the other side of the soapbox

so this is how it feels on the other side of the soapbox.


i thought it was my platform. and it was, once upon a time. not that i disagree with it now; quite the contrary, actually. i still see all the validity of every argument. it's just an incomplete picture. and maybe it was incomplete back then, too, when i would preach it with such vigor. i just couldn't see it ... until now.



this i know:

i need no help to not preach the gospel. if you look at my life as is, it would [in fact] appear that i am ashamed of the gospel. so rather than give myself [or you] more reasons to refrain from talking about who Jesus is, i would like to see more opportunities arise to let them all know just exactly who Jesus is.

the gospel is the greatest [THE greatest] expression of true Love. ever. period.

and Jesus is not an agenda. what He gives is the best thing i could ever offer anyone, so if i really love someone, it is not an "agenda" to want to tell them about Jesus.



so we sit and fight and claim that we don't agree with each other. the devil is having a picnic while we nit-pick and i'm just sick of it. we wonder ... should we love or preach? do we meet felt/relational needs or do we speak truth boldly?

why can't it just be all of the above? after all ... what is the gospel without a life of love [the kind that 's been changed by the gospel] behind it? and what is any beautiful expression of Christ's love if it's not attributed to Christ, if it doesn't bring the [real, lasting, eternal] healing that Christ brings?

love is the gospel. the gospel is love. you can't love without the gospel. you can't preach the gospel without love.


you can't love
without the gospel.

you can't love

without

the gospel.



i wonder, now ... does love win? plain old love?

or is it that Jesus wins? Jesus wins with love. Jesus is love, and He wins.

He wins people.
He wins the war.
He wins the glory.
He wins the Name which is above all names.
He wins my love.
He wins my soul.

He wins yours.


and HE wins that person that you're trying to love into repentance.



[maybe next time you should let them know why you're loving them at all.]

[[maybe the gospel actually is the power of salvation.]]

[[[maybe my mushy-gushy love that lets them wallow in sin, death, and lies is more damaging to them than the offense of the truth could ever be.]]]


"for we cannot keep quiet. we must speak about what we have seen and heard."
acts four:twenty