MARKS of the MESSENGER: Knowing, Living and Speaking the Gospel

Thoughts on Chapter Two:


As mentioned in the previous post, one of our church's nurture groups is reading the book by J. Mack Stiles entitled, Marks of the Messenger: Knowing, Living and Speaking the Gospel.  Tonight we were gathering to discuss the topics that the author brought forth in Chapter Two entitled, Students of the Message.


As I was contemplating the content of this chapter, I looked back at the title of the book.  It seemed to me that a very important word was missing from the subtitle.  As the chapter pointed out: one can know the gospel intellectually; reform their behavior to better live in outward conformity to the gospel; and, even speak the gospel without ever being born-again.  What is the missing word?  Love!   The title would be better:  Knowing, Loving, Living and Speaking the Gospel.  That was observation number one.  If we don't love the gospel, our knowledge; our life; our speech will profit nothing.  Let us remember:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Observation Two:  There was a paragraph that stuck out head and shoulders above the rest, which clearly articulated and exposed a very common misunderstanding among professing Christians.  This is the paragraph:

There is a tendency to think that our sins are bigger than our sin--maybe because it's that rare case when the plural is smaller than the singular.  Sins are those individual acts of rebellion--symptoms of a bigger problem.  Our sin is the bigger problem: it's our condition or state which is in hideous rebellion toward a holy and good God.   When Christians feel that sins (acts) are bigger than sin (condition), they see evangelism as an effort of moral reform rather than explaining the steps that need to take place to rip out our wicked hearts and replace them with new hearts–that amazing work of God that Jesus called being born again.

To help illustrate how important it is that we clearly understand what is being expressed in the above paragraph; let me ask you to think on the following:

Let's say your co-workers where gathered around in a break room and the conversation turned to discussing homosexuality.  One turns towards you, knowing that you are a Christian, and says, Hey, isn't it true that you believe that all homosexuals will go to hell?   How would you respond?

If you are confused about "sin" versus "sins", you could very well miss this opportunity to share the truth.  You might even respond in a way that would add to the misconception that they already are suffering under about Christ, Christianity and the gospel of grace. 

So how would you answer?

If your answer is something like "The Bible says all sinners will go to hell"; or, if you are even able to quote 1 Corinthians 6 9:10 "...do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." and that was all you said, you are guilty of the very thing chapter two was warning against.  In fact, you would be guilty of confirming your listeners' misconceptions about what true Christianity is.

What should be your response?  The two examples above make no mention of Christ or the gospel.  The two examples above leave your listeners thinking that if they want to go to Heaven, they better clean up their act.  So, what should one say when presented with such a sweet opportunity?

Something like this comes to mind, "I am so glad you asked me that question.  Let me ask you a question in return.  Did you know that even someone who lives a life of sexual purity, (even a nun for example), will go to hell when they die; if they are not reconciled to God through Christ?" 

In your mind, picture this exchange occurring.  What would be the reaction of the listeners?   In most cases, the conversation about homosexuality would come to an end. In fact, in most cases, any conversation would abrubtly end. You could follow up the dead silence by saying, "So many people are confused about Christianity.  If any of you would like to hear more about Christ: Who He is, Why He came, and what He accomplished on the Cross to save sinners (even moral ones), just let me know and we can meet for coffee after work.  I would love the opportunity to share with you."

The bottom line is that we must get over being defensive about our faith.  Our mission is to share the truth in love.  We cannot make them believe it.  We cannot convince them that the Bible is the Word of God.  What we can do (by, and because of, His Spirit within us) is know it thoroughly, love it deeply, and live it joyfully; so that when we speak it, we speak the truth in love.

Observation Three:  I was disappointed by one poorly worded statement on the top of page 30, which read:

The older I get, the less I feel compelled to avoid the subject by hemming, hawing and tiptoeing around, and the more I want people to open their eyes.

I am certain that the poor phraseology of that statement was simply an oversight on the part of the author.  It is clear, by the rest of the book, that this author knows that they cannot open their eyes.  It is God who must open their eyes.  Words are so very important! 

The Old is Better!

Sometime during the late afternoon, Michael had pulled William Gurnall's The Christian in Complete Armour off the shelf and began reading (having been prompted by a quote about that book while reading Lectures To my Students). When I arrived home, Michael shared with me a few excerpts and then informed me that I had written a note next to a portion of J.C. Ryle's preface to the book. My notation, dated 2006, bracketed a few closing paragraphs and said, "My heart, mind and thoughts exactly articulated!"

As Michael read the bracketed paragraphs to me, I could not help but think of the limited amount of time that we have to read and of all of the books that have been written and are still being written by and for Christians. Here are J.C. Ryle's thoughts:

"I now conclude this preface by expressing my earnest hope that this new edition of Gurnall’s work may find many readers as well as purchasers. It is indeed to be desired that solid scriptural theology, like that contained in these pages, should be valued and studied in the church. Books in which Scripture is reverently regarded as the only rule of faith and practice—books in which Christ and the Holy Ghost have their rightful office—books in which justification, and sanctification, and regeneration, and faith, and grace, and holiness are clearly, distinctly, and accurately delineated and exhibited, these are the only books which do real good. Few things need reviving more than a taste for such books as these among readers.

April 23, 1864

For my own, part, I can only say that I read everything I can get hold of which professes to throw light on my Master’s business, and the work of Christ among men. But the more I read, the less I admire modern theology. The more I study the productions of the new schools of theological teachers, the more I marvel that men and women can be satisfied with such writing. There is a vagueness, a mistiness, a shallowness, an indistinctness, a superficiality, an aimlessness, a hollowness about the literature of the ‘broader and kinder systems,’ as they are called, which, to my mind, stamps their origin on their face. They are of the earth, earthy. I find more of definite soul-satisfying thought in one page of Gurnall than in five pages of such books as the leaders of the so-called ‘Broad Church School’ put forth. In matters of theology ‘the old is better'.

Ah yes, "My heart, mind and thoughts beautifully and exactly articulated" Thank you J.C. Ryle for the reminder.