The cause of Christ

A lot of us humans have a pet cause, which is one of the things that sets us apart from the animal kingdom…our pets don’t have a human cause. But, of course, I’m not talking about animals, per se. Though for a lot of folks, animal welfare is their pet cause. For others it’s the environment or breast cancer research or, more currently, saving the Twinkies. It may be something more serious like human trafficking or child pornography. An issue among many other important issues which you feel especially passionate about.

Recently, in responding to news of another so-called Christian behaving badly, I said to myself, that’s so damaging to the cause of Christ. And though I’ve used that expression “the cause of Christ” before, meaning the Gospel, God’s saving work to reconcile the human race to himself, this time I was struck by the contrast to all the other causes in the world. And I wondered if that’s how the general population sees it…as one cause among many. I care about climate issues, you care about Christ.

And I felt like screaming, because I’m sure many do look at Jesus that way, and it’s so incredibly wrong and dangerous. Wrong, because this Christ is not only the one who created them with the ability and right to choose him or not, but also the one who entered the world he also created in order to suffer and die so that they could be saved from the punishment we each deserve. His cause is our cause, whether we acknowledge it or not. The cause of Christ is about the eternal good of every human being on the planet, yet so many pass him over as not worthy of their time and attention.

And therein lies the danger. If we pass by the only door leading out of darkness and into light and life, whether because we like the darkness or we prefer to find our own way, we will forever be in darkness because there is no other way. The door is open, but we have to choose to walk through it.

The saddest, most tragic, and most maddeningly shameful reality is that lost sinners turn their backs on their one and only Savior. He is still “despised and rejected by men.^1″ He is still scorned, mocked, and spit on as he was in Pilate’s court. And he is still ridiculed and reviled even as then, when he looked down from the cross and said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.^2″

The sacrificial, saving work of the sovereign God of the universe on behalf of all humanity can never be reduced to a pet cause. No other issue, concern, disease, social ill, or perceived problem is as deserving of our attention and passion. The cause of Christ is as personal as it is universal, and we reject it at our own peril.

You’ll never get a fundraising letter originating from the throne room of God asking you to support the cause of Christ. But instead, you have received an offer from him to fully fund your eternal destiny. Because the cause of Christ is you.

¹ Isaiah 53:3  ² Luke 23