Putting the Cart Before the Horse

Photo by Sandra Frey on Unsplash

One thing that has begun to frustrate me is the seeming lack of confidence in the Gospel that is often shown by Christians, which to me seems really strange since as believers, the Gospel is the central message of our faith. Now, some of you might be thinking that I am just making this idea up and that I am frustrated over something quite irrelevant, but perhaps as you continue reading, my vexation will become more understandable.

It seems to me that we believers have a habit of pointing out the sins of unbelievers without consideration for the fact that they are just that – unbelievers. We cannot expect people who have not placed themselves under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to behave as if they are under God’s direction. To think otherwise is crazy! And yet, that is exactly what I see when I look at many Christians.

To make matter worse, not only do we expect everyone everywhere, regardless of religious belief or non-belief to behave in a ‘biblical’ manner, but we even emphasize behavior when sharing the Gospel. Not all, but many Christians act and speak in a way that appears to demonstrate that they believe that one’s behavior is what saves them. Thus, the emphasis is on changing a person’s outward actions rather than a reliance on the truth of God’s Word and the work of the Holy Spirit which prompts a person who has come to faith in Christ to act in a way that honors God. In a way, it is as if the order of salvation has been shifted.

Perhaps I should put this in a different way. Why do we feel the need to tell everyone how bad their sins are and encourage reform and then try to share with them about the grace God has shown them through Jesus Christ? Case in point: the homosexuality debate. We are a bunch of lunatics if we deny that Christians, in general, have been outspoken about the biblical perspective on this, and many other issues, to the point where any mention of grace has become obsolete. We expect, and even demand that everyone, regardless of belief, act as if they are believers. We think we are responsible to act as the moral police of the world, but have forgotten that we have been called to a much greater task than that. Our calling is not about telling everyone how bad they are and how they need to change their actions. We are called to tell the world about the Almighty God who is holy and the great mercy and grace He has poured out in sending His Son to die for us, unworthy though we are. The behavioral change comes after someone has come to faith in Christ and has surrendered to the leading of the Holy Spirit, who convicts and changes each person, molding him or her into someone who is becoming ever-increasingly more Christ-like.

The way we often go about it is kind of like what was going on in Acts 15. Some of the early Christians who had grown up as Jews were insisting that the Gentiles who were coming to faith should be required to follow all the Jewish laws (diet, circumcision, etc.) before they could be considered believers. Their emphasis became placed on the law rather than on grace. The ironic thing is that no one, not even Jews, had ever managed to follow the law completely. But look at what Acts 15:7-11 says:

“After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.””

If we insist on behavioral reform before a person can come to Christ, we are making a grave mistake. By doing so, we are requiring of others something that we ourselves cannot do without the power of the Holy Spirit giving us the strength to do so. In addition, we are taking salvation into our own hands and are stripping the Gospel of its impact. We are saying that the Gospel on its own is not enough, that the work of God is not enough, to save anyone. And that, my friends, is not true. The truth is that the Gospel is the only message that speaks of salvation and God is the only one who can save anyone. As Romans 1:16 says “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.

So, what should we do? I would like to suggest that we stick with sharing the Gospel, rather than making judgments and focusing on conduct reform. Give the truth of Scripture and the Holy Spirit room to convict people about their sin. And then, lovingly and respectfully, disciple people who have surrendered their hearts to Christ into a fuller understanding of what it means to be a Christian and how that should impact their lives. Always remember that outward change is not necessarily a portrayal of inward change and as Christians, we are in the business of sharing a message that changes hearts, not simply actions. It is through the power of the Gospel and the reconciliation brought about through Christ’s death that one is transformed from an enemy of God to one who loves God.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”­

~ Titus 2:11-14 (NIV)

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™