From The Truth Of The Cross -- R.C. Sproul

"The prevailing doctrine of justification today is not justification by faith alone. It's not even justification by good works or by a combination of faith and works. The prevailing notion of justification in Western culture today is 'justification by death'. It's assumed that all one has to do to be received into the everlasting arms of God--is to die."

This is our fight with the gospel.

I was talking with a good buddy of mine in Dallas this afternoon and he told me that he had lunch the other day with a gentleman (late 40's) who was not a Christian. He said that he tried to start a conversation with him centered around the gospel and he realized that this man had absolutely no idea about Christianity (that's not the surprise). My friend realized that this man was not even remotely concerned with asking questions regarding eternity or his soul for that matter. He said that the thought never really crossed his mind (ok, whatever....Ecclesiastes 3.11), and wasn't really interested in talking about it any further.

So this is really our fight with the gospel. This is our context that we find ourselves in each and every day that we walk into this world. I'm no 'culture expert' and I know the cool thing to do today is to study culture, but I think understanding the pervading culture is not so much understood based upon what area of the world you live in, as much as it is in your mind. The culture is mental.

"And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds," ~ Colossians 1.21

And everyone at one time or another has been hostile to the gospel and even blinded to the gospel for that matter, whether you live on the East Coast, West Coast or the Mid-South.

"in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." ~ 2 Corinthians 4.4

So of course Sproul is right to conclude, in his observation, that people have come to resolve that eternity is rightfully theirs simply by dying. Because they have died, that gives them the right to enjoy Christ and all of heaven for eternity.

This is why we must engage people with the true gospel of Justification by faith alone. We are obviously aware that people do not have the answer, the truth. But they're not even asking any questions either.

"There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God" ~ Romans 3.11

So let's engage people with the gospel questions. Let's engage them by asking them penetrating questions about God. About Scripture. About Sin. About Jesus! Let's at least make people think about these things concerning God, sin, justification and faith by asking them the questions that they themselves need to be asking.

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth." ~ 1 Corinthians 3.6