It has now been shared by several of my friends on Facebook over the past few weeks, and I really feel the need to address this type of thinking.
First, keep in mind that this is an internet meme. I have, quite literally, no idea about the accuracy of the quote or if Lecrae actually said it. Maybe he did not, maybe he did. Then someone else created this image and posted it on the internet. Then, someone who I know (and you may or may not know) shared it on Facebook. Now, I am sharing it with you in this blog post. From your point of view, you're getting this at least third or fourth hand.
With that in mind, please do not take this as a direct attack aimed specifically at this artist or anyone who created or shared this picture. It is not. This is meant to be a discussion of the underlying concept of the destructive mentality that is the "What if you're wrong/what if I'm right" approach to witnessing or discipleship.
That mentality truly does exist, whether or not Lecrae actually did speak the words attributed to him here. You've probably heard it many times. I know I have. There have even been contemporary christian music songs recorded and released that argue using this same logic.
I believe that it is well past time for us to put an end to this particular thought process.
As Christians, we should never be attempting to convert an unbeliever by directly attacking their existing beliefs in the first place. That makes for a poor witness. John Mayer was on to something when he sang "Is there anyone who really recalls ever breaking rank at all for something someone yelled real loud one time?" But, what if somehow it works? Well, then you run the risk of the other person "accepting" or believing God for the wrong reasons. Or worse, they may not actually receive salvation at all.
How could that be? If someone believes in God, aren't they saved? Aren't they going to Heaven when they die? It doesn't matter if they're convinced to believe "just in case" they were wrong and we were right, right?
In a word, no.
The pastor at my church has used a really accurate metaphor to illustrate this type of belief. He calls it "fire insurance," as in God is real and you say that you believe in him in case you need him when you die and find out that the fires of Hell are very real. Many Christians have become merely fire insurance salesmen.
The problem is that the "fire insurance" approach won't work. In fact, it could doom the person you're attempting to convert. You see, simply believing in God, no matter what reasons or logic have led to the belief, is not enough to save someone from eternity in Hell. If you convince someone to follow God simply as a precaution against the possibility of flaws in their previous belief and understanding, they may feel that this is sufficient and that they've done enough to escape damnation. That is extremely dangerous. The Bible teaches us in Romans 10:9-10 that we are saved if we believe AND confess and that it is "with the mouth one confesses and is saved."
Moreover, the key here is what should be believed and confessed. Verse 9 says to confess that "Jesus is Lord" and to believe that "God raised him (Jesus) from the dead." Jesus Christ is the true answer. This is also expressly revealed to us by Jesus himself in John 14:6. "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Even if someone achieves and acknowledges a belief in God, they cannot be saved without also accepting Jesus Christ as Lord of their life. That Nichole Nordeman song I referenced earlier actually does have one lyric that barely touches on this in passing. "What if there's hope you've never dreamed of hoping for?" There is! It's Jesus. It's Christ in me, the hope of glory.
It's Jesus Christ who saves us. THAT is what we should be preaching. THAT is what we should be sharing. R.P.C. Hanson said that "Grace means the free, unmerited, unexpected love of God and all the benefits, delights, and comforts which flow from it. It means that while we were sinners and enemies, we have been treated as sons and heirs." We should be leading others to God, through Christ, because of who he is and what he has done for us, not as simply a fallback plan.
Otherwise, we risk creating a bunch of Beni Gabor's who don't comprehend how the power of God actually works to save us.
Beni Gabor is a character from the movie "The Mummy." If you haven't seen the movie, you don't get the reference. If you have seen the movie....I'm so sorry.
In the movie an ancient mummified ruler is somehow magically awakened and, naturally, terrorizes the modern world. Along the way, Beni comes face to face with the mysteriously reanimated, rotting corpse that is death personified. Faced with his own mortality, Beni pulls from his pocket a collection pendants and charms representing every religious symbol he could think of on Planet Earth. As the titular mummy closes in, poor Beni repeatedly holds up different icons of religion, futilely hoping that simply being associated with the supposed right one will be enough to save him from death and destruction.
This is Beni.
Don't be like Beni.
Scripture: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us." - 1 John 4:18-19
"Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths." - 2 Timothy 4:2-4
Quote: "The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo
