Social Media and the Destruction of Evangelism
In my most humble opinion I believe that social media can be an incredible means to present the gospel to a culture that is in dire need of Christ Jesus. But I fear that many are destroying the Gospel more than actually presenting it. People in mass are posting "I love the Bible" and "God loves you" along with a multitude of Bible verses yet the average Facebook poster, twitter user, etc can see if this is truly authentic or just another ruse. We did this in real life so we turned to social media and we are ruining it there as well. You know, professing Christ with our lips and living completely opposite - I call it Bi-Polar Christianity, which I would argue is not Christianity at all (see 1 John 1:5-7). I am reading more people showing their disgust towards this type of lifestyle than ever before, maybe they have a point? Maybe it's time those that claim Christ live like him authentically. Read Acts 19:15 and understand that the world, and Satan, can see through your thinly veiled disguise when you live one way and speak another. Condemning out one side of your mouth and extolling Christ out of the other.
During my prayer and study today I have been forced to look at my own life in regards to this. Do I truly live like I am called to live in Christ? Do I spend more time in the world and less in the Word? Do I really reflect Christ? You might say, "Well nobody is perfect." And with that comment you are somewhat correct (Rom 3:10), yet how do you then synthesize the words of Paul in Ephesians 5:1 to Imitate God? How do you then truly strive towards the remarkable end of Holiness as required by God in Leviticus 20:26 and then again in 1 Peter 1:16? The comment no one is perfect, and we are all struggling, seems to fade into the obscure as the true call of Christ is to become Christlike and less like the world. The chorus runs through my head "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace." I am convicted and convinced as I look in the mirror that my heart needs radical change that only the Spirit can bring, but so does the church today.
So lets look at some examples of living a life that is bi-polar in Christ, one that has settled for no one is perfect and I should just be satisfied with living like I do. If you have ever spent any time on Facebook you find a plethora of people living this life. One post is "Hit like if you love Jesus or scroll down and go to Hell" nothing says I love my savior like blind condemnation because someone doesn't share your post. To top it off after posting some eloquent Bible verse the next post on the persons page contains various curse words, hate rhetoric, calling out of someone we disagree with, complaining about everything, bashing someone, and so on - basically nothing that correlates with the persons alleged love of Christ Jesus. Too often on social media we are calling everyone sinners, posting random Bible verses, but never telling anyone what must be done with sin not to mention trying to look holy when on the inside we are nothing more than pharisees (Luke 11:39). Just like the world we present problems and point at others and offer no solution, we take no one to the redeeming Christ just to the slough of despond (Pilgrim's Progress - read it). No wonder people get tired of reading posts about the Bible when the one posting it isn't striving to live the life they are proclaiming. By the way if you are amen(ing) to this make sure you look at your own Facebook page, twitter account, etc... (if you own one or all). Do you post things of God and things of hate. Are you truly striving in your life to live for Christ. Do you live what you proclaim?
Maybe it is time those that claim Christ step away from the keyboard. Fast from twitter, Facebook, foursquare. Stop living two lives, one in front of other Christians and one in front of those that aren't. Take some time to look at our own lives and ask the tough questions: "Have I settled for less than holiness?" "Have I bought into the lie that everyone makes mistakes just so I can make more and be satisfied with sin?" "Do I spend time looking at my own life in the mirror of God's word and prayer and less time trying to fix others without seeking the Healer to fix me?" Take time now to spend with the Father in prayer. I do believe social media can be a great means of evangelism, but not if we our lives are not firmly and squarely planted in Christ Jesus. We must not only present sin but lead people to the cross where repentance and reconciliation takes sin as far as east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). We cannot lead anyone where we first are unwilling to go, we cannot take one to the One whom we declare Holy, Holy, Holy if we are not striving to live as He has called us. Let us reclaim social media as an advance of the Gospel and His Kingdom and stop pursing our own kingdoms and personal agendas on it.
During my prayer and study today I have been forced to look at my own life in regards to this. Do I truly live like I am called to live in Christ? Do I spend more time in the world and less in the Word? Do I really reflect Christ? You might say, "Well nobody is perfect." And with that comment you are somewhat correct (Rom 3:10), yet how do you then synthesize the words of Paul in Ephesians 5:1 to Imitate God? How do you then truly strive towards the remarkable end of Holiness as required by God in Leviticus 20:26 and then again in 1 Peter 1:16? The comment no one is perfect, and we are all struggling, seems to fade into the obscure as the true call of Christ is to become Christlike and less like the world. The chorus runs through my head "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace." I am convicted and convinced as I look in the mirror that my heart needs radical change that only the Spirit can bring, but so does the church today.
So lets look at some examples of living a life that is bi-polar in Christ, one that has settled for no one is perfect and I should just be satisfied with living like I do. If you have ever spent any time on Facebook you find a plethora of people living this life. One post is "Hit like if you love Jesus or scroll down and go to Hell" nothing says I love my savior like blind condemnation because someone doesn't share your post. To top it off after posting some eloquent Bible verse the next post on the persons page contains various curse words, hate rhetoric, calling out of someone we disagree with, complaining about everything, bashing someone, and so on - basically nothing that correlates with the persons alleged love of Christ Jesus. Too often on social media we are calling everyone sinners, posting random Bible verses, but never telling anyone what must be done with sin not to mention trying to look holy when on the inside we are nothing more than pharisees (Luke 11:39). Just like the world we present problems and point at others and offer no solution, we take no one to the redeeming Christ just to the slough of despond (Pilgrim's Progress - read it). No wonder people get tired of reading posts about the Bible when the one posting it isn't striving to live the life they are proclaiming. By the way if you are amen(ing) to this make sure you look at your own Facebook page, twitter account, etc... (if you own one or all). Do you post things of God and things of hate. Are you truly striving in your life to live for Christ. Do you live what you proclaim?
Maybe it is time those that claim Christ step away from the keyboard. Fast from twitter, Facebook, foursquare. Stop living two lives, one in front of other Christians and one in front of those that aren't. Take some time to look at our own lives and ask the tough questions: "Have I settled for less than holiness?" "Have I bought into the lie that everyone makes mistakes just so I can make more and be satisfied with sin?" "Do I spend time looking at my own life in the mirror of God's word and prayer and less time trying to fix others without seeking the Healer to fix me?" Take time now to spend with the Father in prayer. I do believe social media can be a great means of evangelism, but not if we our lives are not firmly and squarely planted in Christ Jesus. We must not only present sin but lead people to the cross where repentance and reconciliation takes sin as far as east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). We cannot lead anyone where we first are unwilling to go, we cannot take one to the One whom we declare Holy, Holy, Holy if we are not striving to live as He has called us. Let us reclaim social media as an advance of the Gospel and His Kingdom and stop pursing our own kingdoms and personal agendas on it.
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