For the Sake of the Truth – February 13, 2021

I do all this for the sake of the gospel.
1 Corinthians 9:23

For the Sake of the Truth

His name was William Charles Macready. He’s not a household name now, but back in the 1800s, William Macready was one of the most respected actors in Great Britain and the United States. In each of his stage performances, Macready poured his heart and soul into the character he was portraying. People loved him for it. They packed the theaters to see him at work.

It’s said that there once was a preacher who approached Macready with a simple question: “What is the reason for the difference between you and me? You are appearing before crowds night after night with fiction, and the crowds come wherever you go. I am preaching the essential and unchangeable truth, and I am not getting any crowd at all.”

Macready’s answer was, “I can tell you the difference between us. I present my fiction as though it were truth; you present your truth as though it were fiction.”

Ouch.

Don’t misunderstand. The Bible is clear that the power to bring hearts to faith in Jesus lies in the power of the gospel—the good news of what Jesus has done on our behalf. Nevertheless, how many times have Christians put a roadblock in front of the gospel by acting as if it’s fiction? In all candor, Christians must confess that they have been guilty of this.

The beauty is that, despite the lack of passion and bouts of apathy, the gospel remains the truest thing there is. After all, whenever the reality of our wrongs crushes us, and we cry out in repentance, the living, breathing Savior promises us that his blood has washed us clean, that we are his, and that he will never leave our side.

Macready did all he could for the sake of fiction. In Jesus, you and I can do all we can for the sake of the truth—the truth of sins forgiven in Christ.

Prayer:
Precious Savior, I confess all the times I have shared your good news so poorly. Forgive me. And empower me by your gospel to do all I can for the sake of the truth. Amen.