WORDS MATTER: THE
IMPORTANCE OF CLARITY IN GOSPEL COMMUNICATION
Perhaps you
have had heated conversations (with believers or non-believers) on seemingly
controversial theological topics. As unified and loving Christians, a difficult
aspect to our faith is learning how to handle disagreements. A few months ago,
my commentary centered around orthodoxy and how we determine what is orthodox.
I made the point that the older I get, the less orthodox items there are, i.e.
there must be room for disagreement in the church. Yet, I would also offer the
necessity of clarity in gospel communication. Secondary issues do not equate to
meaningless issues; semantics or not, we not only benefit from clarity in our
words, but whether dealing with preaching, singing, or general conversation, I
submit that we are called to clarity in gospel communication. The tendency is
often to negate the importance of words in communication; yet, words mean and
imply vital elements which we (knowingly or unknowingly) communicate.
Therefore, regarding clarity in gospel communication, I have three thoughts we
should be mindful of in our dialogue.
If It Is in the Bible, It Is Important
The Apostle
Paul suggests that “all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching,
for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tim
3:16). The word, all, encompasses secondary issues. It might be tempting to equate
secondary with unimportant. The reality, however, is that if a word or topic is
in the Bible, it is important. Certainly, it is possible to create false
emphasis to biblical words through interpretation; yet, the words themselves
are important. For that reason, God’s people should strive for clarity and do
so by not negating the words of Scripture. The text exists for a reason; we
then should not assume that some words in the Bible are more important than
others. While not every issue is salvific, every word of the Bible collectively
is salvific by its very nature, i.e. even in secondary issues, the biblical
text itself points to the gospel story. Clarity then is vital to gospel
communication. We should not employ laziness in our communication but rather
precision and clarity.
We Never Get It Completely Right, and We Must Be Okay with That
Human
beings, by nature, want to be in control. When we are not in control or when we
make mistakes, it bothers us. Nonetheless, mistakes are a normal part of human
life; this is a reality we must understand and be okay with. As we preach the
gospel, as we sing the gospel, as we write gospel-centered music, and as we
communicate the gospel, we will never get it completely right while we are
being conformed into the image of Christ (Rom 8:29). Similar to the way we
should approach secondary issues, the fact that we will not employ objectively
precise words in our communication should not deter us from trying, for even in
our unintentional wrongness, God uses the foolishness of preaching (1 Cor
1:21). Using such a truth as an excuse for laziness is to effectively abandon the
call to know God and to make him known. God is manifold; the Bible is manifold;
and we, his servants, must strive for clarity in gospel-centered communication
since the message we preach is the most important message to humankind. We walk
both ways on a two-way highway in that we should strive for clarity and
precision in gospel communication, yet we must also be okay with the fact that
in our continued sanctification, we will not get our chosen words completely
correct. It is not Christians who save people; it is Jesus Christ. Let us then
strive for clarity and trust the work of the Holy Spirit to use the foolish
words we prepare to communicate the gospel, whether through preaching,
songwriting, praying, or daily conversations.
While Our Best Is Worthless Compared to God, We Should Never Excuse
Sloppiness
If we use
secondary issues and imperfection as excuses for lack of clarity, we cheapen
the gospel. There is no excuse for sloppiness in gospel communication; when we
employ sloppiness, we should correct our mistake(s). It is vital for God’s
people to live in the reality that the best offering of any human is worthless
compared to the glory of God; yet, our call is to excellence. As we preach the
gospel, we should trust God to use the delivery of the message and to intervene
in every word that is communicated. If we make excuses for lack of clarity, we
cheapen the gospel, which is the central message of the Bible. Either the
entire Bible is effective, or it is not; by negating certain parts of Scripture
or writing off its importance, we do not communicate the whole counsel of God (Acts
20:27). Is our best worthless compared to God? Yes. Is the whole counsel and narrative
of Scripture effective by the power of the Holy Spirit? Yes. We should then trust
God’s work in communicating the gospel as clearly as possible without cheapening
the message on account of our imperfection.
Words Matter
While the church
is comprised of many imperfect people, we serve a God who is perfect and who is
also perfecting his people. The gospel message changes people; the words of the
Bible proclaim the whole counsel of God; and indeed, the foolishness of preaching
the entire narrative of Scripture, controversial topics included, yields a far greater
effect than presenting a human understanding of God. Clarity is vital, and words
matter. Let us strive for excellence then and trust God to help us grow and continue
to use us where we fail in communication. The difference between two words might
seem subtle and unimportant, but words matter. Clarity is gospel communication is
crucial.
