“For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! But wisdom is justified of all her children.”

Luke 7:33–35

It is common for people to talk about the society of our day with its refusal to believe the truth, and its insistence that anything except genuine Christian faith must be met with not just acceptance, but approval as if this is something new. But in truth, there has never been a time since the Garden of Eden when the truth has been accepted. Rebellion against God’s laws may take different forms and use different languages as time passes, but it is a consistent part of human history. This knowledge should shape the ways in which we interact with the world.

There are many in our day urging the church to adopt radical new approaches to reach the world. They insist that only by changing to keep up with the times can we be relevant to society and gain an audience for our message. Yet, the response to the preaching of Jesus and John the Baptist reveals that it is the sinful nature of man that hinders repentance and redemption. It is hard to imagine a greater contrast in styles of living and ministry than that between Jesus and John, yet a large number of the people refused to listen to either of them.

Their problem was not with the way in which the message was presented. Their problem was the message itself. The exclusive offer of salvation by grace through faith alone is deeply offensive to the lost world. While we should not be harsh or unloving, we should be clear in presenting the truth, and trust God for the results.