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Beware:
You May Experience Certain Side-Effects |
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A few days ago I saw a TV ad that really made me laugh, even though it
wasn't supposed to be funny. It was an ad for an arthritic joint injection
-- some pretty potent medicine with several possible side-effects. The
funny part was when they mentioned the side-effects. There must be some
law that requires such ads to list the side-effects of the medicine, for
it certainly is not a good advertising technique. This particular ad
mentioned nearly a dozen possible side-effects, ranging from headaches to
blurred vision to dizziness to temporary joint pain (the very thing it was
meant to cure) and various other negative effects. It was the last one in
the list, however, that really made me laugh: "Death". That's
right, "death" was one of the possible side-effects of this
medicine! At least your joint problems would be cured. Needless to say, it
didn't make for a very good sales pitch. Now, we certainly never try to "sell" the gospel the way that ad tried to sell it's product. Instead of side-effects, we focus on the "side-benefits" of the gospel, e.g. improved marriage and family life, fewer troubles, better relationships with people, more joy and peace and an overall improved life. Some people even say it will bring you more financial success. Now, I'll not deny that the gospel will do some of these things for you. However, those are merely side-effects, or rather side-benefits. They are not the main message or purpose of the gospel. The purpose of the gospel is to save us from our sin, restore our relationship with God and give us eternal life. The side-benefits will occur in varying degrees with different people, but we make a mistake when we make the side-benefits the main thing. We think it makes for a better sales pitch for the gospel, but maybe we need to think again. Think about this: Did Jesus try to "sell" the gospel by pointing out the side-benefits? Did he present the gospel message as a "win-win" situation in which you will not only be saved, but have less trouble in life? Take a look at the Gospels. What are the "side-benefits" that Jesus not only warned about but promised? He said, "...because you are not of the world….therefore the world hates you. A slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you" (Jn 15.19,20). He promised his disciples that they would be outcasts, chased from city to city, beaten, stoned and even killed (Mt 10.16-23). He said that he "did not come to bring peace, but a sword…to set a man against his father and a daughter against her mother…and a man's enemies will be the members of his household" (Mt 10.34-35). Like the medicine in the TV ad, the possible side-effects are many, even death! Most of us tend to be silent about these things when we try to persuade someone to accept the gospel. We tend to "count the benefits". Jesus told people to "count the cost" (Lk 14.28f). In fact, Jesus did not present these "negatives" as undesirable "side-effects" to hopefully be avoided, but rather as "side-benefits", as blessings (Mt 5.10-12). So let's not try to avoid the side-effects by soft-pedaling the gospel. Let us present it as Jesus did. And let us live it as the apostles did, so that we too can experience the side-effects. -This article is from Randy's "Monday Morning Musings". If you would like to be added to his e-mail list, please click on button below. Randy preaches for the church of Christ that meets in Sandpoint, Idaho.
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