Tact, man, tact
I recently discovered this news story which describes a country Baptist church whose pastor put an anti-Koran message on their marquee.
This is a photo of the sign.
While I firmly believe that Jesus is the exclusive way to eternal salvation, and that Islam is not truth, I do not believe it is a good representation of the Gospel for Christians to be engaging in this sort of behavior. For one it is tacky, and we cannot get a message across in only a few short words. (what's wrong with "Jesus is the only way", it makes a more exclusive point?)
Now before some of you call me liberal, or culturally sensitive, think of the way that the Apostle Paul dealt with the false religions while in Athens in Acts 17. He did not say that Zeus needed to be flushed and that Greco-Roman thought was the pathway to hell, even though their pluralistic society was damned. He presented the Gospel to them with respect.
Today, we live in a pluralistic society that has changed the definition of tolerance to acceptance. Our postmodern culture tells us that all paths are equal and so on. I do not believe that, but I do believe that Christianity is not a faith that should seek to repel, but to draw people in. Yes, there are times when we need to point out the falacies in other philosophies and points of view, but when those times come, we need to look at the examples we have recorded for us in Scripture through the life of Christ, and the lives of the Apostles. There will be times when we must point truth out harshly to the self-decieved, but there are also times we must be gentle in our approach because we carry the name of Christ with us and when we represent act in reprehensible ways, we reflect upon him poorly.
Jesus told his disciples to be wise as snakes and harmless as doves, and telling people that their book needs to be flushed does not seem to fit that criteria.
Leaders in Christ's church must heed this and not set an example of confrontation and contempt to their congregation. They must always point out that grace brought them into the kingdom, not contention, and that gracious is how the Gospel should be lived.
This is a photo of the sign.
While I firmly believe that Jesus is the exclusive way to eternal salvation, and that Islam is not truth, I do not believe it is a good representation of the Gospel for Christians to be engaging in this sort of behavior. For one it is tacky, and we cannot get a message across in only a few short words. (what's wrong with "Jesus is the only way", it makes a more exclusive point?)
Now before some of you call me liberal, or culturally sensitive, think of the way that the Apostle Paul dealt with the false religions while in Athens in Acts 17. He did not say that Zeus needed to be flushed and that Greco-Roman thought was the pathway to hell, even though their pluralistic society was damned. He presented the Gospel to them with respect.
Today, we live in a pluralistic society that has changed the definition of tolerance to acceptance. Our postmodern culture tells us that all paths are equal and so on. I do not believe that, but I do believe that Christianity is not a faith that should seek to repel, but to draw people in. Yes, there are times when we need to point out the falacies in other philosophies and points of view, but when those times come, we need to look at the examples we have recorded for us in Scripture through the life of Christ, and the lives of the Apostles. There will be times when we must point truth out harshly to the self-decieved, but there are also times we must be gentle in our approach because we carry the name of Christ with us and when we represent act in reprehensible ways, we reflect upon him poorly.
Jesus told his disciples to be wise as snakes and harmless as doves, and telling people that their book needs to be flushed does not seem to fit that criteria.
Leaders in Christ's church must heed this and not set an example of confrontation and contempt to their congregation. They must always point out that grace brought them into the kingdom, not contention, and that gracious is how the Gospel should be lived.
posted by Bobby's blog at 2:04 PM
2 Comments:
Wow. That's a sure way to turn people off. How insensitive.
Very good post, Bobby.
Kelly Miller
Sensitivity is the key. Think of the riot at Ephesus. The disciples were blameless. The clerk said that they had not blasphemed Diana. They preached the Gospel and taught about the true God without bashing the gods of the people. We need to teach the truth in love.
Great thought man!
Post a Comment
<< Home