Two Kinds of People

What we need to restore power to the Christian testimony is not soft talk about brotherhood, but an honest recognition that two kinds of people live side by side in this world: those who remain in the fallen condition of Adam and those who have been born again by the Spirit through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

This is not a statement about race, nationality, class, education, denomination, or social standing. It is a spiritual distinction. Scripture does not divide humanity according to the categories we spend so much time arguing about. It draws a far more serious line between those who are still in the flesh and those who have been made alive by the Spirit of God.

To accept this truth requires a seriousness and spiritual maturity that many Christians simply do not possess. We would rather speak about unity than deal with the reality of the new birth. We would rather make everyone feel included than tell people that Jesus said they must be born again. We would rather preserve peace than confront the truth that a person can be religious, moral, sincere, active in church, and still not belong to Christ.

The problem is that this does not make Christianity more loving. It makes the Christian testimony powerless.

The Gospel is not that God has looked at fallen humanity and decided that everyone is already fine. The Gospel is that God has made a way for sinners to be reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ. The old life must give way to the new. The person who was dead in sin must be made alive in Christ.

That is not a message designed to make us comfortable.

It is a message designed to save us.

And if we lose the courage to say it, we may preserve our peace of mind while losing the power of our testimony.