I read a quote recently that I’ve been mulling over. I want to believe that what the author of the quote has observed and stated about the church is not true. I just don’t want to think that things are really like he says. I want to think that there are external forces totally responsible for people rejecting Jesus and the church.
The teaching of evolution has to be the number one reason why people reject Jesus and don’t want to be involved with the church. The constant bombardment of media and information has to be the number one reason for peoples’ response. The options that people have today – from 750 TV channels, internet, shopping, endless sports and entertainment – that has to be the reason that people stay away from God. Could it be that it is something else?
"The greatest single cause of atheism today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, but deny Him by their lifestyle. This is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” Brennan Manning
Could this be true? Could it be that the way I live or fail to live could stand in the way of people responding to Jesus and participating in a family of faith? Could it be that if I were to take how I live as seriously as Jesus told me to, it would have a far greater impact on those who have not crossed the line of faith?
Could it be that Jesus declared: “… let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16 NLT) because how His followers live does impact those who have yet come to faith?
When Jesus declared --- “… if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. "But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven! (Matthew 5:19-20 NLT) --- was He actually talking not about what has often been referred to by the church as ‘legalism’ but instead He was talking about living a ‘lifestyle’ that has great appeal to those who have not come to faith?
Am I living a lifestyle that draws people toward faith or a lifestyle that gives people an excuse to not believe?
What about you?
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