In a pluralistic world of a plethora of thoughts, ideas, philosophies, and worldviews, it makes total sense to me that Christians need to be equipped and engaged in "contending" for the Gospel.
I get it. I really do.
It's a larger marketplace of ideas and as such Christians ought to engage this marketplace. We're no longer entitled the majority of market share -- if we've even ever held that distinction.
But here's one thing I'd like to convey: In the pursuit of contending for the gospel:
Please, don't be a jerk.
Because honestly, "Christian jerks" are a tragic paradox -- especially when they think they are doing the Kingdom a great favor.
Let's contend for the Gospel but let's not be jerks in the process. Nowhere do I read in the Scriptures, "Contend for the gospel as a jerk."
What I'm suggesting isn't all that radical:
James 1:19-20
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
Ephesians 4:26-27; 31-32
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
This call is apropos to everyone, in my opinion, because if we're all honest with ourselves, there's a little bit jerk within all of us, right?
And in my case, a bit more than a little bit.
We don't have to be mean spirited. We don't need to pummel someone down into submission ...
Or in other words, while I do indeed appreciate the value and importance of theology and doctrine, I would suggest that what will fascinate people to consider the gospel of Christ will ultimately be ...
"how we live our lives."
The Holy Spirit will convict and change. May our lives simply testify and point to the truth and gospel of Christ.
Here's a short snippet from a recent sermon from Philippians about not being a jerk:
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...and the world also faces many problems that rationalism and science CREATED..and are ill-equipped to overcome:
Weapons of Mass Destruction. Pollution. Environmental Degredation. Unsustainable economic and energetic paradigms.
I would say that the future of humanity is as much contingent upon transcending an unhealthy relationship to Reason, as it is contingent upon transcending an unhealthy relationship with Faith.
Ridding ourselves of the notion that reason is somehow a "higher" power than emotions is a good starting point for a healthy relationship. Reason is more reasonable and that's about it. The emotional part has survived a whole lot longer than our enhanced abstract part, and some theorize that reason is a very risky evolutionary strategy
Interesting fact: Did you know Neanderthals actually had a larger brain in total and per pound than Sapiens? Its been theorized that this overly powerful rational part lent to some emotional problems or "issues". Its also been shown that some of todays sapiens do carry Neanderthal DNA but that's for another post...
NOT like your Christians. Your Christians are SO UNLIKE your Christ." Mohat Mohandas Ghandi. Somehow the Hindu ideology resonnates with me on a much higher level than Christianity.
Matthew 5:28 Jesus playing the sex card.
Mark 12:13-15 Jesus playing the politics card.
Despite Patrick's ill-advised quotation, I agree with Pastor Cho that we must be honest that we have so much in us that needs redemption, we shouldn't have time to be meddling in other's lives. The church is not a clinic run by healthy people--it is a hospital where we are all sick to some degree.
And that's the whole point of the gospel?
"'how we live our lives.'"
How Christians lived for the first two thousand years of Christianty -- does that count, or are we starting now?
Furthermore, and in all seriousness: how many people do you think there are on Earth who haven't yet been forced, in one way our another, to consider the gospel of Christ? I don't want to be a jerk about this, but if you really want to be nice, you might want to consider the possibility that few or none of the people who will read you on Huffington Post don't already have Jesus coming out of their ears.
It can be said again that Jesus put it this way: "In the end (millennium) most all will be deceived." Some may begin to understand this saying by reading the 29th Canon and how it relates to when they observe the Sabbath. Some may start to understand the deception, in part, and call themself a 'jerk' for doing things out of habit and breaking the 4th Commandment and not being aware of the deception.
And I confess that as a young fundamentalist Christian, I was often a jerk.
As I have lived, I've learned a lot about others. I discovered that not every problem has an answer, and that God does not answer every prayer -- not even every prayer made in faith for the right things for the right reasons. Senseless tragedies happen that God could have prevented. People who believe differently usually have very good reasons for why they do so. Scientists are not evil men bent on defying God. There is room for a great diversity of belief or nonbelief, and Christians are often very wrong on social issues, on matters related to the poor and the rights of others.
Yes, we Christians can be jerks.
I am no longer a fundamentalist but liberal and recognize that my life will best tell others whether I believe anything of worth. I try to listen more, judge less, and have compassion on those who are suffering. I no longer assume that crisis means sin.
If one's faith makes him or her act like a jerk, then their understanding of faith is wrong.
I've found often in life, that "zeal" is a trait of the youth. Young people are often filled with emotions and wild mood swings from manic to depressive. Young people are often led by their emotions. Moderation seems to be a trait developed through age.
I hope that we can all learn a sense of moderation, and understanding, as we progress through life. The only way for us to make the world a better place is if we take some time to learn from each other, instead of spending all of our time condemning each other.