The Gospel, the Culture, and You
Don’t you hear a lot about “making the gospel relevant,” or “speaking to our culture” when we proclaim the gospel. I for one think we hear TOO MUCH talk about that. I know we need to communicate in ways that are undertandable, but the gospel is powerful no matter what cultural context we proclaim it in.
The following is a tid-bit from an article I read recently. The article was actually a commentary on the reality that Robert Schuller (a partriarch of the false “prosperity” gospel), and his famous “Crystal Cathedral,” was forced to file for bankruptcy protection recently. That is interesting reading in and of itself…
However, after I sifted through the theological commentary about the Schuller situation, I was encouraged and emboldened in my own thinking about staying true to the gospel, and trusting in “the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).
Here is what he said:
I remember some really terrific counsel I received from one of my first pastors, back in the seventies. He said something like this: if you can’t preach the same Gospel in the mansions of Beverly Hills or the trenches of Vietnam, you aren’t preaching the real Gospel. The Gospel is trans-cultural, trans-temporal, and trans-situational.
So what should we do? Oh, golly (he said innocently), I don’t know. Just off the top of my head?
- Believe, study and live God’s Word, the Bible.
- Preach the Gospel; in fact…
- Preach the whole Word as absolutely vital, essential, and sufficient.
- Use the brains God gave us (as His word orders us to do) to fill in the gaps, taking responsiblity for the decisions you make.
Do that in trusting, prayerful, Christ-centered faith, and you’re far likelier to reach the end of your life with God glorified…
I like it! Two thumbs up!
