What is our job as Christians

And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” (Mar 1:17 NASB)

A number of years ago, I recall watching on the news a sect of Baptists protesting at the funerals of fallen American soldiers. Their protest is that God is judging America for allowing homosexuality to prevail and allowing homosexuals to serve in the armed forces.   On many internet communities, we see an incredible anti-Arab sentiment. We see Christians speaking out against the evil that is in our world. We see Christians arguing with and lamenting over the liberalism in this country.  Ann Coulter’s voice is heard throughout this country as to the evil liberalism of which I am in agreement.

While I, for the most part, agree with what Ann Coulter speaks, I’m left wondering what has been accomplished. The world continues on its evil path and our speaking out against the evil in this world has not changed her path to destruction. Standing in front of funerals of our fallen soldiers has not changed the path of homosexuality. To the contrary, we can see that the path of liberalism is strong and growing stronger. Spending time debating with non-Christians over liberalism, the Middle East, or other topics has not had an effect on the course that this world is taking.

As I read scripture, I am yet to find an instance where Jesus or any of His disciples spent any time discussing or debating the nature of the evil in this world. The single focus of Jesus and then the disciples was the individual — the individual sinful nature of that person and their need for salvation. In fact, in the Old Testament, there’s not a single instance of God commanding the Israelites to spend time trying to change the evil nature of the world. The focus was upon themselves not that which was around them.

What did God tell us to do? He told us to preach the Good News. AND THAT IS IT!  However, we Christians, for some reason, have taken it upon ourselves to speak out against the evil in this world without incorporating the one plan that can change these events. We spend time lamenting over the liberalism in this world, disputing the Middle East issues, protesting homosexuality, we go out and protest the evil that is around us, and we write and publish articles about the evil that is around us, and on and on. And what have we accomplished? Absolutely nothing! The world is continuing on it way to destruction at an ever increasing pace. Everything that we do has accomplished nothing — the world is continuing exactly as God said it would despite our best efforts to change the evil in this world. The reason our best efforts have accomplished absolutely nothing is because God never told us to do what we’ve taken upon ourselves to do. What He told us to do is take the Good News to all the nations. He did not tell us to go out and protest the evil in this world. We are in this world, we are not of this world and I don’t see scripture where we are to “change this world” except through the preaching of His salvation.

I ask myself if I were not a Christian and was at a funeral of one of our fallen soldiers, would I want to convert to the group that is out there protesting? Absolutely not! If I were a Muslim, would I want to convert to Christianity after watching Christians cheer at the death of Arabs? Absolutely not! If I were a Muslim and read Ann Coulter’s statement “Arabs stink,” would I want to convert to Christianity? Why would I want to belong to a group like that? Fortunately, Jesus did not teach what many Christians display. We are to be His light and what many Christians show forth is not the light of Him. Fortunately, God did not let me see this side of Christians before I converted.

I am reminded of a time on an internet community when I asked if I could invite a Muslim. I was told that it was not the focus of the board. Yet on another occassion on this same internet community, when I asked if I could invite a non believing Jew, I was told I could invite this person. This spoke volumes as to the hearts of Christians in general. We only want to associate with those in our “comfort zone.” What Christians tend to do is try and change a non believer to fit into their comfort zone and then they will speak the gospel to them. I know of Christians that will not allow a homosexual to attend their church unless the homosexual first gives up their “lifestyle.” Once the homosexual gives up their “lifestyle,” then they are allowed to hear the gospel preached by attending their congregation. Again, they want to change a behavior so that the non believer fits into their comfort zone and once the non believer fits into their comfort zone, they will then preach the gospel. This attitude is not supported by scripture. We will not find a single instance of either Jesus or any of the disciples attempting to change the behavior of an individual or a group before they will preach the Good News. To the contrary, it is the change of heart through the Holy Spirit that will change the behavior.

Jesus spent His time with the lowliest of the sinners. He said He did not come for the healthy, He came to heal the sick. He did not try and change their behavior; His focus was a change of heart. His whole message was about the fallen nature of man and their need for redemption. The fallen nature of man causes him to sin, not the other way around. Yet, Christians have this view that we must change a behavior first. While many will deny this, their very actions say otherwise. Again, while I agree with most of Ann Coulter’s statements as to the evil in this world, I’m left with the question of “what’s the point?” Her methodology simply exalts what we all believe as Christians while turning away those very people she’s speaking against.

On an internet board, I have witnessed those that speak against Paul the Apostle or deny Jesus His deity and have their membership cancelled. I am left wondering where in the Gospel does Jesus teach that we need to stick up for Him. Where does He command us to defend His name. What He told us is we cannot deny Him but He never told us to ban from our midst the sick that need His salvation. Would we not agree that those that deny Jesus His deity are in need of His salvation. Again, those that make those statements are outside our comfort zone, so therefore, we will not preach to them the Gospel. We tell them you must quit saying such things and if you don’t, we will ban you from our midst.

