Monday, 31 May 2010
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Do You Have a Corner on the Gospel?
By Sam at Creating CultureMany people feel that they have a corner on the Gospel. Of course, this may not be readily admitted, but their actions wreak in confidence that they have the Gospel figured out. In fact, many people so believe this that they create products and resources affirming their view of Scripture and their style of presentation. While nothing is wrong with sharing insights and best practices, making the claim (in action more so than deed) that you have the Gospel cornered, is a dangerous place to be.
A few side effects and resistance points you may face when you think you have established a corner on the Gospel:
- People quit listening
- People turn away
- People question your motivation
- People question your Gospel (in turn, questioning the person around whom your gospel revolves)
You may think that people will do this anyway, and we can’t use people’s reactions as a consistent barometer of success. While this may be true, when people are turning away not because of the challenge inherent in the Gospel message but because of your confidence in yourself, ya got troubles.
Be confident in the One you speak about, and speak out of the assurance that it is not about you.
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About the Author
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- From: SamMahlstadt
- Name: Sam
- About Me: I am a graduate of the University of Iowa, where I studied English and Religious Studies. I am passionate about seeing the local church living in genuine relationship and maintaining a global mindset.
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Comments (4)
Hi Sam, Your interesting post stimulated my 76 year old brain, which is neither intellectual or theological.
First, I did not know much individual evangelism was going on to the point that some think that their method
is the best. That is a new idea to me.
Second, I don't think the method matters. There are numerous methods of sharing the Gospel.
Third, I thought it was the Spirit working through Believers that got the opportunity to share the Gospel.
If you know some who think there method is the best, at least they are sharing the Good News.
My wife has used Campus Crusade for Christ's 'Four Spiritual Laws' for decades. It does not always work,
so she approaches them a different way. She has led over 200 people to faith in Christ since 1965. I have
only did that maybe 20 times.
I guess you have noticed something in your experience that I have not. I hope you have been able to help
them.
FRANK
This reminded me of Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." There are some who seem to think that they know for sure that it applies to everyone besides themselves.
"....but their actions wreak in confidence that they have the Gospel figured out."
Unfortunately there are no shortages of confident people who are nonetheless deluded as to the true nature of life (at least they appear to be confident outwardly), and there is no shortage of people willing to toss out reason, common sense, and even facts in order to follow the deluded confidence. Eventually some followers are willing to toss reason, common sense and actual events aside because those things no longer fit into what they believe. In religion this can lead to dismissing the world altogether, treading water in this life in hopes of being saved in the next. If any of these people stick it out for long enough they become elders in faith and perhaps even confident leaders themselves, convincing others that theirs is the correct path. It's a vicious cycle. Many a politician uses the tactic that if you lie enough about something people will begin to believe the lie is actually the truth.