Beyond Entertainment: Why the World Needs Repentance and the Gospel | A Christian Perspective
“So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.” Mark 6:12
What message is the church called to proclaim to an unbelieving world? There might be many answers to the question. An obvious one is that we proclaim the love of God for the world he created. That love is shown clearly in the gift of his Son. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). This is the great good news of Christianity. God does not just love us in theory but in truth and reality. God has demonstrated his love for us through the gracious gift of his Son and his death on the cross for our sakes.
Someone might suggest that we need to start more basically. We first need to make the case that God exists. The existence of God cannot be proven, at least to everyone’s satisfaction, but it also cannot be disproven. There are many things in the created order that are consistent with the existence of a God who made all things. One simple thing to note is that life exists because of information. While DNA and the various processes of life are marvels, the greatest marvel is the information they contain. All life exists because of complex codes of very technical information that cause cells to be built, muscles to work correctly, embryos to form humans and animals, and a multitude of other processes. That such vast amounts of technical information could come into existence randomly is like suggesting that the Library of Congress came into being from a series of explosions in a paper mill.
But what is the message of the Bible to our world today? We live in an often-disinterested world that seeks fulfillment apart from God. There are enough distractions and entertainments in today’s world to partially fill the void for many people. Because of this, our world needs a more piercing message, and the ministry of the apostles gives us guidance. The Gospel of Mark tells how Jesus sent the apostles out to preach in his name. What was the content of their message? They proclaimed that people should repent. It was time for people to turn themselves and their ways back to God.
It seems to me that this is a message for our world today. People need to repent: if you are not following God; if you are not living according to Jesus; if you only fill your life with things to satisfy your needs; if you only rarely pray. Whether you believe you are a sinner or not, you need to repent. Turn to God. He is the righteous judge of all people. All will stand before him and give account of their lives. Unless you find faith through Jesus, you will not find the judgment of God gracious.
Martin Luther said that the church must proclaim both the law and the gospel. The law calls people to account and shows them their sin. The gospel offers forgiveness to the repentant. The gospel beckons us with gracious promises, and the law warns us with terrible judgments. Both are true, and both need to be proclaimed to the world in which we live.