Pastoral Principles
Declare the Whole Counsel of God

Declare the whole counsel of God. Paul says that because he declared the whole counsel of God, the lack of faith in Jesus Christ by any of the Ephesians is not his problem, he is innocent of their blood. Great, but what is the negative implication of that statement. A pastor who fails to proclaim the whole counsel of God is responsible for those in his care who have not heard from him the “whole counsel of God”. Need I make the point that such an attitude is missing in the contemporary church today? Paul did not shrink from declaring the entire scope of redemptive history. That is, the truth about who man is, who God is, what God has done and how we are to live as His children. You know what the Biblical and theological principles are. So…declare them. Do not shrink from declaring the difficult parts, including sin. We are where Paul told Timothy we would be: people have itching ears, accumulating teachers to suit their own passions turning away from the truth. Whether Westminster wants to hear it or not: Declare the whole counsel of God! You have been called to this church as its Pastor. If you do these four things: serve with humility and tears; proclaim repentance and faith in Christ; make testifying to the Gospel the priority in your life and declare the whole counsel of God, at the end of your ministry you too will be able to say the blood of the members of Westminster PCA is not on your hands because you have been faithful to your call and to your Lord as the pastor here.