Tuesday, 22 February 2011

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  How Does The World View Christians?

  
  

  Recently, at a church I visited, the pastor gave a sermon on the way the the non-believer views Christians. This information, he said, comes from the results of a Barna survey:

  • Christians are AGAINST things

  • Christians are ANTI homosexual

  • Christians are CRITICAL of those who are different

  • Christians are POLITICAL activists

  • Christians are INSENSITIVE

  • Christians DO NOT ACCEPT people of other faiths

  
  

  As Christians we are commissioned by our Lord to make disciples, to be Christ's ambassadors, to deliver the message : “Be reconciled to God."

  So, it behooves us to carry out our mission effectively, or not at all.  What possible good could there be in conveying a false message that does not reflect our Lord or accurately state His message? The purpose of this sermon that I heard was not only to help us think seriously about the way we come across, but to give us the confidence to know that sharing the gospel is not only OK, but imperative.

  
  

  Maybe it's not necessary to analyze each of these points separately because they are kindred thoughts...the non-believers polled, or supposedly the majority, feel that Christians are not nice people at all and fail to show the love of Christ as they picture it.

  I have some thoughts on these things myself which I hope to share, but let me state that an issue of this nature is first of all emotional, that is, difficult to address objectively in a detached, clinical way.

  
  

  Jesus has told us that we are not of this world. Our values and actions have come under the government of God – His Kingdom. So it is obvious that as followers of Christ follow His teaching, this will be antithetic to the world system and there is bound to be antagonistic response to us.

  (“The world hated me, so don't be surprised when it hates you, My disciples")

  One of the methods that is used by modern society to criticize Christians is what llamalima@xanga termed the “straw man” method, choosing a ridiculous example of the thing you are attacking and then destroying that example as “proof” of your argument.  In other words, the very worst, obviously unChristian behavior is chosen as representative of all evangelistic Christians. We all know of some of these so-called Christians, and we wince when we hear of their statements and activities. I won't weary the reader with repeating these things.   My thought on this is that the unregenerate man cannot understand spiritual things.  This is why the exaggerated view seems, to the unbeliever, to be what they are hearing from Christians in general.  This is obviously untrue and unfair,  but secondly, we need to realize that our own outlook on enemies of Christ can be skewed also.

  Just one instance will serve. Often, when confronted by the Muslim presence in our country, we may think of the terrorist slinking into a mall with a bomb strapped to his body, ready to blow Christians into oblivion and deliver himself to “heaven” or wherever to meet the 21 eager virgins awaiting him as a reward for his dedication to his faith.  We need to be careful, if that's the picture in our mind, not to convey such an exaggeration in our explanation of the gospel message. The gospel is not anti-Muslim, it is proChrist.  He is our message. He is our savior and Lord.  His atonement, His paying the price for our redemption on the cross and resurrection for our salvation is the gospel.

  
  

  The issue of homosexuality, being a “hot” issue these days is as much a product of militant promoters of homosexual “rights” as it is of controversial statements by opponents – Christian and otherwise.  We Christians make a mistake letting ourselves be identified with the “anti's” especially those who say that God hates gays.

  Homosexual expression or lifestyle, indulging in same-sex affairs and “marriages” is an abomination to God. Plain and simple, but having an attraction that cannot be consumated morally is merely a symptom of the devastation of sin.  The person thus afflicted is faced with the same problem that all of us face: dealing with the temptation to sin or yielding to it and becoming its slave. God loves the sinner, not because he is sinner, but because He loves him.  Stated another way, we are beloved sinners, not beloved because we are not sinners.  His love has nothing to do with our actions.  It is rooted in who God is!  He is an extravagant lover!

  The issue or belief that all Christians are political activists who are intent on imposing their values and beliefs on others through legislation, or attempting to build a Theocracy which punishes all who don't come in line with Biblical mandates of course does have some credibility.  There are some who believe that we will usher in the Kingdom by our own effort.  Partly some hope for this because we know the devastation that sin causes, we believe the world would be better, safer, if all men were required by law to live morally.

  Of course, this is a pipe dream. The man whose heart has not been changed is never fully committed to living morally. His heart is desperately wicked and always the renegade. The passing of laws doesn't stop murder,rape, robbery, extortion, etc. so why do we think that laws against other things will be any more effective?

  However, the average Christian doesn't want more legislation, he wants the Kingdom to come (at least that is what he prays for) to set things right, bring peace and safety and allow all to see God's glory on earth as it is in heaven. That, is the work of God and the reason for the gospel.

  
  

  The other charges, that Christians are critical of those who are not like them, insensitive, and refusing to accept people of other faiths, are somewhat similar in nature. As I stated earlier, the world doesn't like it that we disagree with their values – that we find fault with the very things they cherish. So how do they get that idea? (That is, who is saying these things?) We are, to some extent. We let the world “bait” us. We fall into the trap of making statements about values rather than living our values and also presenting the pure gospel while we live them.

  In reflecting on my own days before Christ, I can remember the witness of some Christians who were relating the gospel only, but my ears heard something entirely different. What I “heard” was that my life was not pleasing to God and I needed Him to change me.  All I heard was that I would have to "give up" things I liked and become like those witnesses.  I didn't have ears to hear the good news that I could be saved as much as I heard what seemed negative to me.  That was the convicting power ofthe Holy Spirit, showing me that my sin was my problem, not God.  God was drawing me to Himself and I was not having it. So even faithful sharing of the gospel is an offense to to the world, but why confuse it with extraneous issues that only will come into importance if and when the person believes and trusts Christ. Can a porn addict, drinker, liar, and otherwise ungodly person be saved? What other kind of person is there? And why, if a person could make himself perfect, would he need a savior?

  The issue of tolerating or accepting people of other faiths is not quite as simple...or is it? Worshipers of false gods are lost, just as we were lost before Christ came to save us. The trap that the world wants us to step into is that of accepting tolerance as the supreme value – along with self-esteem. So if we are to be rated as “good” Christians, we shouldn't tell those of other faiths that Jesus Christ is the only way to get to God. There is no choice here.  We are being brow-beaten into allowing that all religions are equally valid and lead to God or to being called intolerant.  But we cannot allow ourselves to be tricked into betraying Christ.  We must be faithful to Christ, allowing for the fact that He is the one who must open their understanding (their spiritual eyes and ears) to exercise the faith He gives. That means that “doing” a false religion is the same as “doing” drugs or other destructive behavior. Being saved has nothing to do with what we do...It has everything to do with what Christ has already done.

  
  

  So, how does the world look upon us? We know their praise for God and His works will always be conditional – trying to believe that His love "overlooks" or winks at sin.  That's the message the world wants to hear.  The world does not like to contemplate judgment to come.  So it wants to kill the messenger and look for a more palatable message!  No matter how faithful and true our witness, some will reject Christ and be lost and some will come to Him that they may have life.  We are not called to win a popularity contest, but to be faithful to Jesus Christ.  However, being purposely obnoxious is not required.  After all, the gospel is GOOD NEWS to everyone who will believe.

  And that is where our commission comes in...telling the great story of God's love,  John 3:16

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