Occasionally, a news article
describes a crime in which people stood by and did nothing to stop what was
occurring. A woman is violated, a man is beaten, a child is verbally assaulted,
and the list is as endless as the depraved human mind is evil. As we read about
these senseless events, there is something inside of us that incites righteous
anger. “Why didn’t anyone do anything?”, “How could they just stand there?”,
“If I was there I would have…!”
Now imagine those same scenarios, but
the bystanders were police officers or armed military. Or what if they were
high-powered executives who had knowledge of an ongoing criminal act where innocence
was robbed. We rightly become more indignant because we all know that with
great power and/or knowledge comes tremendous responsibility. Unlike the
typical bystander, the officer and militia are highly trained experts on how to
handle nightmarish situations. And CEOs receive training on what to do if “X”
occurs, and the answer is never, ‘Sit back and allow the crime to continue.’
The court of public opinion would rightly be one of outrage.
What about the
Christian who remains silent?
The viral YouTube video of atheist,
Penn, of Penn and Teller accurately describes the Christian who says nothing to
a person who they believe is going to hell. He says, “Some Christians don’t
proselytize because they’re afraid of it being socially awkward…How much do you
have to hate somebody to not proselytize?”
The Body of Christ is filled with wide and expanding souls who refuse to share the gospel.
It appears the Body of Christ has
become morbidly obese. That is, they continue to gorge themselves at the table
of God’s knowledge week after week, absorbing the truth of Christ, fat with lifesaving
information, full of life, bursting at the seams with eternal knowledge that
sets the captives free. Yet most, according to research, remain silent.
I fear the day when we stand in heaven and my perfect ears hear the righteous indignation and chorus from those departing to eternal separation from God rightly crying out… “WHY!?” “HOW COULD YOU!?” “IF I HAD KNOWN, I WOULD HAVE…!?”
I fear the day when we stand in heaven and my perfect ears hear the righteous indignation and chorus from those departing to eternal separation from God rightly crying out… “WHY!?” “HOW COULD YOU!?” “IF I HAD KNOWN, I WOULD HAVE…!?”
Spreading the
gospel of Jesus Christ is not a calling or a gift; it is a command!
Imagine what could happen if the New
Year’s resolution of the Christian was, “To go out and make disciples of Jesus
Christ.” In other words, I will no longer sit week after week watching my
friends, family, and co-workers walk the path of eternal destruction. I will
obey the command of God. I will stand up for the righteous cause and not be a
bystander anymore. I will get my soul in shape by working it out on the lost.
“How much do you have to hate
somebody to not proselytize?” How long will we ignore the command of God?
Our calling is not to get to Heaven by the skin of our teeth.
We are trained, equipped, and commanded, at minimal, to attempt to...
bring others with us.
