THE DEEPER ISSUE IS THE HEART AND THE NEW BIRTH

When Human Performance Becomes Clickbait and Social-Media Influence Instead of Salvation

We are living in an age where theology is increasingly being shaped by TikTok clips, YouTube videos, Facebook posts, reels, shorts, algorithms, likes, shares, and views.

And unfortunately, the Gospel can become reduced to whatever creates the strongest reaction.

“You better live right or you’re going to hell.”

“If you’re doing this, you’re going to hell.”

“If you’re living like that, you’re not going to heaven.”

That language gets attention.

It creates clicks.

It creates comments.

It creates arguments.

It creates engagement.

It can build a following and increase social-media influence.

But we need to understand something:

HUMAN PERFORMANCE MAY CREATE CLICKS, BUT HUMAN PERFORMANCE IS NOT SALVATION.

We have to distinguish between salvation, transformation, and representation.

They are connected, but they are not the same thing.

THE SOCIAL-MEDIA GOSPEL LOVES OUTWARD PERFORMANCE

Social media rewards simplicity and controversy.

It’s easier to create a viral video saying:

“These people are going to hell!”

than to spend time explaining the theological depth of the human condition, justification, grace, the new birth, sanctification, and the finished work of Christ.

Outward behavior is visible.

The condition of the heart isn’t.

So we have created a digital environment where people can become experts at examining somebody else’s behavior while rarely discussing humanity’s deeper problem.

And when human performance becomes the center of our salvific language, we can unintentionally preach something that sounds more like behavior modification than the Gospel.

YOU DON’T GET TO HEAVEN BECAUSE YOU PERFORMED BETTER THAN SOMEBODY ELSE

Ephesians 2:8–9 (KJV) says:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

That’s extremely important.

Your works matter.

Your choices matter.

Your character matters.

Your obedience matters.

But your human performance isn’t your Savior.

Jesus is.

If human performance could reconcile us to God, then ultimately we wouldn’t need a sacrifice.

But humanity needed something humanity could never provide for itself.

We needed Jesus.

THE HUMAN CONDITION IS DEEPER THAN THE SIN YOU CAN SEE

This is where our salvific language has often been misunderstood.

We sometimes talk as though a person was perfectly reconciled to God until they committed some terrible outward sin.

But Scripture describes something much deeper.

Romans 5:12 (KJV) says:

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin…”

Humanity is fallen.

That means a person doesn’t have to murder somebody before they need Jesus.

They don’t have to commit adultery.

They don’t have to steal.

They don’t have to become addicted.

They don’t have to participate in a particular sexual behavior.

You don’t need to commit some spectacular outward sin before you need a Savior.

Simply being born into fallen humanity means you need redemption.

Human beings still possess tremendous dignity because we are created in God’s image.

But we cannot redeem ourselves.

That’s why we needed a sacrifice.

SOMETIMES THE OUTWARD SIN BECOMES THE DISTRACTION

This brings us to the conversations surrounding gay people and, more specifically, discussions about gay bishops.

If we took every gay person in the world, some will be in heaven and some will be in hell.

The same is true of heterosexual people.

Some heterosexual people will be in heaven and some will be in hell.

Some bishops will be in heaven and some will be in hell.

Some preachers will be in heaven and some will be in hell.

Some church members will be in heaven and some will be in hell.

Why?

Because being placed into a human category doesn’t, by itself, tell us someone’s eternal destiny.

Sometimes we become so fascinated with the outward manifestation that the sin becomes the distraction.

We identify what we can see while missing what Jesus told us to understand about the heart.

JOHN 3:18 CHANGES THE CONVERSATION

Jesus says in John 3:18 (KJV):

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already…”

Look at those words:

CONDEMNED ALREADY.

That means Jesus takes us deeper than outward performance.

He doesn’t begin by asking whether someone successfully presented themselves as morally superior to somebody else.

He takes us to belief and unbelief.

The fundamental problem isn’t merely that human beings sometimes behave badly.

The problem is that fallen humanity needs reconciliation with God.

JOHN 16 TAKES US EVEN DEEPER

Jesus says concerning the Holy Spirit in John 16:8–9 (KJV):

“And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me.”

Notice the language:

“Because they believe not on me.”

We keep pointing toward manifestations.

Jesus keeps taking us toward the root.

This doesn’t mean sinful behavior doesn’t matter.

It means behavior isn’t where salvation begins.

Salvation begins with Christ.

NICODEMUS PROVES THAT “LIVING RIGHT” ISN’T ENOUGH

Nicodemus is one of the greatest examples of this.

He was religious.

Educated.

Respected.

Disciplined.

Knowledgeable.

From an outward perspective, Nicodemus was probably living better than many of the people around him.

