Striking a difficult balance

A friend recently shared this article with me:

A recent study showed that the top three perceptions of Christians in the U. S. among young non-Christians are that Christians are 1) antigay, 2) judgmental, and 3) hypocritical. So what we have here is a bit of an image crisis, and much of that reputation is well deserved. That’s the ugly stuff. And that’s why I begin by saying that I’m sorry....

I agree with the author that 'much of that reputation is well deserved.'  The public face of the Church is often focused on what we oppose, rather than what we believe in and struggle to uphold.  And while we should not shirk from calling things what they are, we are called to "give the reason for the hope that you have, but do this with gentleness and respect." (1 Pet 3:15)  In other words, the Fred Phelps approach is anything BUT Biblical.  Our responsibility is to make sure it is God's message people choose to find offensive, and not our manner of presenting it.

Despite this common ground with the author, however, I have to disagree with some of his other conclusions:

The Bible that I read says that God did not send Jesus to condemn the world but to save it… it was because 'God so loved the world.' That is the God I know, and I long for others to know. ...if you choose Jesus, may it not be simply because of a fear of hell or hope for mansions in heaven.

The author's correct that John's gospel says Jesus did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it.  The same passage, however, points out the world is condemned ALREADY... hence, the need for a savior.  God is indeed worth choosing "because He is good," as the author says, but this is an incomplete understanding of the relationship.  The Bible also points out that Man is corrupted by sin and thus offensive to God's righteousness.  A full realization of that standing before a holy creator God should bring a sense of fear and awe to us -- this is what makes the "Good News" good -- that God took the initiative to fix the problem we could not.

I was recently asked by a non-Christian friend if I thought he was going to hell. I said, “I hope not. It will be hard to enjoy heaven without you.” If those of us who believe in God do not believe God’s grace is big enough to save the whole world… well, we should at least pray that it is.

A better response would have been to ask the friend "what do you believe about Jesus?" This would provide an opportunity for discussion of what the Bible (not Man) says - that Jesus is "the way, the truth, the life," and that "no one comes to the Father except through" Him. (John 14:6)

Some Christians are accused of "being so heavenly minded they're no earthly good."  That's a fair charge when believers are content merely to wait for the world to come, rather than addressing the needs of those who are perishing around us.  I suspect, however, the writer I've been quoting falls in the opposite camp: those who perform good works in this world in the name of Christ, but don't really know Him or point others to Him.  This is tragic, in that their well-intentioned efforts may relieve some of the suffering of this mortal life, but omits the thing people need most: God Himself, and the gift of eternal salvation He has offered.