You talk about the above survey results as if they are good. Now, I can understand how some of the things mentioned might be good in some cases, but I am truly confused as to how we are spreading the love of Christ to the world if the world doesn’t want to listen to anything we have to say. Because that is what those results mean. They mean that the world thinks that what we have–Christ–is hypocritical and judgmental and unloving. THAT IS NOT WHAT CHRIST LOOKS LIKE!!! Offensive at times, yes, particularly to the flesh. But let’s get past that. That is not the point of those survey results.

Also, if we’re going to base our faith-sharing on the Bible, then let’s look at the Bible. Love is mentioned FAR more often than any references to hell, so that is what many in this group have chosen to focus on when sharing Christ with the world. (I know this because I personally know Brooke, Mark, Mary, and Adam). Jesus loved people, and that’s what he calls us to do. At times, his love was offensive, but it was never judgmental or hypocritical or inconsistent. It was relevant and real, and people are not seeing that in us. Yes, some of that is because the world at large will reject Jesus. But people who genuinely want to know God are being turned off because of the negative way some/many Christians act. That is a problem.

Jesus did not say that they would know us because we tell them they’re going to hell. He said they would know us by our love. The poll results show that the world does not know us for our love.

Bill: I really don’t think I have it all figured out. Far from it, actually. If my last comment gave you that impression, I apologize. I felt you did not understand my earlier post, so I tried to be more clear. In doing so I guess I came across as having everything figured out. Again, I apologize. I am sincerely trying to engage you in a constructive conversation about how we as Christians should go about sharing our faith. I disagree with your approach, but I did not mean to offend you.

I am confused by your “p.s.” Your approach seems to be more along the lines of what I would refer to as “typical”. By that I mean telling people they are sinful and will go to hell unless they believe in Jesus. And I agree that this approach contributes to the above survey results. But I doubt that was your meaning. Would you mind explaining further?

Who created hell?

Mary,

St. Francis never said that. Even if he did, it’s unbiblical. We should pay attention to the Bible, not some Catholic.

Mark,

You’re probably right. I’m sure your evangelism method is far superior than mine. It’s cool that you have it all figured out. I’m not that bright, so I just do what they did in the Bible.

Thanks,
Bill

p.s. For results of the typical Christian’s method of sharing the Gospel, see above survey results.

And I couldn’t disagree more about God being police, judge, jury or executioner. I don’t think people need to be warned about God at all. That doesn’t sound like “good news” to me.

God is our loving father revealed to us in the face of Jesus. I do not recognize the things you say about him (police, judge, jury, executioner) in Jesus, so I reject them. I think you might be confusing the penal substitution view of the atonement with the Gospel, which is all too common and a serious error in my opinion.

From Mark:

“It is those who really care about me, who like me, who have given up part of their lives to be part of mine, that are able to share the “true Gospel” (Jesus) with me in a way that convicts and offends. Why don’t we focus on building those kind of relationships and let Jesus do the offending?”

From Francis:

“Preach the gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.”

I think you’re exactly right. Exposing the nature of a sinner is the part that is offensive, along with telling them that there are consequences for their sin. If I tell someone the Gospel, and they reject it, they may very well be mad at me, Jesus and all Christians. I hope all of us have made people mad by sharing the Gospel–not by sharing it unlovingly, but by speaking the truth. Some people don’t like it and they get mad. I also hope we’ve all shared it and seen people’s faces light up.

From an eternal perspecitve, I would say God is the police, judge, jury and executioner, or Savior. If anything, our job is to warn the criminals that the police are coming, and the police sent us to tell them an escape route. If we’re not the police, we’re working for the police.

Thanks,
Bill

The analogy you use is interesting. When I read the gospels, I just don’t see Jesus as a policeman. Where do we get the idea that is how we should see ourselves in relation to others who don’t know him yet? The only “policemen” I see in the gospels were the Pharisees. And Jesus didn’t have much good to say about them.

They martyred most of the rest of the apostles. The apostles did miracles and kind things, but they were also preaching the Gospel, and many people hated them. Why do we expect different results for ourselves?

When the true Gospel is preached, some people will get offended. Some will smell death. I’m afraid that those who smell death make up the majority.

I wonder if criminals were given a similar poll about the police, how the police would come out looking. Would the police really care about the results?

Thanks,
Bill

So what? Well, if I (a christian) was once a child of the devil and enemy of God, how is it that I ever accepted Christ? And would I have done so if my view of Christians was as negative as that held today by most non-believers? I think this is important to consider. Are we even giving people a chance to become anything other than who they are, since it is only Jesus who can change us and we are putting barriers in between him and those who might otherwise seek him?

Also, if some part of me is still left unredeemed, and we think being a non-christian explains why some would have a negative view of Christianity, then wouldn’t we all have that same view? Or some part of us? I don’t know. I just don’t think we can label as if we are so different and then dismiss the opinions of those we label so easily.

A final thought about John 8: I concede that this is open to interpretation, but a plain reading of that conversation suggests that Jesus is speaking to those who “believed in him”, who he refers to as his “disciples” (see verse 31). Then he refers to them as children of the devil in verse 44. Then he says they don’t really believe in verse 45. Then they try to kill him in verse 59 after he claims to be God. It’s a fascinating conversation and reveals a lot about us if we look a little deeper and don’t dismiss Jesus’ remarks as only directed at someone else.

I really liked what the book had to say in its defense, and I’m sure that Adam will expound on that (he said he would). But I’ll say that I agree that we are not supposed to conform to the world to “sell” Jesus. But if this is how the world views Christians, we are not effectively being the radical lovers that Jesus was. Jesus didn’t go out of his way to be accepted, he wasn’t trying to get the world to like him, but he loved and he served, and people noticed that. It was the politically-minded that hated Jesus because he was a threat to them. The every-man generally had very different reactions.