Sell it!

In the interest of not joining the "American Consumer" club, churches would do well to heed the advice of Jesus in John 2:16 "Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade". Are we selling Jesus? Are we making Christianity and the redeemed life a commodity? How tempting it is to sell the most precious gift we've ever been given in the name of evangelism. To package it neatly, to make it pallatable, to make it fashionable. But Jesus isn't a quick fix. Jesus calls us to transformation. And frankly, not many people are interested in a complete overhaul. It simply costs too much!
The truth is the truth. We should not attempt to sell it, to water it down, to restructure it, to make it fit someone's life (or lifestyle).
The truth is the word. The word is life. Unfiltered, unhindered, unmarketable, it is the most powerful thing we'll ever encounter. Jesus is the truth, the way, and the life.
Now, dont' get the idea that I'm against Christians entering the marketplace with products that promote truth and glorify God. I'm just saying we'd better be careful that our motives are right in doing so. And as far as evangelism goes, well, the same goes for that. Jesus isn't something we sell to our neighbors as insurance against a life that could go south.
God, give us pure hearts out of which are born pure motives. Let us never attempt to reduce the power of redemption into a 5 step program to a better life that can be sold on infomercials the world over. Amen!