The Perspective of the Heathen

A few weeks ago my wife and I were invited to a Christian brother’s home for some fellowship and dinner with a couple called Urban Pilgrims, who travel around the United States proclaiming the gospel.  It was a great time to get to know them, share thoughts, and “talk shop”.  They asked me my testimony that night how I got saved.  Since they’ve never heard it I took the time with the short version and an hour later I was done.  But in telling my story, my wife was hurt by some comments that I made which she had never heard before (probably because I had kept them hidden until now).  It was a long two years between my wife and I getting saved.  When I got saved she looked hard and cold, and in telling the story, it slipped that a fellow brother in the Lord thought she was a jerk. 

That statement really hurt my wife, even 9 years after the fact.  She knows now that we are new creatures in Christ and the old things pass away and we become new.  But what bothered her was that before her transformation she wasn’t the one that changed…I was.  In her eyes she was the one holding on and struggling to keep our marriage together in which a cult I got sucked into was taking me away from her.  For really the first time as she described with tears how she felt those two years between our conversions.  The pain that went along with me cramming Jesus down her throat, telling her she was a rotten sinner that was destined for hell even though days before I was the exact same way.  In her eyes I was everything she was and a jerk on top of that. 

The thing is that even though those statements may be true, that she was a rotten sinner destined for hell, I was zealous for her to be saved, and I was a jerk.  But in my own way, being zealous without knowledge, I did not take the advice of my Lord in 1Corinthians 13 and love her the way I should.  I glanced over the many times my pastor telling me to just love her and that love never fails (1 Cor 13:8). I was a snorting racehorse blasting out of the gate and never stopped running to see the unbelievers lagging behind me. 

In listening to my wife talk about her struggles it made me reflect how the world views us Christians.  I’m not suggesting that we take the pragmatic approach to this and do what works, but maybe we can show a little more tact in witnessing with our actions, and not just with our words.  I used to think that I just needed to get the gospel out and not waste time talking with the heathen about the things of life, sports, weather, and those things that matter to them because frankly they could die without Christ at any moment.  I don’t believe that we should agree with the world and hold arms together with it and compromise our beliefs.  Jesus never did that.  But even though he did not compromise, He still understood, where people were coming from. 

Take the homosexual for instance.  I get the fact that they’ve felt this way their whole lives, and it is right for them.  That they want the same rights and privileges as married couples.  I understand they want to marry their significant others that they are totally in love with, and don’t want that taken away.  And when a group comes in between of their dreams to be a couple like everyone else, even though it’s morally wrong, I can’t blame them for getting angry. 

But in my perception, sin is sin, regardless of the form.  I believe homosexuality is clearly a sin because of what the bible says (Romans 1:26-27; Leviticus 18:22, 20:13).  But I certainly believe that Satan tempts the minds of these people with the lusts of the flesh, eyes and the pride of life to capture the hearts, minds, and souls to do his will.  We must remember that the homosexual, drug abuser, pornographer, or any other sinner is not the direct enemy…but the captive slaves of the enemy Satan we must help free (2 Timothy 2:26).  What we must do in verses 24-25 is must not quarrel, be gentle to all, be able to teach, be patient, and in humility correct those whom we are trying to help (2 Timothy 2:24-25).  Even though God’s mercy may run out with some, Homosexuals, like other sinners are not beyond the reach of God.  In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 there is a list of sinners who will not inherit God’s grace, homosexual being just one of them.  But some never read on to verse 11 which says, “And such were some of you.  But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”  When we receive Christ we are washed clean of sin, made a new creature in Christ, and justified with our God as if we never sinned.  How amazing is God!!!  He is awesome, and His mercy and grace endures forever! 

In conclusion, remember that there is alot of underlying reasons why people don't come to Christ.  Some of them bring alot of pain, grief, anger and bitterness in which we have absolutely no idea what is going on in the inside of the person in front of us.  How we apply that is way more than this blog post can hold.  I ask that for those who have ideas to do this, please leave a comment below.   As we witness and share our faith, let’s do it in a way with more understanding, patience, meekness, kindness in love…and especially truth.