I strongly believe in promoting unity in the church. More importantly, I believe in promoting unity among "believers," including those who are part of the majority of Protestant christendom. Therefore, I believe strongly in continually striving to persuade others of the falsehood of the Sinner's Prayer. And, yet, there are stumbling blocks in the way that seem impassable.
Recently, my father (in a very accusatory fashion) questioned why my wife and I are not looking outside of the Churches of Christ for a church home. He took offense to it because, to him, it was an implication that all other churches are wrong. I actually do partially believe that, but the complexity of this argument is too broad to pick up for a few moments at a time. My response was a question returned to him: why don't y'all go to a Mormon Temple? And this was the first time that my father seemed to pull up short in pursuing this argument, and it stuck in my mind. My realization was that I basically had to put myself in his place and make it relevant to him in order for him to get a glimpse of my beliefs, my view of the world.
In general, this is true for contending with someone on any subject, and I believe that it's partially captured in Jesus' statement "If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." (Matt 5:41). It is our job, our responsibility, our commision to effectively convince everyone of the truth of the gospel. That means putting it in context that they can understand. It means striving to overcome years or decades of misconceptions or false teachings. It also means constantly re-examining things to put them in context of the Word, and seeing where there are opportunities to speak the truth to this world.
Yes, it does sound endless. Yes, it does sound tiring. And, yes, it does sound like it's worth every second spent doing it.
Peace be with you
Recently, my father (in a very accusatory fashion) questioned why my wife and I are not looking outside of the Churches of Christ for a church home. He took offense to it because, to him, it was an implication that all other churches are wrong. I actually do partially believe that, but the complexity of this argument is too broad to pick up for a few moments at a time. My response was a question returned to him: why don't y'all go to a Mormon Temple? And this was the first time that my father seemed to pull up short in pursuing this argument, and it stuck in my mind. My realization was that I basically had to put myself in his place and make it relevant to him in order for him to get a glimpse of my beliefs, my view of the world.
In general, this is true for contending with someone on any subject, and I believe that it's partially captured in Jesus' statement "If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." (Matt 5:41). It is our job, our responsibility, our commision to effectively convince everyone of the truth of the gospel. That means putting it in context that they can understand. It means striving to overcome years or decades of misconceptions or false teachings. It also means constantly re-examining things to put them in context of the Word, and seeing where there are opportunities to speak the truth to this world.
Yes, it does sound endless. Yes, it does sound tiring. And, yes, it does sound like it's worth every second spent doing it.
Peace be with you
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