard from other preachers, but lamenting that they could not have these same men preach in their own churches because of the consequences for doing so.

I have also witnessed such preachers in their own private conferences preaching to each other the “doctrines of grace” which they refuse to preach in their own churches because they are unwilling to pay the price for doing so.

Such men remind me of those described in John 12:42: “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him [Christ], but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue” (see also John 7:13; 9:22).

How can we trust such a man!

Would you think a man truly loved his wife if he refused to publicly express his devotion to her or come to her defense? Would you think a man truly believed the ideals of his political party if he refused to discuss them in the presence of persons of a differing political persuasion? Would you think a man was true to his favorite sports team if he refused to cheer for it in the arena of the opposition?

All these loyalties pale in comparison to loyalty to Christ and His gospel. The preacher who embraces the gospel absolutely must make this the theme of his preaching, regardless of the consequences. Any preacher who refuses to preach or defend this gospel is not by me considered a believer of it.

Preachers of the gospel fit the description found in Proverbs 28:1: “the righteous are bold as a lion.” In the face of severe opposition from the Jews who despised the gospel, “Paul and Barnabas grew bold” and preached it anyway (Acts 13:42f). Indeed, boldness in preaching Christ and the gospel in the face of severe opposition was a hallmark of Paul’s ministry (Acts 9:27, 29; 14:1-3; 19:8; Ephesians 6:18-20; see also Hebrews 13:6). He wrote to one church that “even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict” (1 Thessalonians 2:2).

Paul is therefore a fitting proof that the preacher who embraces the gospel must preach it regardless of the consequences. We have no confidence in him who professes to believe the gospel but refuses to preach it for whatever the reason.