Change the world

Recently a book titled unChristian hit the shelves. The book is written by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons of the Barna Research Study group. Both these men are Christian, and in this book they set out to see how people who are not Christian view the religion. In their research they found that out of their sample group that they studied only 16% of people ages 16-29 have a favorable view of Christianity. Let me repeat that line...only 16% of people outside the Christian faith have a favorable view of Christianity. This is a problem. Although Christians know there will be hostility towards them, one wonders in this country how much of this dislike is actually self inflicted. As the research shows, the number 1 reason Christianity is not viewed favorably is NOT because they find Jesus offensive. It is because Christians come off as too judgmental, or too anti their pet sins. This is not to say the largely evangelical crowd is wrong in identifying lifestyles or behaviors as sinful, because they are not. But there is certainly a way to say something, and the evangelicals (the voting bloc) in this country have missed what the Gospel is. The Gospel is not about having sins 1 and 1a, homosexuality and abortion, however sinful they may be. The Gospel is about sharing with people the good news of Jesus Christ being crucified and then risen from the dead to right humanity's wrong. Evangelicals in this country have a largely law based Gospel in which they identify some sins or behaviors as worse than others and instead of expressing love and compassion in their explanation of why repentance is needed, they beat people over the head with Bibles and then end up being disgraced in public when they cannot live up to their own standards. As an evangelical Christian (not the voting bloc) I find it disturbing that much of our image problem has to do with the way we engage the world.

There's a lot of talk about changing the world going on out there. Being it's a presidential election year, you are almost guaranteed to hear talk of change and promises of change. It becomes comical to listen to rather quickly because real change is hardly ever delivered. For me as a Christian, knowing non Christians may very well be reading this, I take comfort in seeing change take place. The Greek word for repentance is metanoia, which literally means to turn around, to change. The idea of repentance is to have that change of heart that transforms you inside. A change in humanity was needed from the outset. Once sin and death entered the world it needed to be addressed and defeated. One popular question I receive in talking to non Christians and even some Christians is if God knew humanity would sin, why would He create/why wouldn't He stop it? Almost as though God hadn't thought about how His creation would screw up and be in need of saving. So I like to turn the question around. The same scripture that claims humans chose to screw up also shows us God knew we would, but because of His love created anyway. God is love and in that love He creates. We can see that in examples of everyday life. Revelation 13:8 shows us that Jesus is the lamb slain before the foundation of the world. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross has eternal consequences, past, present, and future. God created knowing the cross would have to happen. So I like to ask, why would God have created knowing He would undoubtedly have to take the form of man and suffer for us? The answer: God is love. It is THAT love that changes the world. Don't be labeled a hateful evangelical Christian because you have pet sins, but let sinners (of which you are even as a Christian) know that your sin is not better or worse than theirs. The only reason people should look unfavorably upon Christians is because they faithfully proclaim the saving name of Jesus Christ to the world. Want to change the world? Tell some who doesn't believe about the love of Christ found in the gospel. That's how real change will take place in this country and this world. Do not hammer people, do not beat them with verses, simply share the Gospel with them and why they need it, let God do the rest. Always keep that door open and let them know you'll always try to answer questions. The old saying goes "Kill them with kindness." Well kill sinners with love. We all need love, and "there is no greater love than this, that a man should lay his life down for his friends." Go out there and change the world.