An Influential Gospel

The gospel contains everything necessary to transform the world with the truth of Jesus Christ. Called to influence culture and society, it seems that the opposite is happening. The world is so mired in its own corruption that it has little interest in the message of salvation, largely because it does not know it and, when the message is made known, resists understanding it.

As Christians, we look on with growing sadness at an astonishing trend toward the secularization of what we consider sacred. The church must interpret the characteristics of our time in the light of the gospel and enter the struggle to shape human thought with the distinctiveness of Jesus. Yes, it is not easy. But then again, one cannot be a Christian with secular values.

We look with some approval on efforts to create Christian paradigms in education and culture (universities, theological seminaries, art centers) to draw masses of believers together to share our worldview among ourselves. There are churches (at least in my country) that look more like trinket shops than agencies of the Kingdom promoting eternity. We have built places where we shut ourselves in to enjoy the wonders of our faith “in Christian love,” but outside, the misery continues: souls tormented by sin, waiting for a courageous voice to present them with the only hope for their insipid lives. Where is the salt of this earth? In the salt flats, of course. Why bother leaving the salt flats to give the world a better flavor when we are so comfortable enjoying our salty surroundings? The (misnamed) Christian culture—in my opinion—is not yet influential enough to penetrate all the activities of humankind that oppose the gospel of the Lord of Lords.

“I am the way, the truth and the life,” Jesus answered. “No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). Cristiano Ronaldo and Leonel Messi are idols to millions of young people and adults around the globe today, and Google remains the primary search engine for any “true and real” information. The Bible aside. People look for truth, or truths, in online encyclopedias, and the idolization of soccer players, baseball players and basketball players is commonplace and natural. The culture of the world has infiltrated the thinking of the ordinary Christian. “Are you not mistaken?” Jesus replied to them. “You do not know the Scriptures or the power of God!” (Mark 12:24)

The time will come when human thought and intellect are brought into submission and obedience to Christ, but Christians must begin to get their feet wet in the waters of the Jordan. Until we decide to step forward and begin intentionally sounding the trumpets of faith, God will not intervene so that we can bring down our walls of fear and uncertainty. We must leave the ghetto, the ornate walls and the multicolored stained-glass windows of our churches. It is not just a matter of preaching a message, but of influencing others with eternal truths. It is not about trying to convert others; it is about proclaiming Jesus to prompt a decision first and conversion afterward.

I believe many people are desperate to hear eternal, spiritual truths, but they do not find answers to their concerns in the churches. The church is waiting for men who will make an impact on the world, not on its members. It is not about adapting the message to the culture of this time, but about making the Christian worldview a cultural necessity for the world, where the values of the gospel of the Kingdom and the distinctiveness of a living Christ—a Christ who transforms, renews, educates and carries out his mission—come together. “For there is one God and one mediator between God and human beings, the man Jesus Christ, who gave his life as a ransom for all. God has given this testimony at the proper time, (1 Tim. 2:4–6).

Do you want to see a Christian man trying to influence the culture around him? Take delight in Acts 17:1–34; Paul’s speech to the Athenians at the Areopagus.

We need a new era of faith in a secular culture that reinvents itself in brief cycles. What is new today is obsolete tomorrow. That is our advantage. The gospel is eternal; it transcends cultures and worldviews. It is dynamic, not because it adapts to the times, but because it governs the times. It is immutable like its creator; it neither grows old nor becomes corrupt, because it comes from heaven. It is like you, who no longer belong to this world but to Christ; and whoever belongs to Christ is called to participate in his redemption.

May God bless his Word!