Yet Jesus didn’t tell Nicodemus:

“Keep performing well.”

Jesus told him:

“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

That’s powerful.

You can have religion and still need the new birth.

You can have discipline and still need Jesus.

You can have excellent human performance and still need a Savior.

GOOD PERFORMANCE CANNOT SUBSTITUTE FOR THE NEW BIRTH.

THEN WHY SHOULD WE LIVE RIGHT?

This is where our message needs balance.

I absolutely believe Christians should desire to live right.

But why matters.

I don’t want to live right because I’m trying to earn enough points to get into heaven.

I want to live right because I love God.

I want to live right because I love myself.

I want to live right because I love people.

I want to live right because my choices affect others.

I want to live right because I want to set a good example.

And I want to live right because I understand representation.

I represent Christ.

Jesus said in John 14:15 (KJV):

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

Notice the order.

LOVE PRODUCES OBEDIENCE.

Obedience doesn’t purchase God’s love.

Our obedience should flow from our relationship with Him.

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THE GOSPEL IS NOT HETEROSEXUALITY

We need to say this clearly.

Heterosexuality is not the Gospel.

A heterosexual person still needs Jesus.

Marriage doesn’t save you.

Being sexually disciplined doesn’t save you.

Going to church doesn’t save you.

Being a bishop doesn’t save you.

Being a preacher doesn’t save you.

Having a title doesn’t save you.

And changing one outward behavior doesn’t automatically produce the new birth.

Jesus saves.

So when we’re discussing two gay bishops—or anybody else—we shouldn’t become so consumed with someone’s outward condition that we completely miss the universal condition of humanity.

DON’T CONFUSE JUSTIFICATION WITH SANCTIFICATION

This is one of the reasons our salvific language becomes confusing.

Salvation and transformation are connected, but they aren’t identical.

We aren’t transformed enough until Jesus finally decides to save us.

We receive salvation through faith in Christ, and from that relationship comes a life of transformation.

The Holy Spirit works in us.

Our thinking changes.

Our desires mature.

Our character develops.

Our behavior should increasingly represent Christ.

That’s sanctification.

But sanctification should never be presented as though human performance replaced the sacrifice of Jesus.

CLICKBAIT CANNOT BECOME OUR THEOLOGY

Social media rewards extreme statements.

The algorithm doesn’t necessarily reward theological accuracy.

It rewards attention.

A preacher can receive thousands of views telling everybody who’s going to hell.

A controversial clip can generate comments for days.

But viral doesn’t mean biblical.

Engagement doesn’t equal revelation.

Followers don’t equal theological accuracy.

And clickbait isn’t the Gospel.

We have to be careful that our desire for digital influence doesn’t cause us to reduce the Gospel to:

“Look how badly they’re living compared to us.”

Because the cross destroys that argument.

THE CROSS IS THE GREAT EQUALIZER

Nobody stands at Calvary bragging.

Not the heterosexual person.

Not the homosexual person.

Not the preacher.

Not the bishop.

Not the church member.

Not the morally disciplined person.

Not the person with the broken past.

Everybody who comes to God comes because we needed something we could not provide for ourselves.

A sacrifice.

Grace.

Redemption.

A Savior.

JESUS.

LET’S CORRECT OUR SALVIFIC LANGUAGE

Yes, Christians should live lives that honor God.

Yes, holiness matters.

Yes, obedience matters.

Yes, character matters.

Yes, transformation matters.

Yes, representation matters.

But let’s explain it correctly.

I don’t live right to purchase heaven.

I desire to live right because I love the God who saved me.

I love myself.

I love people.

I want to set a good example.

And I recognize that my life represents Jesus Christ.

That is very different from telling people:

“Perform correctly enough and maybe God will let you into heaven.”

Human performance can make a great social-media clip.

Human performance can generate clicks.

Human performance can build influence.

Human performance can even make somebody appear religious.

BUT HUMAN PERFORMANCE CANNOT SAVE THE HUMAN SOUL.

The Gospel is not:

“Become good enough.”

The Gospel announces:

Jesus Christ has done for humanity what humanity could never do for itself.

Believe.

Be born again.

Receive grace.

Then allow the Holy Spirit to transform your life.

So before we become consumed with asking:

“How are they living?”

We need to understand the deeper question:

“Do they believe in Jesus Christ?”

“Have they been born again?”

And for those of us who have been born again:

“Does the way we’re living properly represent the Christ we say we love?”

That’s the balance.

Salvation is by grace.
Transformation flows from relationship.
Obedience flows from love.
Representation flows from maturity.

Human performance may get clicks.

BUT JESUS CHRIST IS STILL THE ONE WHO SAVES.