Why is the Culture Hostile to the Good News of the Gospel?
If you're a Christian, whether you've been one for a long time or if you just recently came to know Christ as your Lord and Savior, this thought has probably run through your head once or twice before: Why is the culture so hostile toward the Gospel? This is the greatest news and the most loving, grace-filled message in human history yet more people seem to hate it and reject it than those who believe it and want it. What gives?
Acts 19:17-34 offers a situation in the beginnings of the early church where the Gospel was preached, lives were changed, and a riotous mob resulted. Hold on...Gospel + lives changed = angry mob? Yes indeed. Paul had preached the Gospel to those in Ephesus and one of the results of his preaching and the miraculous things God was doing through him (healing, exorcism, etc.) brought many to repentance and faith. Repentance involves changing one's mind about his/her sins and turning away from those things, which is what the people did here. Many were involved in spiritual things and idolatry, namely spells, incantations, witchcraft, and the worship of Artemis (Diana, the fertility goddess). Upon conversion, these people brought all of their spell books, their old way of life, their old sins, and literally burned them in a giant fire showing that they had repented, left that life, and would enter into the ongoing battle of the lusts of the flesh versus the newly created being within them through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. Many lives were changed that day, but it didn't come without serious backlash.
A silversmith and maker of shrines to Diana realized that these new converts were going to ruin his business and livelihood. They were going to change the very structure of the culture. He couldn't have that! He gathered up his co-workers, got them all fired up with a rally cry against Paul and the Gospel, and a mob was the result.
We see this reaction on the news, on social media, and any other outlet towards the Gospel message. Why? The Gospel through Christ offers forgiveness, eternal cleansing of sins, grace and mercy that results in an undeserving adoption into the family of God, yet so many people will reject it with fierce defiance and bitter hatred. Romans 1 offers insight into this as well as the above situation in Acts 19:17-34. I'll share 5 reasons with you and then offer a solution or answer to this dilemma.
Why is the culture so hostile towards the good news?
1) Because it changes people (Acts 19:17-20)
Some resist the possibility of changing, leaving their old sins behind, or they resent the fact that their friends/family who have "gotten saved" are "different."
2) Because of a fear of loss (Acts 19:23-25)
For some, resisting the Gospel is done out of fear of losing relationships, jobs, or sins. The cost of being a disciple of Christ is too much for them so they reject it. Others simply don't want to change, they love their sinful lifestyles, and they don't want "some Jesus" or "some Church" to mess that up. Some simply fear "giving up the throne" or control of their lives.
3) Because sin is confronted (Acts 19:26)
This one's easy to understand: No one likes being told they're wrong. No one likes being told they're a sinner in need of forgiveness of salvation. Many people think they're good enough (according to man's standards) so they don't see the point of dealing with sin. In many cases, when sin is confronted, the defenses go up. Just think about Adam and Eve...
4) Because religion is questioned (Acts 19:27-28)
Everyone believes in something. Everyone worships something - it doesn't matter what any human says. We are all born worshipers. We're all searching for purpose and meaning in this life and we eventually find it in something which, whether we realize it or not, becomes our religion or our "god." The Gospel comes along and says Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life (John 14:6). When that brings into question someone's purpose, religion or beliefs about life and the world they live in, their very being, who they are in their eyes, has just been questioned and that's scary. Many resist the Gospel because of this statement by Christ.
5) Because of spiritual blindness (Acts 19:29-34)
Romans 1 is clear on this truth - continual rejection of the evidence in creation coupled with habitual sin and refusal to repent results in a hardened heart and darkened spiritual sight. We are all born spiritually dead and blind and it takes a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit through the sharing of the Gospel to fix that problem. Until that point, no amount of behavior change or therapy or counseling or prescription meds will change the person. Only the truth in the Gospel can do that.
How do we (Christians) respond?
For starters, we don't lash back in anger, we don't treat the lost culture with pity, and we don't dismiss them as foregone conclusions or hopeless failures. Too many in the church are doing that these days. Instead, we should do the following:
1) Preach the Gospel in word (Romans 10:17)
2) Preach the Gospel in deed (James 2:24)
3) Preach the Gospel in love (John 13:35)
When you engage the culture, Christian, remember you were once lost, too. Be Jesus, speak Jesus, love like Jesus with everyone you meet.
