There is a current mindset among woke Christians that winsomeness is the highest virtue. They believe the way to win people to Jesus is to get them to like you and only speak well of you.

What this often leads to is not confronting people with their sin, therefore not preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. The reality is that sin does offend, and if we are telling them about the good news, people have to know what they need to be saved from.

I am not advocating some kind of “jerk“ Christianity. I don’t think there needs to be yelling and pounding a fist from the pulpit every Sunday. But what I do believe is that we must speak the truth of God‘s word which is love, kindness, mercy, and grace – but it’s also God’s justice, wrath, and condemnation.

In this mindset of winsomeness first, these Christians develop an “everybody loves Raymond” mentality. They can’t stand it when somebody doesn’t like them. Unfortunately, they think being liked is how to get people to listen and is the only way to share the good news.

The reality is that Jesus even warned against this mentality. He said in Luke 6:26 “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.”

So clearly this kind of winsomeness is not the greatest virtue. It’s not the ultimate goal. 

Our goal is the glorification of God through loving people and speaking the truth. We are called to be kind, while also pointing out sin, so they understand their need for a savior. You can’t do that if winsomeness is your ultimate goal.

What about Jesus? Many people hated him and others wanted to kill him. So he was crucified. While many highly respected him, there were those who thought he was a fool.

So while Christians should be loving, kind, and good to all people, winsomeness cannot be our chief end. It cannot be what we believe is the only means of salvation. It cannot be what we filter everything we say and do through. We must stick to what God has to say and what he has called us to do

Thanks for taking time to read this Maddening Theology post. If you enjoyed this content you can find Pastor Tim’s sermons at www.cornerstoneforestcity.org. You can also join us at 520 Marion St. Browndale, PA 18421 on Sundays at 10 AM. To make following the blog easier you can also register. You can also join us on Facebook at Cornerstone Forest City. Also, don’t forget to download our APP on iTunes  or Googleplay.