I am reminded of a story that I read about a missionary in India. This missionary was holding a bible study in her home to non believing Indians. At one point, one of the non believers got up in the middle of the study and left the room only to return later. At the end of the study, the missionary asked this woman why she left and then returned. Her reply was that as she was listening to the gospel, she was wondering if this missionary really lived as she preached. So she got up and went to speak to the maid that was employed by the missionary. A maid is the lowliest of the lowly in that country and typically the most mistreated. When the maid had nothing but praise towards the treatment she received by her employer, the missionary, the woman returned. She told the missionary that when she heard the words of the maid, she returned to the study, as she wanted to hear more about “this Jesus” that was being talked about. This woman did not just preach the Gospel, she lived her life in such a way as to be His light.

We spin our wheels, become aggravated, and experience undue stress over that which we cannot change. God said the world would get worse. He said to watch for the signs. Yet, we get angry at what is happening. I, too am not only upset but become angry. By the same token, I am fully aware that my anger or anything I may choose to do will not change the course of events that God said would happen. In other words, we are angry at what God said is going to take place. In Matthew, Jesus talks about the fig tree. This parable is an explanation that we are to use the sign of the times to gauge His return so as to be ready. Instead, Christians have used the sign of the times to lament the ways of the world.

I received an email a few years ago by someone close to me — a non Christian. This is his view of Christians and it is based on what he sees. “I was watching CNN the other day it was reported by Wolf Blitzer that the Evangelical Christians are celebrating and rejoicing at what is happening in Gaza and Lebanon. If that is the case you and your Evangelical Christians are nothing but a bunch of SICK people.” This person has been turned off to the Gospel of Christ because of the very actions of Christians. Why would a non believer even consider truth the words that a Christian speaks when their actions are against scripture. Scripture states that we are not to rejoice over death.

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Or the LORD will see it and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him. (Proverbs 24:17-18 NASB)

“Have I rejoiced at the extinction of my enemy, Or exulted when evil befell him? “No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin By asking for his life in a curse. (Job 31:29-30 NASB)

Yet, this very disobedience to scripture by Christians has turned and disgusted one person that I know of from the Gospel. Those Christians seen on CNN are in violation of God’s word and not shining His light.

Even if this person misread what he saw on CNN, we are commanded to not have the appearance of evil. And that is exactly what these Christians did. They had the appearance of evil and caused at least one person to utterly reject the Gospel based on what was seen. If Christians are rejoicing in the destruction of the people in Lebanon or Gaza, they are violating God’s word. Even God does not rejoice in their destruction (Ezekiel 18:23). God Himself does not rejoice in the death or destruction of the wicked. Yet, Christians will rejoice in destruction and death of non believers contrary to His command and contrary to what God Himself will not do.

Scripture also says we are not to fret because of evildoers (Proverbs 24:19) for in verse 20 God says there will be no prospect for the evil man. It is His job to fret and judge the evil of the world. It is NOT our job. Our job is simply to preach the Gospel. Yet, fret we do, we engage ourselves in debates with non believers over their evil ways. We write books, we publish articles, we go out and stand in protest over the ways of the world even though God told us that this would be the way of the world. We do this in hopes that we can change what God has declared will be. If we don’t do it in hopes that we can change things, then we must admit that we are doing it in vain. In other words, if we realize in our hearts that we cannot change things because God declared that these things must come to pass, what’s the point of engaging in these debates that we partake in? What outcome do we hope to accomplish?

The only thing that we are commanded to do is preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. It is His word will change hearts, not our complaints about the evil of this world, not our debates, not our articles, not our protests. If we, as Ann Coulter and many others do, preach the evil ways of the world without preaching the Good News of Christ, we accomplish absolutely nothing except to vindicate our views in our moral beliefs. It does nothing for the Kingdom of Christ. In actuality, Christ teaches that if we are not accepted, we are to shake the dust off our feet and move on.

“Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. (Matthew 10:14 NASB)

Matthew 10:14 is in response to those not accepting the Gospel of Christ — it is not speaking to those that bemoan the evil that is part of our world (which, again, God said will take place). It does absolutely no good for anyone to change their ways, i.e. leave the liberal party and join the conservative party, if they are still on the road to damnation. The fact of the matter is that arguing with someone will not change their ways. One can be forced into submission in their actions but it will not change their heart. Only God can do that. EVEN if we are able to convince someone that being a liberal is wrong, what is accomplished if he or she is still on the road to damnation? And I pray that there’s not a single Christian that will say that once a person has realized that liberalism is wrong, then I can preach the Gospel. We cannot do that. We are to preach the Gospel, plant a seed, God waters and grows the seed. Once the heart of a person is changed by HIM, then we can teach that certain things of this world is evil.

The bottom line is that Christians are spinning their wheels preaching, writing, discussing, debating, etc. the ways of the world with the non-believers when they should put that effort into preaching the Gospel of Christ which is the ONLY way to change the heart of man. Complaining about the heart of man and trying to change his ways is a classic exercise in futility and is not in obedience to God.

We can let our voice be heard as to the evil of this world but it should not take precedence nor should it be louder than our voice of preaching His Good News. Christians should engage their time in His work and not let our voice of opposition to the ways of this world be louder than our voice of preaching His Good News. Let us not be guilty of turning someone off to Him because our voice of opposition world is so loud that it drowns out our voice of preaching salvation.

Related posts:

1. How are Christians Perceived?
2. A Christian is known by their fruit
3. The law nailed to the Cross? Or was it?
4. Sin and Consequences
5. Is there a need for more committed Christian tattooists?