Show the Gosepl

If you’ve been in church long enough you have certainly heard the phrase “share the gospel”. In fact, if you’ve been in church much at all you have probably heard it more times than you can even begin to count. It’s a common phrase in Christian circles. Many relate it back to the Great Commission at the end of Matthew 28. Your pastor says it so much he doesn’t even realize it.

And I don’t agree with it. *que the audible gasps*

Tessa, WHAT?!?!?!?! How DARE you say you don’t agree with the phrase “share the gospel”.

I know, I am a terrible person. Go ahead and do away with me. Or…. stay with me for a minute. I don’t agree with it because I think a better phrase would be “SHOW the gosepl”.

We’ve all seen it happen, someone talks bad about a certain person or people group or treats someone poorly. They go on and on about how awful they are. Or they just aren’t welcoming to them. And then, inevitably, they go to that same person or people group to tell them that “Jesus loves you!” And this is why I don’t want to share the gospel. What good does that do? If the people or person you have spoken poorly of or treated badly knows that you’ve done these things, what good are your words to them? And even if they haven’t, others have witnessed or heard these things and your words suddenly mean nothing to them either, even if they are already Christian.

A lot of non christians will tell you that they don’t want to get involved in Christianity because “it’s just a bunch of hypocrites”. They feel that Christians want to tell you about Jesus but do not act like Him. And they’re right. They’re SO right. And it’s our fault. We have to be clear that we will NEVER be able to fully act like Jesus because we aren’t Him. I will always be sinful. I will forever have harsh words or actions towards others. No matter how hard I try, it will always be there. But, and there is always a but, I can do my best to love. To strive to live like Him. That’s where it is, that’s where we show the gospel. We strive to live like Jesus and show His love. And we have to admit that we fail at times.

Let’s look in Matthew 7:15-20. ¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”

False prophets. Not athesits, not murderers, or gang leaders, or people that have never been to church. Prophets. Think people inside the church. Think pastors, leaders, etc. People who hold the Bible in their hands. People who KNOW the Word. See, just because people know that Truth, and are speaking it, that does not mean that they are in the Truth. Even Satan, in Matthew 4, quotes scripture. Jesus warns us not to pay attention to the words coming out of their mouth, but to their fruits. Not to pay attention to what they are sharing, but to what they are showing. It’s the big difference between head knowledge and heart knowledge. We have to look out for it not only in others, but also in ourselves.

As Christians, we have to be aware of what we are showing others. Are we showing them that God is the ruler of our hearts? Or are we showing them that we simply know how to spout out words that we have read? What are our fruits saying? Jesus says in John 13:35 that people will know we are His by our love. Our love. Love that we both speak and show.

I am not against sharing the gospel. It is so very important. But let us not forget that it is also important to show it. It is important for people to see us acting out what we are saying. It is important for our fruits to show that our tree is planted in the Lord.

Are you showing the gospel? Do people know that you are God’s without you having to say it?