How do non-Christians see our attempts at evangelizing? Particularly when we lay the “Hell card” on the table?
Holly, over at The Visitor’s Card blog is a self-proclaimed agnostic who writes about church, religion, and God from a unique perspective.
Recently she has had some pretty insightful posts! Check them out…
- And, some crankiness (Part 1)
- Hazing the Hellbound (Part 2)
Her writing makes me think that maybe there’s a better way to introduce people to our Leader than leaving tracts about Hell on the gym floor (which somebody keeps doing at the gym… GRRRRRRR!!!)
Check out this post for a better way… (Holly, if you read this, I’d love to hear your thoughts).
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I went to that blog site, and appreciated the insight and especially the responses. I don’t think it is a site for “young” christians to wander. Especially the diverse responses.
I too appreciate looking at things from another perspective but I also feel that we need to be careful. The truth of the matter is that we do not fight against flesh and bone but against principalities and powers. Satan and hell are real. We can try to mask that all we want to be sensitive to unbelievers but I feel that we are potentially decieving them if we do not tell about these things. You can speak with someone about hell and sin and judgement in the spirit of love. It is not judgemental. If someone feels judged it is most likely by the spirit of God and not by us. The preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who don’t believe. People need to understand the need for Jesus before they can accept Him. It is not to live a fuller life, it is so we don’t suffer in an eternal hell. There is no promise of a life without trials and tribulations.
Eyes Wide Open,
Thanks for your comment! I have no problem with Holly having these perspectives, because she is a non-Christian. It is also helpful to hear how non-Christians perceive the gospel and the faith. But if as Christians we start to downplay hell, God, and other spiritual realities, I wonder why we would consider ourselves Christians in the first place.
There is a whole movement in today’s church that seems to do this. It’s appalling to me. Jesus was tortured, suffered, and died for our sins so that we could avoid a real hell and go to a real heaven. Besides this, I don’t understand why one would bother being a Christian if one refuses to believe the Bible at its word.
I am in favor of sharing the gospel with someone by sharing the bad news (we are sinners) first and then the good news (Christ died to redeem us). I am not in favor of promising a peachy life or preaching propserity. But I do think that after we share the good news about salvation, we should also share that Jesus promises to not only save us from hell but also provide the Holy Spirit to guide us through an abundant life (John 10:10)—and not necessarily one without trials—of righteousness, joy, peace, and the like. I imagine you would agree, but I find myself forgetting to include this part.
By the way, Paul, I would agree that littering with tracts is not the best option. Further, I would agree that if we only tell people about hell, and do not present the good news, the presentation is pointless. But hell is necessarily a part of sharing the gospel.
There was a man who was into the drug game in California, he used the drugs he was to sell, and the drug dealers messed him up to teach him a lesson. He spent some time roaming the streets in a pscydelic nuerosis, paranoid, dirty and afraid.
One day when he was begging for food a women not only gave him food but sat with him and shared her lunch. In his testimony Mike Macintoch “For the Love of MIke”, this world renowned pastor didn’t need someone to tell him about hell.
The women showed Christ in a way that many of us may be uncomfortable with.
I wonder if we have the other person in mind when evangelize.
It is more than an act: it is a relationship, a committment, and
maybe even coming out of OUR comfort zone.
God came
God gave
So that whoever
could have everlating life
everlasting life!!!