By Don Shenk for REAL CLEAR RELIGION
Certain religious groups can easily be identified by their distinct attire. However, several decades ago, a cultural shift occurred within some traditionally conservative evangelical groups. In an effort to move away from rigid legalism and place a higher value on faith, strict dress codes were relaxed, and church members were allowed to wear more contemporary clothes in line with fashion trends among the public. As a result, many Christ followers can no longer be identified by the type of clothing they wear and can effectively blend in with society. In his book, “Quest for Piety and Obedience,” Carlton Wittinger referred to this shift as a transition from being the “visible church” to the “invisible church.” This raises an important question: How can an invisible church have a positive influence and make a Godly impact on the world?
Scripture provides a clear answer. A logical inference that can be drawn from James 2:14-26 is that our faith in Christ must be tangibly and visibly manifested in our actions. Likewise, in his first epistle, Peter encourages believers to manifest their faith through Godly living, regardless of the consequences. When our outward appearance no longer sets us apart, there is a risk of blending in with society. Consequently, there is a great responsibility to ensure that our lifestyle and conduct clearly reflect our faith in Christ. When we follow Jesus, he leads us to approach life and respond to circumstances in ways that are obviously different from a secular mindset. When that difference is noticed, 1 Peter 3:15 instructs us to always be prepared to explain our faith in Christ and why we adamantly hold fast to our Christian values in all circumstances.
Living a transformed life and expecting people to ask about our practices and values is a passive form of evangelism that has some merit, but falls short of the expectations expressed by Jesus in some of the last words he spoke to his disciples as recorded in Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:46-48 and Acts 1:8. These scriptures provide a very clear mandate to actively engage in sharing the Gospel. In Christian circles, we often refer to this mandate as “The Great Commission.” Hudson Taylor, who spent more than 50 years ministering the Gospel in China and founded the China Inland Mission, is often credited as coining the phrase, “The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.”
