January 12, 2000
EDITORIAL:
Stay winsome in order to win some
___One of life's greatest challenges is to do the right things in the right ways.
___For Christians, of course, the ultimate "right thing" is fulfilling Christ's Great Commission--proclaiming the gospel message to everybody on Earth and leading as many people as possible to a saving relationship with the Lord.
___Accomplishing this task in the right way isn't easy. The logistics of sharing the gospel with every soul everywhere are daunting. Moreover, millions of people are apathetic to spiritual matters, and millions more are outright antagonistic toward the Christian gospel. So, presenting a message of Christian salvation to billions of unbelievers in a winsome way is downright difficult.
___Southern Baptists lately have gained notoriety by offending these non-Christians while trying to win their souls for Jesus.
___First came a prayer guide for Jewish evangelization, released during the High Holy Days. Then followed a guide for witnessing to Hindus, also timed to their holy season. Next came a flap with religious leaders in Chicago, who don't want Baptists blitzing their city with the gospel this summer. And finally, a spokesman for President Clinton linked Southern Baptist evangelistic strategies to groups that "perpetuate ancient religious hatred."
___These incidents left many Southern Baptists confused, offended and angry.
___Evangelization is a major tenet of the Christian faith. It's what our Savior told us to do. So, why are others trying to tell us how to practice our faith? If they understand anything about following one's faith, why don't they acknowledge our right to share our beliefs and provide others with an opportunity to accept or reject them? Moreover, why don't politicians know enough to butt out of religious disagreements? We have no choice but to evangelize.
___If you try to empathize, you can understand why Jewish, Hindu and Muslim leaders would protest concerted evangelization efforts. The pages of religious history are stained with the blood of minorities as well as martyrs. And since Christianity has been aligned--at least in name--with the world's predominant political, military and cultural powers for most of the past 17 centuries, much of the blood has dripped from non-Christian veins. Small wonder, then, that Jews, Muslims and others are so quick to think "Holocaust" and "Crusades."
___This is vexing, of course, especially to Great Commission Christians. We're trying to offer eternal life, and the very people we're trying to save offer a verbal brick upside the head. No wonder some Baptist responses have been bellicose.
___Unfortunately, angry rhetoric and strident responses only exacerbate the situation. Rather than argue on TV and issue defensive denunciations, we must step back and see what we can learn. We're not likely to scream many Jews or Muslims or Hindus into heaven. If our evangelistic methods are offending the people we're trying to reach, for Christ's sake, let's come up with other methods.
___Three ideas are immensely helpful:
___Focus on presenting the gospel to all people, rather than singling out specific religions, suggests Billy Graham, the most effective evangelist in Christian history. "I have never targeted Muslims. I have never targeted Jews," he explains. "We should declare the fact that God loves you, God's willing to forgive you, God can change you and Christ and his kingdom is open to anybody who repents and by faith receives him as Lord and Savior."
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___Eternal life found in Jesus Christ is the world's most wonderful find. It's the greatest story ever told.
___Lord, help us not to jeopardize the hearing of this story by the way we tell it.
—Marv Knox
Email the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com___
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