By Sean Nolan, TGC.
Any meaningful testimony about a life changed by Christ includes not only sin’s bankruptcy but also Jesus’s beauty and power to redeem.
In the past, I’ve been skeptical about people coming to Christ not because they’ve seen his beauty but because they’ve only seen their sin’s ugly fruit. Such people have identified what they’re running from, but I’ve doubted their faith in the One they’re running to.
While I still think Christ’s positive pull (Matt. 12:45) is more powerful than sin’s repelling nature (2 Pet. 2:22), our current cultural landscape has me reevaluating an unlikely evangelism tool: hellfire and brimstone.
Outrage: No Match for God’s Plan
“If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.”
I’ve heard this slogan thrown around more times than I can count—and not just from those who’ve adopted conspiracy theories. The news cycle thrives on (and profits from) outrage. I’m not surprised when I learn of yet another public figure’s moral bankruptcy. I’m also not apathetic, but I resist the pull to be outraged.
I still believe that God will, in the end, “cut them down.” And I’m starting to think my non-Christian neighbors and friends might also find the once-unpopular doctrine of God’s judgment attractive.
With trust in public officials near an all-time low, more people are adopting a pessimistic outlook on the future. They’re no longer worried that something bad may happen. They reactively assume a posture of outrage when bad things are revealed.
For Christians who embrace the doctrine of depravity, our world’s evil shouldn’t be surprising. But it’d be imbalanced for us to mimic our neighbors’ outrage and pessimism. As defenses against disappointment, these postures seem effective, but sadly, they blind us from seeing the larger tapestry God is weaving.