Unbelievers in the pews……By Robin Schumacher……So what is the way to defeat what I believe is the unbelievers’ best argument against Christianity? I think there are a number of things that must be addressed before this issue can be put to rest.……First, I’m convinced that the modern day Church is pregnant with unbelievers. What’s wrong with that, you ask? There’s nothing wrong with unbelievers coming to church, but there’s a very real problem when they stay unbelievers. In our seeker friendly church programs, unbelievers aren’t being confronted with their fallenness, need for repentance, and requirement to show fruit as proof of their conversion. Stanley High describes today’s church like this:

“The church has failed to tell me that I am a sinner.

The church has failed to deal with me as a lost individual.

The church has failed to offer me salvation in Jesus Christ alone.

The church has failed to tell me of the horrible consequences of sin, the certainty of hell, and the fact that Jesus Christ alone can save.

We need more of the last judgment . . . more of the living God and the living devil as well, more of a heaven to gain and a hell to shun.

The church must bring me not a message of cultivation but of rebirth.

I might fail that kind of church, but that kind of church will not fail me.”

In other words, says Stanley High, the Church has stopped telling people the truth about their lostness. Until that changes, and pastors/teachers become less like motivational speakers and more like real prophets of God, the Church will continue to be a place where unbelievers come and leave with no transformation having taken place, with the end result being lives lived out that stand in stark contrast to biblical principles.……Second, true believers need to take seriously the spiritual warfare in which they are engaged. Instead of letting the flesh, the world, and Satan win round after round to the extent that their lives appear no different from the lives of unbelievers, Christians need to get aggressive with their spiritual opponents and start living like overcomers instead of being overcome. The writer of Hebrews urges us:

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

…Third, we all need to re-read Romans 2 and ask ourselves if we’re guilty of preaching things we don’t live out. If so, we need to repent and start being obedient in our actions to what God’s Word says.……Lastly, Christians need to feed the new creature in Christ that is inside them such that new desires spring forth and fruit is born that is in keeping with Jesus’ statement:

Matthew 5:16

In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

This equates to a holy lifestyle; one that is in the world but separate from it. In the same way a boat can be in the water and exist just fine, but not be of the water and sink, we need to live lives that mirror what James speaks about:

James 1:27

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

James also points out a faith that does not act is no real faith at all:

James 2:15ÔÇô16

Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, "Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well"-but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

Faith in action is what defeats the argument of Christianity failing the existential relevancy test. This is not just a New Testament concept, but is something found everywhere in Scripture. Isaiah echoes James almost verbatim with God’s command to His people:

Isaiah 1:16ÔÇô17

Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways.…Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans.…Fight for the rights of widows.…Put more simply, just follow Christ’s law of love:

Matthew 7:12

"Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets."