Faithful

There’s a basic assumption many hold about the world. It goes along with the ideas of “common sense”, “keep it simple”, “plain as day”, or “it’s not rocket science”. This is the idea that most people, when given the same set of information, are going to arrive at the same conclusion. Even our government was intended to be a democratic republic based on this belief that an educated populace would evaluate the situation and options and make the best decisions on issues for everyone. I think we can see by now that as much as “common sense” has become a cliché, so is it the idea that “common sense isn’t so common”.

Now that’s an interesting take on the questions, because it assumes that instead of thinking that maybe some people that have reached a different conclusion just aren’t smart enough rather than the thought that maybe those that reached a different conclusion didn’t actually have the necessary information. It’s not because they aren’t intelligent, but because what evidence they would have found persuasive was never presented to them.

We tend to think that we can show people Jesus through just a conversation, just an exchange of ideas, or just a simple discussion. We even see evidence for this approach in the Scriptures. For instance, Isaiah 1:18 reads, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:” (KJV). Acts 17 also shows this approach, “As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead.” Peter too shows the importance of sharing the knowledge and wisdom we have in the Gospel in 1 Peter 3:15, “. . . . Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. . . .”

However, this should not be our only approach to sharing the Gospel. In fact, we undermine the power of the Gospel when we limit the personal impact the Gospel has on ourselves. When we live without love, repentance, and grace we rob the Gospel of its power to save ourselves and our ability to show others the authentic Jesus. Paul warns Titus of such an attitude present in the people of the 1st-century church. In Titus 1:16 he writes, “They profess that they know God, but in their works they deny Him, being abominable and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.”

Maybe the thing that holds people back from seeing Jesus the way we say we do and reaching the same conclusions we did, is that we don’t actually live like it.

Therefore, let us preach the Gospel not only in word but also in deed (1 John 3:19). Let us live in a way that our lives will glorify God (1 Peter 2:12). Let the life we will reflect the goodness of God (Mt 5:16). Let our example of love lead others to the cross (1 Peter 3:1).

Yes, reason has its place. Yes, we must be able to articulate and explain our convictions. But let our convictions be just that, so we are known not for our skillful debate skills or our eloquent rhetoric but, as Jesus says, let us be known by our love (John 13:34-35).