Common Sense Christianity

Common Sense Christianity
“As all thoughts and theories were once judged by whether they tended to make a man lose his soul, so for our present purpose all modern thoughts and theories may be judged by whether they tend to make a man lose his wits.” –G.K. Chesterton

My childhood pastor used to ask people whom he was counseling, “How’s that working for you?” It’s a confrontational question – but it’s a good question. Asked in the right tone, I believe it may be the best evangelistic question for our day.
 
G.K. Chesterton was on to this over 100 years ago. For most of recorded history, evangelistic conversations have started with the idea of sin. If you wanted to share the gospel with your friend, you might begin by explaining to him that certain actions in his life will make him lose his soul. As Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” But this evangelistic approach is difficult in modern America because our culture no longer has a solid conception of sin. Most people still believe in right and wrong – but the idea that wrong can cause you to lose your soul is almost entirely absent.
 
So what are we to do? How can we effectively share the gospel without the category of sin? Chesterton offers an alternative: “all modern thoughts and theories may be judged whether by whether they tend to make a man lose his wits.” In American English, we would say we can judge modern thoughts and theories by whether they make a man lose his mind. Or, to quote my childhood pastor, we can ask, “How’s that working for you?”
 
God set the world up function according to his rules. The Christian way of living always works best. It not only saves a man’s soul – it also gives him a firm foundation on which to build his life and steady his mind. If you’re talking with a non-Christian couple struggling in their marriage, show them the Christian way of marriage and so introduce them to the Christian God. If you’re talking to a young man struggling with his finances, show him the Christian way of money-management and so introduce him to the Christian God. This is common sense Christianity.
 
Your Pastor and Friend,
 
John Knox Foster