The Power of the Gospel
Welcome to Peniel CrossRoads, where we embrace Jesus’s heart and together live out the call to biblical unity!
Apart from God’s mercy and grace poured out at the Cross of Christ, the way we view life and the manner in which we live could have been radically different. Without the power of the Cross, how we relate to others would also be enormously different. But because of the Cross, anything is possible!
Through five days of Christian fellowship and learning, I have been profoundly reminded that the Cross changed—and changes—everything, including me. The power of the Cross made it possible for individuals to be reconciled to God and to live according to His best plan for their lives—to the glory of His matchless Name!!
With a full heart, I have reflected on the four and a half days I spent at the “Sowing Peace” conference in Montana, hosted by the RW360 [Relational Wisdom] team led by Ken Sande. (You can read what I wrote about Sande’s book The Peacemaker here.)
The conference refreshed me in several ways, although here I will share only two. First, it had been several years—from 2020, in fact—since I enjoyed the fellowship of likeminded believers from several denominational backgrounds. While I had not previously met any of these godly folks, and I did not know the majority of the songs we sang, nor had I ever been to Montana before…we were ALL united under one common purpose--a desire to bring glory to God, to make Christ known and to serve others through practicing biblical wisdom in all relationships.
Together we sought to enlarge our capacity to be self-aware (Gal. 6:3-5), others-aware (Phil. 2:4) and God-aware (1 Peter 3:15). And we heard how to season our conversations with salt, so that in all situations, others will be attracted to the aroma of Christ in us.
Second, I was reminded that the Gospel—the Good News about Christ—IS the power of God for the salvation of ALL who believe! (Romans 1:16) I was reminded that Love without Truth is not Love, and Truth without Grace is not Truth.
Everyone I presently know recognizes the extreme polarity that characterizes American culture today. Most of us are deeply concerned about the palpable divisions rife in contemporary society and even in the Church. Whether it concerns political views, climate control, or questions of inclusivity and Christian hospitality, we are often at a loss to know what to do in these times. It would be too easy for believers to “hide” our light under a bushel.
So I was surprised when, from the platform, Ken Sande boldly declared (more than once) that he believes there are more Christians “hiding” in a closet, afraid to “come out” about their faith in Jesus, than people unwilling to publicly declare their solidarity with the LGBTQ movement!
Truly these are divisive times, and it is NOT the time to hide our faith. Rather, we are called to “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16, emphasis mine)
To let our light shine, however, we must be ready to suffer for our faith. However, that doesn’t mean we need to always be offensive in our witness! We can affirm the Imago Dei [image of God] in others who do not yet know Christ and look for “remnants” of Truth in their worldviews, so that they will be drawn to the only One who can satisfy their deepest needs. We CAN speak the Truth in love, to the extent that we are led, filled, and empowered by the Holy Spirit! When we equally demonstrate both Grace and Truth as revealed in the Lord Jesus, we affirm that indeed GOD LOVES everyone, AND He calls all to come to Him in faith and repentance.**
Jesus did this when He admonished his inquisitors to render to Caesar what was Caesar’s, and to render to God what was God’s. (Matthew 22:22). Paul did this in Athens when, before the Greek thinkers of his day, he quoted texts from both factions’ beloved philosophers as a bridge to introduce them to their “Unknown God.” (Acts 17:16-32) His powerful message even led some to say, “We want to hear you again on this subject” (v. 32)!
What if we were willing to broach hard subjects with others, not to debate with them, but to engage them in relationship? What testimony would that give to the Gospel of Christ?
What if, instead of hiding our light, we chose to serve others through respectful listening and asking thought-provoking questions, such that we let others see how we love God by loving others? What effect would that have on how others view believers? Would it bear testimony to the love of God and our desire to serve others for Jesus’s sake?
What if our simultaneous testimony to God’s grace and Truth IN the Cross of Christ, which is the power of God, led others to say, “I want to hear you again on this subject”?
~Julie
God Most High, we confess that we don’t know how to be BOTH attractive and faithful to the truth. We ask You, Holy Spirit, to teach us YOUR way of engaging with others, to serve them through the relationships You have called us to. We ask that You help us NOT to hide Your light, and to let others see our good deeds, that they may glorify our Father in heaven! In Jesus’s Name we pray, Amen.
**If your church or small group would like to receive specific, step-by-step equipping in engaging difficult conversations in a biblical manner, please do not hesitate to reach out to us for training!
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear…” 1 Peter 3:15, NKJV