Yes, I do. I especially love certain parts of the Gospel, the things which benefit me. Salvation, peace, hope, joy, I love all these aspects. It's the parts about sacrifice and serving others I have a harder time with.
I find the Apostle Paul's love of the Gospel inspiring. Woven throughout his letters we see Paul's diligence to the Gospel message. He is consumed with an urgency to see the Gospel spread.
It is convicting to see how Paul will gladly give up his rights and ours for the sake of the Gospel. There are social norms and social institutions which Paul restricts not out of inherent sinfulness, but because sharing the Gospel is better. Slavery, eating meat sacrificed to idols, women being allowed to preach are among some First Century examples. I have the freedom in Christ to eat meat sacrificed to idols unless doing so hinders someone from receiving the Gospel.
Why did Paul not abolish slavery in his day? It is not because slavery is good, it's not. But tackling this social issue would not advance the message. Salvation is based upon the finished work of Jesus, and if I make altering your beliefs about a non-salvation issue a prerequisite to salvation I am getting in the way of the Gospel. Paul's aim is not societal reform but eternal salvation.
So what does this mean for us now? Does this mean social justice is bad? No. Both Jesus and Paul radically challenged social norms and institutions, but they did so not to the point of interfering with the Gospel spreading.
I should really love the Gospel more in its fullness, and yearn more to see the message shared. It also means there are freedoms I have to give up for the Gospel. The difficulty is not in finding opportunities.
Any thoughts or examples of situations where the freedoms we have in Christ which may be hindering the Gospel for others? May we be more conscious of how our freedoms affect other's openness to the Gospel.
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