There are certain questions in every culture that are set in an unwritten law, as it were, that are not to be asked. Time of course can change that law, the more time we spend with others, the more knowledge we have of them, the easier it is to ask these questions. The modern terminology is called “politically correct,” no matter the name, the questions are usually one of a personal nature, they go directly to the root of how we think, they are in a sense our belief structures.
Since they are deeply imbedded within us, they form the process of who we believe ourselves to be, they are the character structure around which we base and devote our lives to, the constructs of who we are. Fear of offending is the reason most of these questions are not asked when we first meet someone, the possibility of losing a friendship or acquaintance that we do not yet know with this person can be a quick reality if the questions are posed initially, and so we wait, we enjoin in the small talk, we listen and observe, we search for commonalities, we seek, as it were, companionship and camaraderie. But we do not witness for Christ in these initial approaches because that might offend, it is deemed politically incorrect.
Such is the trap laid by our adversary that many Christians have fallen into, beat around the bush it is called, search around the edges, get a feel as to where this person is in their ideology, then perhaps one day bring up the name of Jesus. The common thought is that by then they will have seen by your actions that you are a believer and then will take it upon themselves to ask you of this faith you portray, thereby leaving you free and clear of having to obey the commandment of Christ to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.” (Matt. 28:19) It is what others in past generations called a “copout,” a “passing the buck,” “kick the can down the road” type of mentality, but the Lord Jesus calls it being ashamed.
“And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” (1 John 4:3) “I will never witness to them, but not until the right moment, I need to get to know them first, to get them to trust me a little more first.” These individuals remind me of lions who are afraid of their own shadows, they have within them an incomprehensible power, and yet they flee from the herd, they shy away from the known truths of the Scriptures, they seek not to offend, even with the Word of God. They have fallen into the trap, and they are unaware of or convinced themselves that Romans 8:7 is not meant for them, enmity from God is not meant for those who believe patience in this area is the best virtue. And so they remain politically correct, they remain quite on the only subject, the only One that matters as that lost soul continues his headlong rush into hell.
I ended a very brief conversation with a next door neighbor a few weeks ago very abruptly with a simple question, “Who do you say Jesus is, and what are you going to do with Him?” This person repeated my question to me, left, and has not spoken to me since. A simple question, one every person on this planet should be able to converse about quite freely, if only for a few minutes, but it is the one question that strikes at the very soul of every individual, for it is a question they know for a fact they will one day have to answer, the eternity that Almighty God has placed in all our hearts (Eccl. 3:11) demands an answer to this question. But many who profess Christ will not ask it of their neighbor, their friends or of family, they fear to ask it even to the stranger they just met and perhaps will never meet again, and they will give you every rationalization and excuse under the sun for not doing so, but it will always boil down to the truth, they are ashamed of Christ.
“Wouldn’t want to offend,” “Jesus isn’t a subject for first time encounters,” “It just didn’t feel like the right time,” “I didn’t feel led to,” “I want to become their friend first,” I have heard them all, I have even employed some of them myself, but it was not only Christ that I was ashamed of, it was what others would think of me if they knew I called Him Lord, it was me I was concerned with. I will not have to give an account of those sinful mistakes on the day that I stand before Him, I have asked for forgiveness of them and by His grace received forgiveness, but I will not intentionally ever deny Him again. “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt. 10:28)
I am perhaps one of the least politically correct people you might ever meet when it comes to this matter, I am in no way concerned about what anyone thinks of me, I am concerned with who they say Jesus is. The burden of my soul is the knowledge of hell, the truth that those who do not know Him as Lord are not only defiling His Holy name, are an offense to Him, but that for all eternity they will scream pleas of repentance that will never be heard or answered. “Who do you say Jesus is, and what are you going to do with Him,” will receive many more responses than I have paper to reply with, but there is only one reply from the Lord Jesus to those who will not ask this question to those they meet, He will be ashamed of them.
