Let me ask you something honest: Have you ever noticed how certain Bible passages seem to show up in sermons again and again — the ones full of comfort, hope, and grace — while others feel like they’ve quietly disappeared from the conversation? If you have, you’re not imagining it. There’s a very real temptation in Christian ministry, and honestly in all of our personal Bible reading, to gravitate toward the parts of Scripture that feel good and gently sidestep the parts that make us uncomfortable. And friend, I understand that temptation completely. But I also believe, with everything in me, that when we do that, we’re actually robbing ourselves and each other of something precious.

What Does “The Whole Counsel of God” Actually Mean?

The phrase comes straight from the Apostle Paul. At the end of his ministry in Ephesus, saying goodbye to people he deeply loved, he made a remarkable statement:

“For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” — Acts 20:27 (ESV)

That word shrink is telling, isn’t it? Paul acknowledged that there were things in God’s Word that could tempt a preacher to pull back, to soften, to quietly skip over. But he didn’t. The whole counsel of God means all of it — the grace and the holiness, the comfort and the conviction, the promises and the warnings. It means preaching about sin and repentance just as readily as we preach about forgiveness and healing. It means letting the Bible set the agenda rather than letting our preferences do it.

Why We’re Tempted to Preach Only What Feels Good

Let’s be gracious with ourselves here — the temptation to avoid hard texts doesn’t come from bad hearts. It often comes from genuinely loving people and not wanting to hurt them. Pastors don’t want to drive people away. Believers don’t want to seem judgmental. We live in a world that deeply values comfort and affirmation, and the church can slowly begin to mirror that culture without even realising it.

But Paul warned Timothy about exactly this moment:

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.” — 2 Timothy 4:3 (ESV)

Notice it’s not that people stop wanting to hear about God — they just want a version of God that never challenges them. And when the church caters to that, it stops being a place of transformation and becomes simply a place of affirmation. That might feel kind in the short term, but it’s not love. Real love tells the truth, even when it’s hard.

The Hard Passages Are a Gift, Not a Punishment

Here’s the reframe I want to offer you today: the difficult parts of Scripture aren’t there to burden you. They’re there because God knows what you actually need, not just what you want in the moment. Think about how Paul described the full breadth of Scripture’s purpose:

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” — 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

Notice Paul doesn’t say Scripture is profitable only for comfort and encouragement. Reproof and correction are right there in the list. Those aren’t punishment — they’re the loving tools of a Father who wants His children to grow up strong, whole, and free. When a faithful preacher brings a hard word from Scripture, they’re not attacking you. They’re trusting you with what God has already said.

How This Shapes the Way We Engage With God’s Word

So what does this look like practically for you and me this week? A few honest encouragements:

First, don’t skip the hard chapters in your personal reading. When you hit a passage about judgment, sacrifice, discipline, or sin, resist the urge to flip past it. Sit with it. Ask God what He’s teaching you through it. Some of the most transformative moments in your walk with Jesus will come from passages you initially wanted to avoid.

Second, give thanks for preachers who tell you the truth. If your pastor preaches something that makes you squirm a little — not because it’s harsh or unloving, but because it’s convicting — that’s a gift. Pray for them. Thank them. It takes genuine courage to preach the whole counsel of God in a culture that prefers comfortable religion.

Third, remember that the goal of all of Scripture is Jesus. As Jesus Himself said on the road to Emmaus, the whole Bible points to Him — His life, death, resurrection, and coming Kingdom. Even the hard parts glorify Him, because they show us how desperately we need a Saviour and how completely He provides.

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” — Luke 24:27 (ESV)

A Closing Word of Encouragement

Friend, a faith built only on the comfortable parts of the Bible is a faith that will struggle to stand when life gets hard — and life always gets hard eventually. But a faith rooted in the whole counsel of God? That’s a faith with deep roots. That’s a faith that can weather the storms, face the hard questions, and come out on the other side not just surviving, but transformed. God’s Word — all of it — is a gift of extraordinary love. Let’s have the courage to receive it fully, to preach it faithfully, and to live it honestly together.

Let’s pray together:

Jehovah, Jesus Christ, Holy Michael — we come before You with open hands and open hearts. Forgive us for the times we have chosen comfort over truth, and familiarity over transformation. Give us the courage to receive Your Word in its fullness — every promise, every warning, every call to repentance, and every declaration of grace. Raise up preachers and teachers who will not shrink from the whole counsel of God, and give us ears to hear what Your Spirit is saying to Your church. Root us deep in Your truth so that we may stand firm and bear much fruit for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.