Isolating the Gospel

by Matt Slick

One of the methods for stopping the spread of a disease is to isolate it.  That way, it won’t come in contact with anyone else and it won’t spread.  But this principle doesn’t only work for diseases.  It also works with spiritual things.  You can stop the spread of the gospel by isolating those who spread it.

The devil wants the gospel stopped.  So, all he has to do is isolate those who spread it.  This can be done in different ways.  In some countries isolating Christians is accomplished by outlawing Christianity and sending those who promote it to prison. Another way is to spread false teachings so that the truth has no chance of gaining a foothold.  Still another way is to dilute the truth so much that Christianity becomes nothing more than another philosophy competing for survival in a sea of ideas.

Here in America, the subtle and persistent criticism of Christians and Christianity is, to a degree, successfully pushing the gospel message to the outskirts of acceptable social boundaries.  If this pattern of isolation continues, Christianity will be relegated to a small Sunday Morning hour that is only allowed to be practiced behind closed church doors.

As secularism gains prominence with its moral relativism and its evolutionary philosophy, the absolute truth of God’s word will necessarily come under attack.  After all, two competing things can’t occupy the same space.  In light of this, Christians will continue to retreat to their churches and homes and be persistently urged to keep their opinions to themselves lest they offend someone, say something that isn’t politically correct, or violate someone’s rights by calling something a sin.

But we Christians are not called to quiet and polite isolation.  We are not supposed to retreat from the battle.  Instead, we are to boldly and confidently obey the command of Jesus who said,

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” (Matt. 28:19-20).

You don’t obey Jesus by hiding, by retreating, or by being intimidated into isolated silence.  You obey Jesus by obeying and doing.  And in your doing, you must have faith that God is sovereign and that his powerful word will not come back empty without accomplishing what he desires. 

Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth.  It shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

So let me ask you, do you as a Christian feel a little isolated from society?  Have you succumbed to social pressures and fainted from speaking the gospel to someone because you didn’t feel confident, were embarrassed, or worried it might not be received well?  Have you withheld the words of truth because you didn’t want to offend someone, or because you might have been ridiculed, or maybe because it might have cost you a friendship?  If this is the case, then please take your eyes off of yourself and your circumstances and put them on Jesus, and follow him.  Be wise, be prayerful, but don’t let yourself be isolated.