February 22nd, 2013

The Refusal to take Christ Seriously
Have you ever met someone who laughed, sneered, or jeered when the subject of Jesus Christ came up? While most people are more polite and tolerant of someone else’s point of view there are also many who just find the whole subject of faith in Jesus Christ as...well...just a little bit ridiculous. This is, by the way, one of the chief reasons so many Christians refuse to talk about their faith with anyone, ever. It is one thing to express a point of view with which others disagree. It is quite another to have it laughed off the stage. We shouldn’t be too harsh with those who respond to this sacred subject with a laugh. They are only reflecting the real state of things as they now exist in our increasingly pagan society. It is not that there is something inherently funny about the subject of faith in Christ. To them it is more like trying to get a serious discussion started on the person of Santa Claus. The first shock to them is that you actually believe in Him and the second is that you are trying to get others to believe in Him. While the serious Christian may not understand how this mindset came about in a so-called“Christian nation” it is certainly becoming firmly entrenched.

How is this possible in a country that overwhelmingly says it believes in God? With churches on every corner and mega churches sprouting up everywhere, how could so many people miss the message? While the temptation is to blame
Satan for this newest twist or to bemoan the spiritually backsliding society we live in, I put most of the blame squarely on the backs of Christians themselves. While so many Christians talk about God, faith, church or even a “relationship
with Jesus Christ,” their unwillingness to live out their faith openly before their peers is the one thing, more than any other, that continues to move the subject of Jesus Christ into the realm of fantasy. For instance, if you had a neighbor who professed to love the country of Italy more than any country in the world, yet he spoke no Italian, never read books on the subject, never listened to Italian music, never went to an Italian restaurant or ever visited the country, wouldn’t you begin to suspect that the country of Italy never really  existed?

Jesus Himself has the answer for us: “You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before men, that
they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16). You see, our speech will mean absolutely nothing unless it is supported by our actions. It’s as simple as  that.


 

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