A World With An ‘I’ Problem
Preaching in 2022 is just... different. Not a different gospel—never--but recognition that our culture approaches things differently than 30-40 years ago. God’s word clarifies that in ‘the last days’ people will be non-responsive to God’s wonderful gospel. But we don’t just quit preaching and reaching to those folks, rather we refocus our efforts, as fewer are listening. Jude, the half-brother of our lord, speaks of ‘mockers who live according to their own Godless desires’’... men who split communities,... led by human emotions and never by the Spirit of God... some of these men you feel pity and treat them differently. Others you must try to save by fear, snatching them as it were out of the fire while hating the very garments their deeds have befouled.” (Jude 17-23 Phillips Translation)
Many openly abuse the goodness of God by their behavior, and entire ‘communities’—christian and non—are affected by such rebellion against the character of God. So, what is to be our attitude toward such individuals, since we recognize that ‘The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light...’ (2 Cor 4:4).
If a person is intentionally blinded by the actions of another—in this case, by Satan—it’s difficult to blame that person with the dim eyesight entirely when he’s on the wrong road! Paul therefore underscores the need for Christians to be vigilant in reaching out early to those who are on such a wrong path—while they still see at least somewhat. Jude says to have compassion on such people, but we never compromise the gospel. We do no one a favor by trying to ‘bribe’ them into accepting the lordship of Jesus—this world appeals enough to the ‘me-ism’ of each of us; but appealing to the selfishness of the heart never causes a person to think, ‘maybe I need to focus less on ‘me’! A recent description of the self-absorbed person says: ‘that person is so prideful and independent that the only reason he would ever think to call ‘Dial-aPrayer’ would be to try and check his messages!’
Jude says to look prayerfully at the specific person in front of you from one of two perspectives: some desperately need compassion—someone to listen to them; others need the fear of God in them. God loves each deeply, but Jude says the 2nd group really doesn’t need the messages of that love as much as the first: telling that person God loves him often results with ‘God loves me. What a coincidence—i love me too!’ This person’ independence from God’s will needs clear recognition that his choices ‘have befouled his very garments’—everything is tainted by his desire to sit on the throne of the universe, a seat God is not open to sharing!
With all the irritation we as Christians may feel toward those who live in blatant disregard for the ways of God, we still are called to ‘snatch them out of the fire’. So is the church then arrogant—do we know better than they how to conduct their own lives? Not at all: ‘evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where to fine bread’! Many Christians fully intend ‘someday’ to follow through with such evangelistic efforts. And such promises are like snowballs—east to make, difficult to keep. But remember, the devil doesn’t care what day we follow through with such promises—as long as it’s not today!