Is It Possible To Share The Gospel In Love?

It is embarrassing that we would need to consider such a question. The accusation that sharing “good news” is somehow hateful or mean seems odd. Isn’t the message of Jesus we share all about love? Yet, I understand why we pose the question. After all, although there is great news, there is also “bad” news. Not all truth is pretty. But that’s just the reality of life. We Americans need a reality check. We think that loving others is doing/saying to others what we would vainly want them to do/say to us (a misrepresentation of the Golden Rule).  In other words, we think this is “love”–making people feel good. Everyone has a hard time hearing truth about ourselves. And when the truth ain’t pretty, it is important to share it carefully, no doubt. I have encountered quite a few examples of people preaching to other people (in the pulpit or one-on-one) in manners that are less than cordial. This is unacceptable.

Often, this occurs because someone is more concerned with spreading their cause in efforts to feel better about their own self rather than out of genuine concern for the people to whom they are sharing it. As frustrating as this can be to hear people blasting other people, the correct response to this is not to shun speaking the truth. Too often, we react by saying, “Let’s stop talking about hell, because we don’t want to be associated with those Hell-fire and Damnation preachers!” or, “Let’s stop talking about sin because of those legalistic hypocrites who preach about it all the time!”

No–when the truth is being used in such evil ways, our reaction must not be to shy away from the truth. Rather, our response should be to speak the truth even louder! Where there is confusion, clarity is desperately needed. For example, look at how some “Christians” treat people who are gay. Look at how they blast them with slogans like, “God hates fags!” We must speak the truth to those who claim to be Christians, but are preaching out of a motivation of hate instead of love. As we have seen previously, we are not to judge the world (who already stands condemned and judged), but instead those who would call themselves brothers and sisters in Christ. If we prize the Gospel, we will not let it be twisted by others. Paul’s life was all about people hearing and receiving the Gospel. When people were going around spreading a false representation of the Gospel, he didn’t just let them do it. When the Apostle Peter was “not acting in line with the truth of the gospel,” he opposed him publicly (Galatians 2:14). He even said that those who are preaching out of personal gratification that you must be circumcised to become a Christian should just go all the way and cut their own penis off completely! (Galatians 5:12)  I look around at a Church that too often lets TV evangelists and what-not misrepresent the Gospel, and then we are scared to speak out. And I want to say with that same zeal and passion of Paul, “Paul didn’t say to cut off our balls, too! Let’s grow a pair and correct those who, in the name of Christ, are doing so much damage to the cause of Christ!” Ok, maybe I should say that more lovingly! 🙂  Not that they shouldn’t zealously preach, but in love. Paul says, “It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good.” (Galatians 3:18)

But we must also speak truth to those who are left confused and don’t understand the true message of the Gospel. Instead of shying away from the “bad” news of the Gospel, we must still proclaim it, but in love. Without the “bad” news, the good news doesn’t make sense. In other words, why do I need grace if I’m not a sinner? Why should I desire to be saved if there’s no hell to be saved from? Why must I cry out for mercy from God, unless He is poised to act alternatively as things currently stand?

The “good news” isn’t good news until we understand the gravity of our situation. Those who deny the gravity of their situation (that they are a sinner in desperate need of salvation from God) will not respond to Christ. Only those whose eyes have been opened to their utter sinfulness will be willing to turn utterly toward God. But their eyes cannot be opened unless they first hear the message.

Is it possible to speak difficult truth to people in love? Yes, although this doesn’t mean that they will always embrace it. All of us know this from personal experience–even when you go out of your way to speak truth in love, some people will still blast you and reject your message. Sure, you can play it over and over in your head, “How could I have said it more diplomatically, more kindly?” And perhaps after hours of contemplation, we would change a word or phrase here or there–but would that really have changed the outcome? Look at Jesus–people rejected him and his message quite often, and none of us would say that the problem was that Jesus should have said it better. People who were unwilling to repent received His good news as a threat to their way of living. They didn’t see Jesus as a source of love–because the things He said didn’t make them “feel good.” It made them mad. Jesus warned us that if they treated Him this way, we should expect the same thing to happen to us. But we should still overflowingly love them–they are NOT our enemy. Satan and his deceptions are the Christian’s enemy.

“But I don’t want people to perceive me this way! I want them to see that I love them!” I must remind myself: Even after standing up for truth as lovingly as you know how, you cannot control the outcome. I really have to push myself to recognize this. This is why it’s often so hard for me to share the Gospel with neighbors, co-workers, friends, family. I am fearful that, even after trying my hardest to show that I’m sharing out of love, they would in the end speak evil of me or ostracize me. Are you fearful of this too? If so, doesn’t this suggest they are indeed lost? And wouldn’t that mean that they are the ones who need to hear this message? I really do need to grow a pair, and step out in faith instead of being afraid of possibly being crucified alongside my Savior.

How does speaking the truth in love look? There are many books written about how to share your faith in love. How To Become A Contagious Christian immediately comes to mind. I don’t consider myself an expert on evangelism, simply because I struggle with it just as much as you do. I don’t know of a formula. The most important thing, in my opinion, is to be yourself and not force anything; yet be willing to step out on a limb. But I think the long and short of it is to constantly check, “What’s my motivation here? Why am I so quick to say something, or so afraid to say something?” For those whom we see on a regular basis, building a relationship with them that reflects genuine concern for them can be key. For people we may not see regularly, even simple things like our tone of voice and willingness to listen to them shows that we really do care. We must still give them all of the substance of the Gospel (even the difficult-to-hear parts), but not in raging anger.