“It is partly because sin does not provoke our own wrath that we do not believe that sin provokes the wrath of God.” – R.W. Dale, The Atonement
I was reading “The Cross of Christ” by John Stott recently (which, by the way, is an amazing book!) when I came across this quote by the theologian R.W. Dale. It seemed very poignant to me, especially as recently I have been considering a related larger question which is: how can Christians most effectively evangelize “Christian” societies?
To me, this is one of the most pivotal questions which American, and in general all Western Christians must face. As time goes by we see our traditionally Christian countries, such as the United States and Great Britain, becoming increasingly secular. It is up to the point where weekly church attendance in the United Kingdom has dropped below 10% of the total population, and in America it is not too much better. However, a majority of citizens in these societies would still like to bear the moniker of “Christian”, even though for all intents and purposes that ship has long since sailed. Therefore, as responsible evangelicals we must search for a way to address this issue.
One of the biggest chasams in the way of reaching these people is what I believe the quote is trying to address. In going into a western, Christian society it is not the same as going into the African plain or the South American rain forest, where location and language are the biggest barriers. Instead, what we have to deal with is a people who largely know they are sinners, largely know what the Bible teaches about morality, and yet, through their own depravity and jadedness towards the failings of the church, have made a conscious decision not to be bothered by this. It’s not that the people don’t know that they are sinful, but it is that they know and yet are unbroken by it! Therefore, the challenge becomes how to make people reject a lifestyle which they have actively chosen in spite of, and sometimes even in opposition to, the Christian teachings which have occurred around them their entire life.
This is so crucial because, like it or not, the course of the world is still being driven in large part by the western societies, and if Christianity were to vanish here, it would have a major impact everywhere else.
Expect more on this in the weeks to come, as I am currently preparing a Bible study on the topic for April 4th.
