"Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."
(Mark 16:15, ESV)
Over the past decade I have noticed that the atmosphere for sharing the Gospel with others has changed quite a bit. There was a time when you could carry on a decent conversation about the Gospel with someone you met in a coffee shop or on the street; but that has dramatically changed. Now when a Christian shares the Gospel with a person, he or she is met with open hostility. Gone are the days when people actually held God’s Word in high esteem and Christians were respected. Because of such hostility, the church in recent years has sought to water down the message of the Gospel so as to not offend potential converts who may attend a local evangelical congregation.
It is interesting to note that today’s church is more interested in amusing sinners on the way to hell with entertainment, instead of sharing the true message of the Gospel. Some will argue here, “But the gospel will offend people.” Of course it will. It is supposed to. People do not like having their sin exposed by the light of the glorious Gospel. Besides, did not Jesus say, “Blessed are they that are not offended in Me” (Matt. 11:6; Luke 7:23). The Lord Jesus did not have a problem with sharing the message of the Gospel with people. He knew some people would be offended when He would expose their sin, such as lying, stealing, adultery, covetousness, etc. Simply speaking, Jesus was not afraid to call sinful behavior and actions for what it is—sin! (Exodus 20:12-17; Matt. 5:27-30; Mark 9:42-49; Rev. 21:8). Even religious people were not exempt from Jesus calling their behavior and actions sinful as well (see Matt. 23:13-36). We as Christians today need to believe our Bibles and start calling the blatant bad behavior and actions of others for what God calls it—sin!
Why is it Christians today are so taken up with their own concerns, and are so satisfied with just practicing an outward form of Christianity that is more dead ritual than living worship; yet not care about our suffering brethren and sisters in Christ, nor care about our neighbor who is on the way to hell due to our lack of lovingly sharing the Gospel with them? How true are the words of J. C. Ryle, when he said:
"The saddest symptom about many so-called Christians is the utter absence of anything like conflict and fight against spiritual apathy in their Christianity. They eat, they drink, they dress, they work, they amuse themselves, they get money, they spend money, they go through a brief round of formal religious services once or twice every week. But of the great spiritual warfare – its watchings and strugglings, its agonies and anxieties, its battles and contests – of all things they appear to know nothing at all. Let us take care that this case is not our own." ~ J.C. Ryle
Some will argue here that it is “judgmental and unloving” to point out the sin of others and tell them if they don’t repent, they will go to hell. Really? Well then, would you rather I be “silent” by saying nothing at all, and let such people go to hell? Is that really the loving thing to do; is that truly loving my neighbor as myself? Proclaiming the true Gospel should always Convict of sin; whereas a false Gospel will Comfort a person in their sin. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). For no one is righteous, no one does good, nor seeks after God (see Rom. 3:9-20).
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