The stains in the Convention are not easily removed, Litton said, but he reminded trustees of 2 Corinthians 5:21, saying: “Christ bore our sins on the cross. The one who knew no sin became sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God.”
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“Dealing with our stains will be a powerful testimony to a watching world,” Litton said.
“All stains have a source. Pride is the root of our disorder. What leprosy is to the human body, pride is to the soul. Pride numbs the feeling the pain in our own lives, our own churches, in our communities for victims and survivors, in our states, our nation and our world. We lack empathy and compassion for one another. When we genuinely care we engage with help, comfort and the truth of the Gospel.”
Litton closed by pleading with the EC members, and the entire SBC, to display the love of Christ toward one another and toward the world, rather than drift towards legalism.
“In my time as your president, I’ve heard a lot of things said about the SBC. … But the one thing that I never hear anyone say is this: ‘O how they love one another,’” Litton said.
“The danger we face is that of being Pharisees. Right now some may think I am addressing a particular group in the SBC. I am not. I’m talking about all of us. Because we are conservative in our theology and hold fast to the Word of God, we can become legalistic overnight. The Pharisees started as a conservative resurgence, but they ended up in a bad place where Jesus called them out as hypocrites. They looked very religious, but Jesus said they neglected the weightier matters of the law like justice, mercy and faithfulness.
“Our churches again need to address the issues on the frontlines. … We can tell the truth in love. This is our great challenge and a sanctification moment for us.”
This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.
