A recent issue of Zion's Fire magazine begins with these words:
"Those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior have a deep and intense love for their Redeemer, His Word (the Bible), and proclaiming to a lost and dying world its need for salvation." The Scriptures do an excellent job of succinctly pointing out the problem, the price, and the provision. The Problem: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23 (NKJV) The Price: "For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23a (NKJV) The Provision: "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23b (NKJV) This is the gospel in a nut shell.The apostle Paul succinctly presents the gospel using somewhat different words when writing to the church in Corinth.
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,
2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (NKJV)
I have no intention of trying to repackage the gospel here. One could say that these few verses are the Cliff-notes version of what Christians have believed, by faith, which results in the forgiveness of their sins and being promised eternal life in heaven. There is nothing hateful about this message, yet it engenders hate from many who hear it. I wish to examine briefly a few reasons why some people hate those who bring such good news.
First, some Christians (both real and pretend) are just plain hateful. They can't seem to get off the band-wagon of things they are against long enough to ever catch anyone's attention with "..but the gift of God" part of Romans 6:23b. Yes - abortion is wrong and it's evil. Yes, homosexual practices and same-sex marriages are abominations to God. Yes, we need to take a stand against them, especially as powerful forces have succeeded in declaring such evils good, and cloaking them in legality. Yes, legal does not always equal moral. However, Christians must be known by what they are for as well as what they are against. I point to my friends in Operation Save America and Personhood USA as shining examples of people who take uncompromising stands against the popular sins of our day, and still proclaim the love of God through the person of Jesus the Christ.
Second, some professing Christians, while not portraying an attitude of hate towards others, have still stirred up hatred by putting hypocrisy on display. Whether it has been done by presenting Christianity as a side show and preachers as con-artists, or making promises to the masses which are never met, many have been left with bad tastes in their mouths because of the gospel being presented with impure motives. As the apostle Peter warned: "For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." 1 Peter 3:17 (NKJV)
But what about those who present the gospel accurately with loving hearts and pure motives? Are they guaranteed that they will be received gladly, as bearers of good news? No! It is possible that all manner of preambles to the gospel will be accepted by many. Some conservatives even have a knack for paraphrasing Scripture without even knowing it. Many non-Christians are staunchly pro-life and others even believe in and practice the biblical model of marriage. But whether you are engaging a liberal or a conservative, an atheist or a pagan, you can proceed only so far with the gospel until you are compelled to deal with two issues which are potentially offensive: 1) universal and personal sin, and 2) Jesus as the only remedy.
Many people will tolerate the fact that you believe in God. After all, the Scriptures declare, "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!" James 2:19 (NKJV) Some unbelievers will even tolerate the viewpoint that you believe Jesus is God, but once you say that Christ is the only way to Heaven, most will get angry. Very angry. So what is a believer to do? In keeping with the pattern of short answers: "Speak the truth in love." (Ephesians 4:15).
Jesus prepared His disciples, and through them He prepares us. He declared that men love darkness because their deeds are evil (John 3:19) and it is the gospel which is light and exposes the darkness (John 8:12, 12:46). Those who love truth will be convicted, will repent from their sins, and turn towards Jesus as Savior and Lord. That is why we continue to preach the truth in love. Those who love the lie (including the lie that darkness is better than light) will hate the message, and sometimes hate the messenger. Yet if our goal is just to not offend, we will back off from the truth, which is not an act of love at all, but one of self-preservation.
Jesus said:
18 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. John 15:18-21 (NKJV)
So Christian, do what you have been called to do. Check your motives and be sure that love (both for God and for people) is at the center, and leave the results to the Holy Spirit. Some will hate you, but others will love you eternally, and your Heavenly Father will say, "Well done!"
