True Evangelism

Evangelism as it pertains to social action should be the primary focus of anyone who calls himself a follower of Christ.  The reason I am so passionate about this issue is simply because I believe that the area of true evangelism is an area that the modern church is dangerously weak in.  The more I leave my protective "bubble" of home or even church and begin to get involved in the "real world," the more I find that the primary motives of the 21st century church have shifted drastically.  The cultural cancer of moral relativism, it seems, even has the ability to seep through even the most tightly sealed sanctuary doors.

"What is true for me may not be true for you."  Sadly this is a sentiment that is becoming more the rule instead of the exception in our society today.  There is a danger for us as Christians living in 2011 to want to make our faith comfortable, convenient and safe.  "Tolerance" is key.  We do not want to offend anyone with the message that Scripture contains.  It is due to this relativistic attitude seen within so many churches that the Biblical command of evangelism haa been strangled or even silenced altogether.  Instead of setting our sights on reaching the lost or making an impact within our own social circles, we choose to take care of "our own" first and let those "pagans" worry about their own souls.

In his book "Messy Spirituality," Michael Yaconelli also speaks to this very issue, accusing the church of giving in to moral relativism, of becoming self-centered rather than seeker-friendly.  According to the author, Jesus' willingness to evangelize the lost "scandalized an intimidating, elitist, country-club religion by opening membership to those who had been denied it" (pg. 47).  In other words, what we in the modern body of Christ have to realize is that not only is Biblical, saving faith loyal identification of Jesus, it also is transforming faith, and thus it always has social dimensions!  These dimensions can include loving one another, forgiving one another, giving restitution for wrongs done, or acts of compassion.  Please notice that last statement--ACTS of compassion.  True faith, and by extension true Christian living, will always involve action of some sort (cf. the NT book of James).

Nothing makes "church people" more angry than Grace.  It's ironic: we stumble into a party we are not invited to and find the uninvited standing at the doors, making sure no other uninviteds get in.  Then a strange phenomenon occurs: as soon as we have been included in the party because of Jesus' great love, we decide to make grace "more responsible" by becoming self-appointed Kingdom Hall Monitors, guarding the doors to the kingdom of God, keeping the riff-raff out (which, as I understand it, are who the kingdom of God is supposed to include).

Religious people love to bide behind their religion.  They love the rules of religion more than they love Jesus.  With enough practice, adherents to the "extremes" of Christianity, be they Legalists or Liberals, let the rules become more important than the spiritual life or the souls of the lost.  The tenets of their faith are much more vital than seeking to transform a wayward culture.

What those of us living in 2011 have to realize is that the spiritual life is not just about the rules and regulations, traditions and teachings, lectures and sermons.  Life with Jesus is meant to be LIVED, not smothered, dissected, inspected, or condemned.  Daily picking up our cross and following Jesus means that we need to desperately, passionately seek to transform the culture, not block it out.  We need to open our arms as well as our hearts to those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and prove to them we truly care by our actions.  There needs to be an unwavering commitment to developing the mind of Christ, as well as a cultivation of said Christian mind.  Frankly, I believe with all that is in me that there needs to be an integration (rather than a separation) of faith and reason.