LOPSIDED CHRISTIANITY

The Apostle John urged his “dear children” to “not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)

The stress is on the word “and”:

Love with actions AND in truth.

In recent decades the American church has split into two camps: Actions OR Truth.

The authors of Churches that Make a Difference*, summarize this divide well:

“One branch, quoting the Great Commission, claims nothing is as important as leading individuals to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.” 

The other side “stresses that the calling of Christians is to care for those who are poor and to seek justice.” 

Sider, Olson, and Unruh conclude: “Both sides have it partly right - but neither has the whole picture.” (p. 45)

The result is what they call “lopsided Christianity”. 

As always, Jesus should be our role model. He found no conflict in balancing his time and attention between preaching the message of “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is near” while also feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and setting the oppressed free from the demons seeking to ruin them. 

Love in action AND truth.

This is what gets me excited about serving with Mission Resource International. It might seem like such an organization is bound to be a bit slanted toward "loving in action". What some would call (sometimes with a sneer) the "social gospel".

But I am finding that MRI actually strives to maintain balance in the work God has called us to. Yes, the Lord has given us the privilege to serve in places where we see hungry people fed and willing people employed.

But we have also seen lost people finding the Savior and local churches strengthened. 

And THAT sort of holy balance is exciting to me.

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*Ronald Sider, Philip Olson, and Heidi Unruh, Churches that Make a Difference, 2002.