"Would it be correct to say to a sinner that he will not be judged for his sins, but only for rejecting Christ? or would it be proper to tell him that God does not raise the sin question with him, but rather only how he treats His Son?"
ANSWER: This could be said by some without intending to express anything contrary to the truth of God, but it is better to hold fast to what the Scripture says. You will never find that the Apostle Paul so preached. He pressed on men that they were sinners and needed to repent. See what he says at Athens: "God... commandeth all men every where to repent: because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained." Acts 17:30, 31.
Man is a sinner, and as such he needs to repent. When anyone, like the Philippian jailer, sees himself to be a sinner and lost, and desires to be saved, then the word for him is, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:3 t.
We cannot drop the sin question—it must be settled between the sinner and his Maker, or he will perish in his sins. Cornelius was told to send for Peter to hear words whereby he could be saved. What were those words? "To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins." Acts 10:43. Notice that -being saved is connected with the remission of sins.
The crowning act of man's sin is the rejection of the Savior, the Son of God. This sin is the fatal one. No one need ever perish, for a Savior has been provided, but if He is rejected, the sinner's doom is sealed. In that sense the rejection of the Son brings the sinner into judgment, for had he accepted Him, he would never come into judgment. (Sec John 5:24.) This is probably what some persons have in mind when they make statements such as our inquirer mentions, but we should carefully avoid using phrases that are only half truths.
When the day of judgment comes, the sinner who stands there shall be judged for all his wicked words and deeds, not merely for rejecting the Son.
"God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing." Eccles. 12:14.
"In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men." Rom. 2:16.
"Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Matt. 12:36.
"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works." Rev. 20:12, 13.
It is to be feared that there is much shallow preaching today that does not plow up the soil and reach the conscience of the sinner. He needs to be brought into the presence of God where he sees himself in his true condition—a sinner on the road to hell. Then the good news of salvation through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ brings him peace and joy. The whole fabric of the gospel has to do with the sin question. It was this that brought the Savior to the cross, and there God has been declared righteous in saving the guilty sinner who believes.