Gospel Confusion is Hiding the Truth

2 Corinthians 4:3 (NIV) “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.”

Galatians 1:6-9 (NIV) “ I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — ⁷ which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! ⁹ As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

I have just read a book by a man that teaches unless we preach the ten commandments there is little to no conviction of sin in a person; so they exhibit a shallow experience of Christ. To bolster his case he cites many dismal statistics of evangelistic campaigns etc. That produced very few converts. I must say that he quotes events that he was not present at nor was he preaching. While his argument sounds good, it is not actually working anywhere in an outstanding way that we might notice!

He does attack ‘easy-believing’ and ‘decisions’ and certainly this has not worked for the ‘seeker-sensitive’ churches or those who emulate these methods: “Every eye closed, just raise your hand etc.” I agree that this comes down to simply shaking the tree which has the result of showering us with unripe fruit.

Truthfully, when a person is drawn and convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit, what kind of Gospel presentation occurs, is actually irrelevant, they are going to get saved.  No amount of thundering about sin and shame will convince them. The Holy Spirit will. Such clear-cut conversions are rare. In these cases the myth of ‘follow-up’ is completely unwarranted. “See, here is water, what hinders me from being baptized?” Acts 8:36-37. He went on his own back to Ethiopia.

What is wrong with our Gospel has less to do with how we do it than what we impart when we speak to others. I believe we are confusing the Gospel by not living it.

Since the 1960’s we have all been drawn into a philosophy of ‘me-ism’ where we have become focussed in on our own lives as never before in history. Why? Because we live in an illusion of peace and prosperity: We have unconsciously begun to think we are at the centre of our own lives.

Prior to the 60’s the world was a much more dangerous and uncertain place with wars, sickness and a kind of pioneering spirit. Since the 60’s, new (actually old) philosophies have re-surfaced and prevailed giving licence to live by our feelings and own desires. We Christians have been marinated in these views for years. That is why we seek happiness and fulfilment in everything we attempt. We are at the centre.

The apostle Paul launched a scathing attack against those who were distorting the Gospel with Jewish beliefs. What would he say today? I’m certain he would berate us for promoting a Gospel that put man at the centre instead of Jesus.

Philippians 1:27-29 (NIV) “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit,^[a] striving together as one for the faith of the gospel ²⁸ without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. ²⁹ For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.”

In the 60’s and 70’s we Christians were subjected to the so-called ‘Jesus-people’ who emanated from the indulgent beaches of California and lived Hippie-style promoting the idea that “existentialism” is cool. (Human beings – through their own consciousness – create their own values and determine a meaning to their life.) Another way to express this is; ‘if you think or feel something is good or right, then for you it is’. Music was the voice of this ‘new wave.’

In the 80’s this translated into greed and materialism as the Hippies emerged from the bush and had a shower. . We all got into Amway, easy credit and Success Motivation PMA. For many Christians this was exacerbated by dispensational teaching from apocalyptic teachers who sowed the impression that “it’s all gonna’ end soon, so who cares...”

In the desperate 90’s we were soaked by media and Eastern religious trendy views such as meditation, Yoga etc.  People were sold the lie that investing for quick returns in the stock market was the way to go. Demonstrating how easily we can be mass-manipulated by unknown forces. Christians were travelling all over the world for the next big experience.

The new Century has given us shiny technological toys to keep us diverted from what is important. Everyone has become frightened (see above) by media who have played-up ‘terrorism’ and played down morality. While we were diverted by all that, we have lost our freedoms and our money to robber barons hiding behind corporations in cahoots with governments. We have become de-sensitized by the barrage of advertising and PC media. We retreat further into ‘self’ as a defence mechanism. We are fed the lie that the Church is in retreat. We have tried to be ‘relevant and cool’ to be a bridge for unbelievers; but a bridge to what; more of the same? That is how we are perceived.

I think it must be plain that our enemy has been very busy on his master-plan for civilization. How does the Gospel survive all this hosing-down of our character and conviction?  Our Gospel is now ‘filtered’ by years of self centred philosophy and we have become so self-absorbed we don’t let Jesus shine through. How can he if our lives are so full of stuff? This is not new: Philippians 2:21(NIV) ^“For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.”

What made us effective? What made the early apostles effective? What makes the Gospel effective? One word: Conviction. When we are convicted first of sin then of life, 1 Thessalonians 1:5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. Hebrews 3:14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.

When we carry that conviction, Jesus becomes central. When we speak to others we speak out of conviction. They have to reject us or become convicted also. We will become an embarrassment! The religious ‘black sheep’ of our family etc.  

It is not reasoning or emotion or religious striving that motivates the Gospel. It is men and women of conviction who ‘bring it!’ They live only for the Kingdom. That is not an abstract notion it is a passion. We will believe there is no way to build bridges into the Kingdom. There is only one way in: The Cross. That means death to self. That truth will never change.