He who will not part with all for Christ, is not worthy of him, and cannot know him; and the Lord is true, and cannot acknowledge him.
To let their light shine, not to force their interpretation of God’s designs, is the duty of Christians toward their fellows. Had you given yourselves to the understanding of his word that you might do it, and not to the quarrying from it of material wherewith to buttress your systems, in many a heart by this time would the name of the Lord be loved where now it remains unknown.
Men, undeterred by your explanations of Christianity—for you would not be forcing them on their acceptance—and attracted by your behavior, would be saying to each other, “I will turn and see this sight” [just as Moses did with the burning bush]. They would be drawing nigh to behold how those Christians loved one another, and how just and fair they were to every one that had to do with them! [They would see] that in no house of [Christians] was religion one thing, and the daily life another.
—George MacDonald, The Creation of Christ
Christianity is often unfairly criticized on the basis of its followers. But let’s be fair. We Christians are cracked vessels just like non-Christians and we sometimes, perhaps often, get it wrong. Do not, however, judge our Lord or his Gospel based exclusively on the imperfection of his followers. Doing so implies that you can do better. If you can, then do it. Show us how it is done without ever making a mistake or being in error.
As MacDonald rightly points out, Christ has not failed, but his followers sometimes do. It is to the glory of the Gospel, however, that Christ still loves us, warts and all, and works in those who profess to be his followers to help rid us of our warts. But doing so is a long, slow, arduous process and is often fraught with setbacks and temporary failures. That is what Paul et al. refer to in the NT when they talk about dying to self. It ain’t easy for anyone but we do not have to do it alone. We have Christ in us.
If we turn MacDonald’s argument around and focus on the positive aspects of discipleship rather than on our failings, MacDonald essentially argues that the extent to which we are able to overcome our sinful nature, with the help of Christ living in us, is the extent to which we are indeed able to be Christ’s bright lights who will be attractive to a broken world that desperately needs real hope and Good News.