One of Aesop’s fables is about a boy who was drowning in a river, so he yelled out to a man nearby for help. The man was startled by the boy’s cry, so he approached the water’s edge and began to scold the child for being so loud and presumptuous.
Desperate for help, the boy yelled back, “Rescue me now! You can lecture me later on when I am safe.”
The world is filled with people who are drowning in their sin. Many of them do not yet realize this reality, but it is still a matter of fact. As Christians, our job is to rescue them, pulling them safely onto shore. Jude used similar imagery, writing, “save others by snatching them out of the fire (v.23).” Unfortunately, many of us adopt the posture of the angry passerby in the fable, choosing to lecture rather than rescue.
What do I mean? When we see someone we disapprove of, do we share the gospel, or do we shame the appearance or action? Many of us have become experts in lecturing the lost. We tell them how much of an abomination homosexuality is, how short their skirt is, and that their music doesn’t glorify God. We tell them back in our day, men were men and used the men’s restroom and competed in men’s sports.
And don’t misunderstand me: homosexuality is an abomination, clothing should be modest, most music was written by Satan himself, and men don’t belong in women’s restrooms or sports. But lecturing the lost will not change them. We can shame a girl into a longer skirt, and she can go to hell dressed classy.
We need to be more focused on saving souls. Let’s rescue them from drowning, and then the Holy Spirit will begin to lecture their heart as they are transformed into new creations from the inside out.
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