Recently some of my friends have
been talking about how the “world” views Christians as narrow-minded and
judgmental and that we (Christians) need to change this perception. This bandwagon
is hardly new, but I guess it’s experiencing a revival and is successful in
getting folks to jump on it for a ride.
I think this is a dangerous
message, for it seems to me that much of the message is aimed at us not being
offensive, however, as Paul teaches, the
Cross of Christ is offensive – it is offensive to me, it is offensive to you
(in context), and it will be offensive whenever the Gospel is communicated. How
we respond to the offense is critical; we can by God’s grace respond in
repentance and confession of sin, throwing ourselves on the mercy of God in
Christ; or we can harden our hearts and continue in our self-righteousness and
pride.
Of course, there are idiot
and jerky “Christians” – but as I think about it (and I speak from experience
at being an idiot and jerky), these folks tend to judge other Christians harder
than they often judge the world. Our general problem isn’t that Christians are
speaking up, it is the opposite – people can work and live alongside Christians
for years and never hear them say anything about Jesus Christ. Our problem is
less about the way we express our faith and more about the fact that we don’t
express our faith.
The media, entertainment
industry, and many authors often caricature Christians and the Gospel – the world
is the world is the world. Sadly, there seem to be professing Christians on the
edges who provide a basis for the caricature, people that should embarrass us
all. But, why is it that Christians on one radical edge of the spectrum are made
the foil, but not those on the other end? Both are radically rigid and
censorious.
Our desire ought not to be not to
offend the world, but rather not to offend God. If we are faithful to Christ
and the Gospel of the Cross we will offend people and we will pay a price for
our witness. If we truly love people we will communicate Jesus Christ to them,
and that means communicating the Cross, repentance, and confession of sin.
We are not a business
organization attempting to sell a product and trying to close a deal. We are to represent the Kingdom of God and the
King of that Kingdom – that King is not campaigning for votes, He is not
running for office, He does not employ a marketing department. Yes, God so
loves the world, and if we love the world with the love of our Father and
Lord Jesus we will compassionately and passionately tell the world the truth about
Jesus Christ, His Cross, His love for them, and that the wages of death is sin
but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ.
I wonder if we aren’t seduced
into thinking that we care about others when we are really more interested in
avoiding the Cross in our lives as we witness to others. I wonder if we are
more concerned about offending others than offending God. I have been guilty of
both, so I am looking at myself as I write these words.
As I have written before, we are
not called to preach sociology, nor a therapeutic Deism – we are called to
preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Let’s focus on Jesus Christ and the integrity
of our witness, our lives. Let’s be the Presence of God in Christ in this
generation. Let’s live as holy sons and daughters of the Holy God. Let’s sow
the seed of God’s Word with tears, let’s lay our lives down, our reputations,
our agendas – on behalf of Christ and others for the glory of Christ and the
salvation of those around us.
Let’s bear His reproach as He has
borne the reproach of the Father (Hebrews 13:13; Romans 15:3). Let’s live
cruciform lives (Mark 8:34 38) which know the koinonia of His sufferings (Philippians
3:10). Let’s learn what it means to have death work within us so that life
might live within others (2 Corinthians 4:12).
Are we offended by Christ and His
Cross? What is our response when we’re asked, “You were with Jesus, I’ve seen
you with Him”?
Do we hear the cock crow?
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