If you’re deeply concerned when non-Christians accuse the church of not looking very much like Jesus, I’ve got excellent news! Your concern is unnecessary! The cause of your anxiety is a lack of faith and you’ll feel immediate relief by simply trusting that Jesus always tells the truth.
Christ told you that nobody is good except God. Nobody in any church, anywhere in the world; is God. Therefore, nobody in the church is ‘good.’ The church is made up entirely of humans who are not qualified to be members of the church. Non-Christians think the church is a club for good people so they’re confused when they see Christians behave badly and they say things like, “Gosh! I’m more like Jesus than the people following Jesus!”
That’s when you start yelling at me about my witness.
“John, you jerk!! The people outside the church are loving, and kind, and generous, and compassionate, and so much nicer than you! Clean up your act so these lost people will come to church!!!”
If you believed what Jesus said about God alone being good, then you’d recognize the pagan accusations as prime examples of wretched, diabolical lies. If you believed Jesus, you’d know that He didn’t choose his sheep because they were the best behaved. Nobody gets picked on their own merit.
By suggesting to non-Christians that they’re in better standing with God than the people who believe what Jesus says, you (not me) are shoving them away from Jesus. You (not me) have the gall to refer to those loving, compassionate, Christ-like individuals as ‘the lost.’ And then you shriek at ME because those people aren’t joining the church! You (NOT ME) told them they’re doing great without Jesus!
You’ve got two options as I see it. 1) Believe Jesus is your Redeemer and pin all your hopes on Him. 2) Abandon Jesus and go join those righteous pagans outside the church. Only one of those options will bring you peace and joy but it’s your call. I’m certainly not going to force my religious beliefs on you!
(Luke 18:19) “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”
