My friend Ross Lockhart is Professor of Mission Studies at the Vancouver School of Theology. He tells a story of asking a group of Canadian Mainline Protestants in a workshop, “Who can tell me in your own words, ‘What is the gospel?” Several answers were suggested about good news, Jesus, and God’s love for the world, but the one that sticks out came from a longtime churchgoer who said—sincerely and without any sense of discomfort— “Well, I believe the gospel simply takes nice Canadians and makes them nicer!”
No. The point of evangelism is to help people put their faith in Christ. But doesn’t faith in Christ make you a nicer person, so that in the end it amounts to the same thing? No again.
C.S.Lewis discusses this at length in Mere Christianity. He says, imagine a professing Christian who is grumpy and short-tempered. Let’s call him Alfred (since it begins with A). Compare him with a non-Christian, who is charming, generous, and kind. Let’s call her Beatrice (B). Surely Beatrice, the kind unbeliever, is more acceptable to God than grumpy Christian Alfred? Indeed, isn’t Alfred being somewhat hypocritical? Aren’t Christians meant to be nice—even nicer than those who don’t share their faith?
Lewis argues that we don’t know where these two people began. It is quite possible that Alfred, because of his difficult childhood, bad digestion, or disappointing life experiences, has actually made a great deal of progress in the Christian life from where he began. Maybe God is very pleased with this progress, although (obviously) God is not done with him yet. On the other hand, Beatrice may be that way simply because of her natural gifts, a healthy upbringing and a successful lifestyle. So, in fact, Alfred has made much progress in the spiritual life, whereas Beatrice may not even have started.
In any case, says Lewis, this is still not the point. The invitation of Jesus, which is also the invitation of the gospel, is not an invitation to niceness. Many words can describe Jesus—compassionate, wise, inclusive. But to be honest, he’s not always nice. If you were a Pharisee talking about Jesus, “nice” is certainly not one of the words that would pass your lips. No, his invitation is simply to follow him. It is an invitation to put our lives into his hands, and to play our part in the work he is doing in the world, that work he called “the kingdom.”
Thus, my nice neighbour may be very generous in using her snowblower to clear everybody’s sidewalk in the winter. God bless her! I, for one, appreciate it hugely. However, if she became a follower of Jesus, who knows what might happen? That kindness would be developed and enhanced, and Jesus might call her to exercise those gifts of a generous heart as a counsellor in a lonely, northern community, or as a community health worker somewhere in Africa. What’s the difference? The difference is who is in charge of her life.
You will sometimes hear it said that the essence of sin is self-centredness. I have come to feel that that is a dangerous half-truth. After all, my snow-blowing neighbour is not self-centred. Indeed, she gives her life to serving others. So if that’s what sin means, then no, of course, she is not sinful. But I have to come to feel that there is a better word than self-centred to describe sin, and it is the word self-directed. Who is in charge of our lives?
That’s why niceness is not the point. Putting our lives in the hands of Jesus and at the service of his gospel is what Christianity is all about.
Why Niceness is Not the Point
My friend Ross Lockhart is Professor of Mission Studies at the Vancouver School of Theology. He tells a story of asking a group of Canadian Mainline Protestants in a workshop, “Who can tell me in your own words, ‘What is the gospel?” Several answers were suggested about good news, Jesus, and God’s love for the world, but the one that sticks out came from a longtime churchgoer who said—sincerely and without any sense of discomfort— “Well, I believe the gospel simply takes nice Canadians and makes them nicer!”
No. The point of evangelism is to help people put their faith in Christ. But doesn’t faith in Christ make you a nicer person, so that in the end it amounts to the same thing? No again.
C.S.Lewis discusses this at length in Mere Christianity. He says, imagine a professing Christian who is grumpy and short-tempered. Let’s call him Alfred (since it begins with A). Compare him with a non-Christian, who is charming, generous, and kind. Let’s call her Beatrice (B). Surely Beatrice, the kind unbeliever, is more acceptable to God than grumpy Christian Alfred? Indeed, isn’t Alfred being somewhat hypocritical? Aren’t Christians meant to be nice—even nicer than those who don’t share their faith?
Lewis argues that we don’t know where these two people began. It is quite possible that Alfred, because of his difficult childhood, bad digestion, or disappointing life experiences, has actually made a great deal of progress in the Christian life from where he began. Maybe God is very pleased with this progress, although (obviously) God is not done with him yet. On the other hand, Beatrice may be that way simply because of her natural gifts, a healthy upbringing and a successful lifestyle. So, in fact, Alfred has made much progress in the spiritual life, whereas Beatrice may not even have started.
In any case, says Lewis, this is still not the point. The invitation of Jesus, which is also the invitation of the gospel, is not an invitation to niceness. Many words can describe Jesus—compassionate, wise, inclusive. But to be honest, he’s not always nice. If you were a Pharisee talking about Jesus, “nice” is certainly not one of the words that would pass your lips. No, his invitation is simply to follow him. It is an invitation to put our lives into his hands, and to play our part in the work he is doing in the world, that work he called “the kingdom.”
Thus, my nice neighbour may be very generous in using her snowblower to clear everybody’s sidewalk in the winter. God bless her! I, for one, appreciate it hugely. However, if she became a follower of Jesus, who knows what might happen? That kindness would be developed and enhanced, and Jesus might call her to exercise those gifts of a generous heart as a counsellor in a lonely, northern community, or as a community health worker somewhere in Africa. What’s the difference? The difference is who is in charge of her life.
You will sometimes hear it said that the essence of sin is self-centredness. I have come to feel that that is a dangerous half-truth. After all, my snow-blowing neighbour is not self-centred. Indeed, she gives her life to serving others. So if that’s what sin means, then no, of course, she is not sinful. But I have to come to feel that there is a better word than self-centred to describe sin, and it is the word self-directed. Who is in charge of our lives?
That’s why niceness is not the point. Putting our lives in the hands of Jesus and at the service of his gospel is what Christianity is all about.
John Bowen is Professor Emeritus of Evangelism at Wycliffe College in Toronto, where he was also the Director of the Institute of Evangelism. Before that, he worked a campus evangelist for Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship. For over thirty years, John has been a popular speaker, teacher, and preacher, on university campuses, in churches and in classrooms, and at conferences, across Canada and the USA. His most recent book is The Unfolding Gospel: How the Good News Makes Sense of Discipleship, Church, Mission, and Everything Else (Fortress 2021).
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