Acts 19:17-34 offers a situation in the beginnings of the early church where the Gospel was preached, lives were changed, and a riotous mob resulted. Hold on...Gospel + lives changed = angry mob? Yes indeed. Paul had preached the Gospel to those in Ephesus and one of the results of his preaching and the miraculous things God was doing through him (healing, exorcism, etc.) brought many to repentance and faith. Repentance involves changing one's mind about his/her sins and turning away from those things, which is what the people did here. Many were involved in spiritual things and idolatry, namely spells, incantations, witchcraft, and the worship of Artemis (Diana, the fertility goddess). Upon conversion, these people brought all of their spell books, their old way of life, their old sins, and literally burned them in a giant fire showing that they had repented, left that life, and would enter into the ongoing battle of the lusts of the flesh versus the newly created being within them through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. Many lives were changed that day, but it didn't come without serious backlash.
A silversmith and maker of shrines to Diana realized that these new converts were going to ruin his business and livelihood. They were going to change the very structure of the culture. He couldn't have that! He gathered up his co-workers, got them all fired up with a rally cry against Paul and the Gospel, and a mob was the result.
We see this reaction on the news, on social media, and any other outlet towards the Gospel message. Why? The Gospel through Christ offers forgiveness, eternal cleansing of sins, grace and mercy that results in an undeserving adoption into the family of God, yet so many people will reject it with fierce defiance and bitter hatred. Romans 1 offers insight into this as well as the above situation in Acts 19:17-34. I'll share 5 reasons with you and then offer a solution or answer to this dilemma.
Why is the culture so hostile towards the good news?
1) Because it changes people (Acts 19:17-20)
Some resist the possibility of changing, leaving their old sins behind, or they resent the fact that their friends/family who have "gotten saved" are "different."
2) Because of a fear of loss (Acts 19:23-25)
For some, resisting the Gospel is done out of fear of losing relationships, jobs, or sins. The cost of being a disciple of Christ is too much for them so they reject it. Others simply don't want to change, they love their sinful lifestyles, and they don't want "some Jesus" or "some Church" to mess that up. Some simply fear "giving up the throne" or control of their lives.
3) Because sin is confronted (Acts 19:26)
This one's easy to understand: No one likes being told they're wrong. No one likes being told they're a sinner in need of forgiveness of salvation. Many people think they're good enough (according to man's standards) so they don't see the point of dealing with sin. In many cases, when sin is confronted, the defenses go up. Just think about Adam and Eve...
4) Because religion is questioned (Acts 19:27-28)
Everyone believes in something. Everyone worships something - it doesn't matter what any human says. We are all born worshipers. We're all searching for purpose and meaning in this life and we eventually find it in something which, whether we realize it or not, becomes our religion or our "god." The Gospel comes along and says Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life (John 14:6). When that brings into question someone's purpose, religion or beliefs about life and the world they live in, their very being, who they are in their eyes, has just been questioned and that's scary. Many resist the Gospel because of this statement by Christ.
5) Because of spiritual blindness (Acts 19:29-34)
Romans 1 is clear on this truth - continual rejection of the evidence in creation coupled with habitual sin and refusal to repent results in a hardened heart and darkened spiritual sight. We are all born spiritually dead and blind and it takes a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit through the sharing of the Gospel to fix that problem. Until that point, no amount of behavior change or therapy or counseling or prescription meds will change the person. Only the truth in the Gospel can do that.
How do we (Christians) respond?
For starters, we don't lash back in anger, we don't treat the lost culture with pity, and we don't dismiss them as foregone conclusions or hopeless failures. Too many in the church are doing that these days. Instead, we should do the following:
1) Preach the Gospel in word (Romans 10:17)
2) Preach the Gospel in deed (James 2:24)
3) Preach the Gospel in love (John 13:35)
When you engage the culture, Christian, remember you were once lost, too. Be Jesus, speak Jesus, love like Jesus with everyone you meet.
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