finding satisfaction in the beauty of holiness

I think I have come to realize through much deliberation with myself about many things in my life that I am truly aggressively passive when it comes to most things, mainly Christianity. I don’t like to push Jesus on people. Most people around here know who He is and are pretty aware of His happenings. I don’t see the point of force feeding someone the gospel if they’re not up to hearing about it.

Last Sunday, my Pastor had a great sermon on Offensive Christianity. In other words, he was saying we need to quit being on the defense and start moving towards the enemy and getting on the offense and score rather than defending the gospel and defending our right to exercise our faith. For the most part, I agree. But like the bible says, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12. These are the things to get on the offense for. Unfortunately, these rulers of darkness tends to use our friend and family to do their work.

So here am I. Aggressively passive about the whole thing. I live my life out in front of others and if someone tells a dirty joke, I don’t laugh. If someone wants to involve themselves in mind altering substances, I don’t participate. If the principalities become offensive, I defend. But being offensive, I am not. When I have the ball, I sit on it.  I won’t shoot. I won’t swing the bat. I won’t pass.

So where does this leave me? I believe it leaves me not being a salesman of the gospel, yet a giver to those who ask. I choose not to hold a for sale sign behind my coat and show the price when the homeowner opens the door, and begin to say, “Just $5.99 and you too can have the saving grace of Jesus Christ if you’ll just give your last dime to the church and bid yourself to the work of the Lord!!!!!”

I believe there is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more to the gospel that cannot be communicated in a brief conversation in a waiting line. The gospel means suffering. The gospel means servant hood. The gospel means giving up oneself. The gospel is more complicated than the gospel my grandparents tried to teach me. The gospel is bigger, more grandeur than our imagination. The gospel is inexplicable. The gospel is deeper than the bible. Yet, the gospel is the good news. The gospel is worth more than the paper it’s written on. The gospel is more beautiful than any eyes have ever seen. The gospel is more celebratory than salvation itself.

The gospel is (you fill in the blank) !