INCARNATION AND TRANSFORMATION

The incarnation of Christ may be one of the best examples of what it means to be involved in people's lives for the sake of the Gospel and to be the salt of the earth. Jesus entered into the messiness of humanity. He did not observe us from a distance but he came to us. Too many of us in the modern church have done just the opposite. We have tried to influence from a distance. We have sent our missionaries around the world but we have not walked across the street. We have mistakenly believed that God has called us to separation rather than incarnation. We live in a believer’s bubble, isolated and unengaged with the people who need Christ. Too often the Christian community lives in isolation. We falsely conclude that “not of the world” means no interaction, no relationships with the people of the world. This is hardly what John meant. Jesus spent the bulk of his ministry with sinners, those with whom the self-righteous religious leaders refused to associate. If we practice such isolationism, how will we demonstrate truth and transformation before the lives of those who need Christ? Salt accomplishes nothing when left in its container.