A More Compelling Gospel

Let’s be real—convincing our friends and family to believe in Jesus seems harder than ever. As ambassadors of Christ, we’re finding that people today aren’t exactly drawn to what we’re offering. If we’re struggling to reach them, maybe it’s time to ask ourselves: Are we doing something wrong? Do we know the answer to WIIFM (what’s in it for me)?

Our loved ones are facing challenges in a world that is unforgiving, critical, and harsh. Yet, sadly, the message they often receive from the church sounds no different than the message they hear from the world: “You need to do better… you’re not good enough.”

But here’s the real problem: Many Christians don’t fully understand what we’re supposed to be sharing with the world.

We tell people that Jesus can keep them out of Hell. We stress that believing in Him will help them stop sinning. While both statements are true, we sometimes miss the heart of our message: God loves them and has freed them from the impossible burden of perfection!

That’s the core of the Gospel. And it can be summed up simply:

• There is only One who is perfect—Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).
• As long as we live in this flesh, we will never be perfect (1 John 1:8).
• The law requires absolute perfection (James 2:10). On our own, we’re in big trouble!
• Jesus died and rose again to take away our sins and give us His righteousness as a free gift (Romans 5:17, 1 Peter 2:24).
• We are made right with God through faith in Jesus, not by striving to be perfect or obeying the law (Galatians 2:16).

Grace is the undeserved, unearned favor of God. He pours out blessings on us not because we are good enough, but because He is. Striving for perfection is like running on a hamster wheel—exhausting and pointless. Worse, it can cause us to reject the finished work of Jesus, as if we need to “add” to what He already accomplished.

It’s time to stop striving for perfection—both for ourselves and others.

If I hear one more Christian say, “We just need to obey God!” without explaining what that truly means, I might just scream! 🤯 Telling a struggling person that they need to “do better” only heaps more shame on them. And shame drives people away from God, not toward Him.

Obedience is not about following Old Testament laws.

Let’s be honest—none of us can perfectly keep the Ten Commandments, let alone the 600+ other laws given to Israel! That’s why Jesus came. He fulfilled all of them for us and replaced them with two simple commands:

1️⃣ Believe in Him
2️⃣ Love others as He loves us

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 NKJV)

I truly believe this is why many hesitate to follow Jesus. They think Christianity is about rules and behavior, rather than love and relationship. They know they can’t measure up, so they don’t even try.

But our job is not to fix people. Our job is simply to reflect the love of Jesus. It’s God’s job to transform hearts and change behavior.

So let’s stop trying to be perfect. And let’s stop making others feel like they have to be perfect before God sees them as righteous. Instead, let’s trust God to do His part.“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6 NLT)