The ‘Bad News’ of the Gospel: A Truth Many Avoid
As churches increasingly tailor their messages to avoid offense and keep pews filled, a foundational truth of Christianity is vanishing from modern pulpits: the “bad news” of the Gospel. Before the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ can be truly grasped, Scripture presents a dire and unavoidable reality—one that many pastors now sidestep.
The Gospel is not merely a feel-good message of love, purpose, and acceptance. It is first and foremost a rescue mission from the wrath of God against sin. Romans 3:23 makes this unmistakably clear: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” This statement does not discriminate; it is an indictment of all humanity. According to the biblical record, sin isn’t a social construct or a minor flaw—it is rebellion against the Creator.
Dr. John MacArthur, in a sermon delivered earlier this year titled “The Truth About Hell,” warned that softening the message of eternal judgment compromises the integrity of the Gospel. “The most serious crime that any preacher can commit,” he said, “is to misrepresent the character of God by failing to preach about His wrath.”
The uncomfortable truth is that God is not only loving—He is also just. His justice demands a reckoning for sin. This is where the “bad news” becomes essential. Without the truth of coming judgment, the Cross becomes unnecessary, and Christ’s sacrifice loses meaning. As Paul Washer often emphasizes, “It is because God is good that He must punish sin.”
A recent opinion piece in The Christian Post echoed this sentiment, noting that many churches are effectively shielding congregations from reality. “Modern preaching often dilutes sin to mistakes or missteps, and hell is either ignored or symbolized into irrelevance,” the article states. This theological downgrade leaves believers with a hollowed-out Gospel that cannot save.
For conservative Christians grounded in the authority of Scripture, the necessity of acknowledging sin and judgment is not up for debate. The doctrine of hell may be uncomfortable, but it is biblical. Jesus Himself spoke more about hell than heaven. In Matthew 10:28, He warned, “Fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” These are not the words of a metaphorical storyteller—they are warnings from the Savior Himself.
And yet, entire denominations have revised or abandoned the doctrine of hell, replacing it with vague promises of inclusivity, self-esteem, and emotional well-being. But this theological appeasement, while perhaps temporarily palatable, robs the Gospel of its urgency.
The conservative view maintains that a complete understanding of salvation requires acknowledging both the holiness of God and the depravity of man. The moral law, given in Scripture, reveals humanity’s failure to meet God’s perfect standard. That’s the bad news. But it sets the stage for the only remedy: the redemptive work of Christ.
Eric Thompson, a Christian broadcaster and writer, commented on this trend, saying, “You can’t appreciate the cure unless you understand the disease. Preachers avoiding talk of sin and hell are keeping people sick with a smile on their face.” This kind of selective truth-telling, he argues, does more harm than good. “The Gospel is offensive. It’s supposed to be. It tells the sinner, ‘You’re guilty, and you deserve judgment—but Christ offers you pardon.’”
Ironically, it is the very harshness of the bad news that magnifies the beauty of the good news. If humanity were not lost, Christ’s suffering would be senseless. If hell were not real, the atonement would be excessive. But Scripture is unwavering: the wages of sin is death—eternal separation from God.
This clear dichotomy—death versus life, judgment versus grace—is central to the biblical Gospel. As MacArthur has repeatedly emphasized, hell is not a scare tactic; it is divine justice. It is not unloving to preach about hell; it is unloving to omit it.
The avoidance of these doctrines often stems from fear—fear of offending seekers, of shrinking church attendance, or of appearing harsh in a culture that idolizes comfort. But truth must trump popularity. As Galatians 1:10 reminds us, “If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
For believers committed to biblical truth and the Great Commission, the call is clear: preach the full Gospel. That means telling people not just that Jesus loves them, but why they need saving in the first place. The conservative church must stand firm in proclaiming the whole counsel of God—even the parts the culture despises.
In a time when emotionalism and secular tolerance threaten to reshape the Gospel into something more socially digestible, the role of faithful Christians becomes even more vital. The bad news of the Gospel may be hard to hear, but it is what makes the good news truly good.
Only when we understand our guilt can we fully appreciate the grace of God. Only when we acknowledge our lostness can we rejoice in being found. And only when we recognize the reality of hell can we cling to the cross that saves us from it.