"as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” "
Romans 9:33
Honestly, I don't have any special insight on the topic. I simply want to convey my thoughts on the situation. And sadly, my thoughts will probably only uncover more questions. The reason is because I think so many topics relate to so many other topics and themes and doctrines and culture, etc, etc, etc. We've gotten to a point in American Christianity (which due to American influence, has made its mark on much of the global Christian culture) that is built on philosophy and sociology rather than on simple study of what the Bible says.
We have become a people so enthralled with biblical commentary and motivational speaking with Christian spin, that we have far excused ourselves from knowing the fundamentals of Christian faith, more specifically, the fundamentals of the early church.
See what I mean by one topic leading to another, and yet another...?
The reason I bring up church history and current cultural themes is because our modern culture and perspective tends to blind us to the consistency necessary in an unchangeable faith. Now, I'm not saying that we can't be "culturally relevant" and use modern insight to communicate the truth of scripture. What I'm saying is that we let our blinders limit the deep truth we could otherwise glean from the Word of God.
Back to the question, "How do we proclaim an offensive gospel while also loving our enemies?"
Our modern culture tells us that tolerance is an attribute of love, that negative words are "hate speech." We are of the cultural mentality in which we "agree to disagree" and we have even come up with the outrageous concept of "relative truth." Its the idea that what is true for me may not be true for you. It is illogical and a product of poorly thought out metaphysics and philosophical discussion.
In response to this cultural phenomenon, the church has watered down its platform. We have diluted our speech in order to reach a larger number. We seem to seek a large number of converts with little attention to disciple making. Somewhere on the road, we began to see the Great Commission as a mandate to make the largest number of converts possible. We accredit success with church growth and the number of people who belong to the clique of moralists in America who call themselves Christians.
Again, one topic after another.. They are all related... To discuss one, you have to regard the others...
We are a people of words. We make claims that don't have to be true and we defend our falsehood with the old cliche, "nobody is perfect." Of course no one is perfect. Except my wife, she's pretty darn close. In our country, we pride ourselves on our protection of human interests. John Brown can say he is a Christian and we accept it. We oblige his identity because of his claim. Yet, if we question the truth of his claim based on the content of lifestyle, we are suddenly in the wrong. A white man wouldn't be allowed to stake claim to a Native American scholarship simply for saying, "I'm an indian." We seem to have created a double standard that perverts our understanding of truth. To the politico who lied, we address their falsehood. To the white man attempting to infringe on a benefit he is not privileged to, we label him dishonest and call his actions deplorable. Yet when those around us claim Christ and have no fruit, we are socially and culturally required to accept it.
We have created a cultural religion. We value Christian morals (more or less). We hold ethics in esteem. Yet, on what are these based? Who decides the standard? How far can the line be moved? We have developed a culture of tolerance in the name of "love." We have systematically altered, by definition, the attributes of love.
How do we get back to the basics of scriptural love as the church, the body of Christ? We must start by addressing our definition. Regardless of the world around us, we who claim Christ are bound by blood to our Lord Jesus Christ. We are to be in the world and not of the world. Hence, changing culture and societal demographics should not bare influence on our resolve to uphold God's Holy Word.
Here is how the Bible defines love:
1. Patience - the choice to deny anxiety, fear, or frustration when dealing with people
2. Kindness - the choice to put someone else's needs (or wants) before your own
3. Humility - the attitude and resolve to count others as more important than yourself
4. Not Arrogant or Rude - the character to treat others with courtesy, being soft in speech
5. Not Obstinate or Resentful - choosing not to insist on personal goals or and choosing to forget wrongs done against you
6. Rejoices in Truth - to hold truth in high regard and to seek satisfaction from it
7. Bears and Endures - to hold up under difficult circumstances
* From 1 Cor. 13.
I don't know about you, but some of these attributes seem dependent on how other people view our actions and words. What is kindness and patience to me, may be belittling or impatient to someone else. We can be sure that our instruction to love will not hold us accountable to how other's perceive us. The issue comes to the motive and the focus of the heart. From my core, are the intentions of my actions and speech defined by the 7 attributes above? If so, then I am loving biblically. The key word is motive. What are my motives?
Now on to the 'offensive gospel.'
One may say that the good news of Christ should not be offensive to anyone. This idea is only a product of a poor understanding of the gospel. If you can't see how the gospel can be offensive, then, chances are, you don't fully grasp it.
Let's think about the things Jesus said about the means of salvation. We'll even throw in a few comments from an apostle.
Jesus said, "If anyone does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." Jesus calls us to full surrender and commitment, even when it requires us to reject those closest to us.
Jesus said, "If you love me you will obey my commands." Our commitment to Christ requires us to act in full obedience, even if it leads to death.
Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my father in heaven." Regardless of vocal allegiance, the true sign of a believer is obedience. We cannot simply "claim Christ" and be saved. It requires true repentance and true faith. Otherwise, we disobey the commandment not to take the name of the Lord in vain.
Jesus commanded us to repent "for the kingdom of God is at hand." We must acknowledge our sin. This is a tremendously difficult task in a society of relative truth that demands tolerance of the individual and his lifestyle. We are even told by "Christians" not to judge. We lean on "remove the plank from your eye before removing the sty in another's" without balancing it with "if you see your brother in sin, go to him."
The Apostle Paul said, "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fists of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warded you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." Many of these are blatantly commonplace in our American Culture. I see posts on facebook all the time about several of these. People who revel in weekend drunkenness, who incite and perpetuate 'drama' and dissension. Even church goers who are given over to sensuality (which is about the senses, not just sex).
This gospel of ours is supremely offensive to fallen man. It points out his errors and his plight. Yet, this is necessary. Before we can understand the amazing Grace of Christ Jesus, we must address our sin and understand that we do not deserve the fruit of that Holy Vine, which is the Son of God. I don't know exactly how to mediate between proclaiming an offensive gospel and loving those outside the kingdom, but I do know that we must do both. We are obligated by the grace we have been given to preach the gospel and we are commanded by our Holy Master to love and humble ourselves towards those outside the kingdom.
Call sin as sin, yet let no arrogance flavor your words. Examine yourselves and be open about your failures and your sin. Hold fast to the joy of the Lord and always have an answer prepared to lovingly tell others why you have this joy. Do not back down to meet culturally and politically correct standards, but resolve to align yourself with the Word, in light of the world in which you live.
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!" Isaiah 5:20-23
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noise gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
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