I am sure most of us would answer that question in the affirmative.  We believe that we love Jesus Our Lord with all our heart, soul and mind as the Scripture exhorts.  We believe that we live lives that honor our Lord and try to live uprightly.  I commend you for that and I believe you mean it from the bottom of your heart, as I do.

However, I am concerned about my witness for Christ.  I pass by lost people every day in various situations and have the opportunity to talk to people.  Do I really believe that I am to be salt and light in the world as Jesus said?  Am I willing to acknowledge that the Gospel and our dear Lord Jesus are offensive in this secular world?

If you are like me, I do not like conflict.  I avoid conflict like I would avoid the plague.  I seek to be loving and kind to all I meet and yet, at times, that gets in the way of my sharing the gospel.  I have to question myself to see if I am willing to be scorned for the Name of Jesus because that goes against almost every fiber of my Christian principles.  I want to be salt and light, but I desire to win people over to God by the love I show to others.  I think, sometimes, we get caught up in I Corinthians 13 to the point where we are neither salt nor light.  Perhaps it is a misunderstanding of Scripture and I think many other people have the same beliefs.

Are we not to love everybody?  Are we not to overlook offenses to some degree?  So the question becomes, “Do I love others enough to share the Gospel with them even though it might bring some unwanted accusations or hurtful comments toward me?”  Am I willing to bear my cross for the sake of the Gospel?

I think it is time for we who know Christ as our Savior to stand up and speak up.  It is not time for timidity!  It is not time to curl up in our warm spiritual fuzzies but a time to put on the whole armor of God and take a stand for what we know and believe is right so that others to whom the Holy Spirit is speaking will hear and come to Christ.

It is up to us!  The Gospel message was placed into my hand and your hand to take it to the ends of the earth.  If we do not obey Christ’s mission for us, what does that say about how much we love Jesus?

My own heart has been moved by God’s Spirit to do just that, i.e. to take the Gospel wherever I go.  Yes, I have avoided speaking to people for fear of offending them, but the time has come for me and I trust for you to GO!  May God help you and me to do what He asked us to do!