Last week we saw that it is normal for society to consider Christians intolerant or antisocial and that historically people turn to Jesus when Christians are outcasts and lights for Jesus. So, we have the opportunity to invite people into the Jesus counterculture. Yet, some of us may be avoiding the idea of Christians being separate from the mainstream of society. If we let go of these things we will find peace as well as greater effectiveness for Jesus.
Instead, we should remember that we do not need to think of ourselves as being on the defensive. Rather, we are always on the offensive because we are bringing “goodness and light” to the world. The Jesus counterculture is a greater contrast to popular culture than ever before. Some of the lost are looking for an alternative, we can offer the Jesus counterculture. We do not have to be afraid to bring up our faith. People are still surprisingly open to someone who listens and cares, even when they know that person is a Christian. People want friends and they want to be helped and loved. That doesn’t change and so we have many opportunities with the lost.
The reality is that faithful believers are more loving and accepting than any other group, but people who cling to their sin will stay away from us then call us names to justify their rejection of Jesus. Remember that we see in the Bible, and in the history of human nature, two major reasons people reject God: people do not want someone else being in charge of their lives including God, and people want to get pleasure however they choose even if it is destructive. These two traits are dominant in history, in America and in other nations today.
“Fortunately, a few do look for life and so we continue to present the gospel of salvation to our world. But the best evangelism is our lifestyle.”
It is okay if people reject us and the Jesus counterculture. Remember Jesus’ words to his disciples in John 15:18-19: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” Jesus also said “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” (John 3:19-20).
So people will make up all kinds of excuses why they don’t “go to church”, especially in a survey, but the great majority of people just plain don’t want to come to God. Jesus said many will go through the gate to destruction but few will go through the gate to life, (Matt. 7:13-14). Fortunately, a few do look for life and so we continue to present the gospel of salvation to our world. But the best evangelism is our lifestyle.
Of course, Christians can always do a better job of being Christlike but the fact remains that practicing Christians in America have a distinctly different lifestyle than those who reject Christianity. If you doubt this, try working in a company where almost everyone is a non-Christian. Or ask Christians who work in such companies what their experience is. Every practicing Christian I’ve known in that situation finds themselves in a negative and ungodly environment.
So we are encouraged that the divide between the Jesus counterculture and popular culture is clearer than it has been in a while. Of course we are sad that so many are lost but God is in charge of that. But we do not need to react with fear or anger that many in our society are hostile to Christians. We are not insecure and we are not losing. We are lights and we look forward to the opportunities we will have to draw people to the light of the world.
How would you describe the Jesus counterculture to one of your friends or relatives who does not follow Jesus? What would attract them to Jesus? When can you present this to them?
