A real Christian won´t be popular
Rod Smith
July 05, 2008
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2.
Conformity to the world is a disturbing trend in the Christian church today. The thinking appears to be: "How can we fit in with the community? How can we get them to like us?" This was never taught by Jesus – in fact He told believers the world would hate them (John 15:19). True to His word, the early believers were stoned, jailed, even killed, because they told the truth, the whole gospel. They held nothing back.
That was their direct style, the results were supernatural, and they were persecuted for it. In Acts we read of the stoning to death of Stephen. The Apostle Paul was flogged, put in jail, stoned also and left for dead.
People nowadays think God will admit them to heaven on their terms, not His. They are misled because so few are telling them: "Repent, trust, and make Jesus your Lord, then you´ll get to heaven" - the truth of the Bible. Repent is the most under-used word in Christian jargon today. "Repent" isn´t fashionable – but thank God for those who still use it.
We don´t read of the early Christians using today´s popular but devious "friendship evangelism". Those trendy words have crept into 21st century Christianity without credentials - like an uninvited guest at a party.
What if, while the "friendship" is going on – with nary a word about Jesus, the person being befriended is hit by a bus, or dies in a plane crash? It´s why the Bible says now is the day of salvation. People must be told the gospel right now.
Why this strange desire by church pastors and ministers to fit in, to be liked by the world at large? Why this policy of never upsetting anyone, even to the extent of withholding the truth? It is gutless Christianity, and has led to spiritual poverty.
How sad that in these politically correct days, following the trend has become more important than following the Bible.
People love to be liked, esteemed, high in the popularity stakes, and good looking. It is why facelift surgeons are rich, and cosmetics for both genders are big sellers. Christians should not share such values. Surely God has not put believers on this planet to be liked and to be popular.
Christians will be hated but respected when doing their job and telling it like it is. People generally don´t like to hear that without Jesus´ salvation they´re on the road to the second death. The old cliché says the truth always hurts, and it does.
Withholding the full truth means conformity to the world. So the gospel presentation becomes weak, ineffective, spineless, and accordingly so are those who respond to it – unless they read the truth for themselves in the Bible.
What is the purpose (could it be money?) of having thousands of bottoms on church seats, but hardly an ounce of backbone?
Christians should be as different to the world around them as cats are to dogs, concrete to jelly, whisky to water, silk to sandpaper.
Conformity to the world is a disturbing trend in the Christian church today. The thinking appears to be: "How can we fit in with the community? How can we get them to like us?" This was never taught by Jesus – in fact He told believers the world would hate them (John 15:19). True to His word, the early believers were stoned, jailed, even killed, because they told the truth, the whole gospel. They held nothing back.
That was their direct style, the results were supernatural, and they were persecuted for it. In Acts we read of the stoning to death of Stephen. The Apostle Paul was flogged, put in jail, stoned also and left for dead.
People nowadays think God will admit them to heaven on their terms, not His. They are misled because so few are telling them: "Repent, trust, and make Jesus your Lord, then you´ll get to heaven" - the truth of the Bible. Repent is the most under-used word in Christian jargon today. "Repent" isn´t fashionable – but thank God for those who still use it.
We don´t read of the early Christians using today´s popular but devious "friendship evangelism". Those trendy words have crept into 21st century Christianity without credentials - like an uninvited guest at a party.
What if, while the "friendship" is going on – with nary a word about Jesus, the person being befriended is hit by a bus, or dies in a plane crash? It´s why the Bible says now is the day of salvation. People must be told the gospel right now.
Why this strange desire by church pastors and ministers to fit in, to be liked by the world at large? Why this policy of never upsetting anyone, even to the extent of withholding the truth? It is gutless Christianity, and has led to spiritual poverty.
How sad that in these politically correct days, following the trend has become more important than following the Bible.
People love to be liked, esteemed, high in the popularity stakes, and good looking. It is why facelift surgeons are rich, and cosmetics for both genders are big sellers. Christians should not share such values. Surely God has not put believers on this planet to be liked and to be popular.
Christians will be hated but respected when doing their job and telling it like it is. People generally don´t like to hear that without Jesus´ salvation they´re on the road to the second death. The old cliché says the truth always hurts, and it does.
Withholding the full truth means conformity to the world. So the gospel presentation becomes weak, ineffective, spineless, and accordingly so are those who respond to it – unless they read the truth for themselves in the Bible.
What is the purpose (could it be money?) of having thousands of bottoms on church seats, but hardly an ounce of backbone?
Christians should be as different to the world around them as cats are to dogs, concrete to jelly, whisky to water, silk to sandpaper.
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