This past Sunday I made a statement that I have believe to be very true, yet some don’t seem to quite understand me. I stated that “the Gospel is not appealing to the world around us.” Now when I said that I communicated that I was not saying that it has any less power or importance, I was merely stating that people are not naturally drawn to the Gospel. So for the sake of clarity for some, and emphasis for others, I want to take a moment to unpack this a little further.
The Gospel, (i.e. The good news of God’s redemptive plan for sinful humanity, ultimately executed and displayed in the person and work of Jesus Christ), is as the apostle Paul says “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). So if the Gospel is the “power of God” then why would I make the statement that it is unappealing to the world around us? I’ll address two areas in my response to this.
First, the Bible itself says that the Gospel is a ridiculous thought for those who are not children of God, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing,…” (1 Cor. 1:18a). So to make my statement that it is unappealing to the world, all I’m doing is sharing the very words of the apostle Paul. Now it is important that we don’t stop with this truth alone. The verse continues on to state the same point Paul emphasizes in the previous Romans text, “but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18b). So what we have here is a dichotomy that explains the truth that the Gospel is unappealing to some but unearthing to others.
So why did I focus on only the first part? I believe that in the reality of the Gospel being unappealing to the world that Christians have a part in the responsibility for this. What I’m saying is that Christians are a large part of why the world finds the Gospel unappealing.
The fact of the matter is that too many Christians live in the “folly” and not in the “power.” Too often Christians live their lives void of the truth of the power of the Gospel. Yes Christians believe that the Gospel can save us from a future and an eternity separated from God, but the reality of the Gospel seems to fall short in the present. It’s as if the Gospel is good enough for Heaven but doesn’t really have effect on planet Earth. If Christians act this way, as if the Gospel doesn’t have power and purpose in their lives now, no wonder the world around us looks at it as being foolish.
Here’s a thought… What if we actually lived what we claimed to believe? What if we not only believe the Gospel can transform our lives, but lived in the newness and boldness of that transformed life? The fact is, the Gospel is“the power of God unto salvation”, and it doestransform our lives when we live in its power as we believe.
Here’s the deal… When our lives are transformed by the ongoing and continual power of the Gospel, people will notice. Yes they may not like the changed or transformed you, but that’s not because of you; it’s because of the Gospel. Granted they may not understand, but Paul says that it’s because the devil “has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4). Don’t let the world’s opinion of you dictate the way you live your life. You were designed to live for God not them. In His truth and power, not their lame perspective.
Make a difference, and do your part to make the Gospel more appealing to the world around you by actually living in the truth and power of the Gospel!
