Offending Alisha.

So, I'm sitting in Romans class now …. [oh, please don't judge me. Though I'm sure at times I take my education for granted, this is not likely one of them. Also, if I don't write, I might fall asleep, okay? This is in everyone's best interest…]

… and we're talking about the wrath of God and the Gospel. Can you think of two more offensive things to our culture today? Here's what I'm thinking about: remember all those bad things Paul went through? You know like being flogged and stoned and beaten and shipwrecked and thought dead and persecuted. Well, after all that in Romans he talks about how he's not ashamed of the Gospel. I guess I've always heard this verse, but I haven't always understood it like I've come to tonight. What's implied in his statement is that sometimes we are ashamed of the Gospel. I know I have been. Remember that time the opportunity was perfect to tell your friend about Jesus but the words seemed stuck in your throat? Of the time you were on the plane and you felt the Spirit tell you to introduce Him to the guy next to you, but you would have rather curled up in a ball like your stomach? Those times, we are actually ashamed, aren't we. Ashamed of the Gospel. How sad, but how true.

So why is that? Why does the thought of presenting Jesus to a stranger turn our stomachs and make our palm moist? Or better yet, why does the idea of simply bringing up the topic of religion with our co-workers make us want to start looking for a new job?

I guess, it's because the Gospel is offensive.

The Gospel is telling people they're sinful and that a righteous God hates their sin. Yeah, pretty offensive. It's an in-your-face kind of message because no one can escape it's application or practicality. I mean, think about it. If someone asked you what difference the idea of a righteous God makes in their life, you might look at them like they were daft, and might say something like, "well, I don't know, maybe the idea that after death you will spend forever and forever and forever of eternity in the pit of hell, but I don't know, maybe that doesn't apply to you…" This is a seriously offensive message because it is seriously relevant to every single one of us.

So, here's what it's got me thinking: why am I not offensive? Why is it, when I tell my friends the "Gospel" that they seem so happy with the idea of accepting the message? One example in particular is sticking in my mind…

My friend Alisha lives here n the city of Chicago. She's originally from Iowa, were we met in youth group. Since, she's walked away from the faith [that is, if she ever owned it] and is living a sinful lifestyle. Alisha has a lot of wounds in her life, and her lifestyle now is both a repercussion of old injuries and a perpetual present wounding in her life. But freshman year, I "presented the Gospel" to her. And she took it! Why wouldn't she? It was like a happy Santa Clause God who wants to take all the lumpy coal of your sin and give you nice, eternal Christmas presents. And, the best part is, all she had to do was "believe" in Jesus.

Oh, friends. How wrong I got it. I wanted to tell my friends what a good Christian I was and show them how spiritually "successful" I was. How selfish.

Yesterday, I had lunch with Alisha. She's engaged to her partner, Christina. And to be honest, I didn't know how to respond. It was all the more obvious to me that she was never united with Christ. There is no fruit in her life to point to any convincing influence of righteousness. And I'm wondering what I expected? I presented to her a false gospel. I gave spoke to her truth, yes. But only part of it. I told her about Jesus and the cross and the empty grave and the reality of sin being forgiven. But I never called her to acknowledge her sin. I never told her she would have to leave homosexuality. I never told her that her life would have to radically change so that she no longer sought herself and her own comfort and would need to start seeking God and His glory and His truth. I never told her that part. Why? Because it's offensive.

So, that's the conversation we had over Arby's yesterday. I apologized to her, using the uncomfortable words of "false gospel" and "false security" and "disciple of Christ". It was awkward, especially when she said, "I won't hold it against you." What do I do with that? I asked if we could keep having these conversations about Jesus, and she's said yes. But now what do we talk about? Well, the Gospel, I guess.

I want … no, I need … to encounter it again with a newness and freshness of perspective and appreciation. Because the one I share now is pretty and easy and neutered. And that's obviously not the one Paul is preaching.

As my professor said, imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but its the shortest path to corruption.

So, please pray for me in this relationship with Alisha. Her and Christina invited me over for dinner next week, and I'm truly honored. Do I push the conversation to Jesus? Do I love them with my life and wait for them to eventually ask why I'm loving them that way? Pray with me, because the Gospel is the power of God for the salvation for everyone who believes. And I want Alisha to be a part of that.