Skeptic vs Christians

Walker Percy, a skeptic was quoted: ”I’m surrounded by Christians. They are, generally speaking, a pleasant and agreeable lot, not noticeably different from other people. But if they have the Truth, why is it the case that they are repellent and precisely a turn-off to the degree that they embrace and advertise their truth? One might even become a Christian if there were few Christians around. But have you ever lived in the middle of fifteen million Southern Baptists? If the Good News is true, why is no one pleased to hear it?”

Our message has been repellent, unaccepted because we, like other religions, have all too often exalted our goodness, holding up our standard of living that, at best, becomes pharisaic when we look down on others, and at worst, hypocritical when we don’t live up to our own image.

We must not boast of our morality, but of God’s mercy. We should not advertise our flawlessness, but God’s faithfulness. It would do us well to remember Luke 18 – the parable of the religious man saying, “I thank You, God, that I am not like other men,” and the sinner who smote his breast saying, ”God have mercy upon me.” Jesus said it was the latter – the one who realized his sinfulness but also believed in God’s graciousness -who went his way justified.

It should be the mercy, grace, faithfulness and goodness of God alone that we should boast!!! We are not the moral majority but the forgiven few!!!

- malt