A term that has recently emerged in my church, theological literature, and in evangelical culture in general has been that of divine tension. This is a general concept to describe a variety of phenomena in Christian theology. In this post I will first describe divine tension, it's common examples, and fundamental structure, and then I will talk about a possible divine tension I have found in evangelism, as well as it's general origin.
Divine tension describes a dichotomy, two or more things that seem to be in opposition but yet are simultaneously true. The most famous example may be the dual nature of Jesus, being both God and man. The first is all powerful and all knowing, the second is not. How can this be? Many have struggled with the question and many sects have arisen that deny either one or the other, but the truth is that Jesus both claimed to be "Son of God" and "Son of man". Other examples include the trinity (see June 2010 Big Theory: Trinity and TSM), free will vs. predestination in salvation, and our work/sanctification/sonship vs. God is our only strength.
The principle here is that Jesus (and other concepts) are a more complicated concept than what we normally think. The two views of man and God are not in opposition, they simply require a bigger idea to encompass them. The circular end and the rectangular side view of a cylinder are not in opposition, they simply require an object of three rather than two dimensions to contain the two. This is how we must deal with all the concepts of divine tension.
Now, to address a divine tension in evangelism. On the one hand, unsaved people are going to hell, and this is a great tragedy. If you knew, really knew, that your friend, or even just an associate, could avoid being killed tomorrow in a plane crash by changing his flight, you would take significant measures to help him or her avoid this fate. You might even make yourself look silly, put your honor on the line, make financial and time sacrifices, and otherwise try to avoid the death. To illustrate from the less-viewed other side: suppose you knew the location of boundless buried treasure. Any who took from it, though unlimited their taking, could not deplete the store, and no amount of taking would lessen the value. Would you not dance for joy and tell all people you could? It would not hurt you if others found it. You would bring others great joy. You would laughingly but soberly implore others to go to this place. Likewise we should feel passionate and justified about preaching the gospel to people.
On the other hand, people are made in the image of God with free will. We have been designed to seek out truth and to acclaim it, to resonate with it. This is what we do when we glorify God, or Jesus, who is himself the Truth. Therefore we should respect the decisions of others. If homosexuals truly believe that their actions are justified, not in opposition to truth, we cannot berate them for their false beliefs. We can plead with them to reconsider and make sure that what they have found is true. Even then, we can only do this to a point, for all to quickly it becomes harassment. (I have accidentally done this with several people who graciously pointed out my error - you will not often find unbelievers with such tact). The main option at this point, beyond giving them time and letting God and circumstances do work, is to live normally with them, demonstrating the life change God has wrought within you, and hope that they see you are different, and are attracted to it.
This whole dichotomy in evangelism is a fairly direct corollary to God's sovereignty and free will. On the one hand, he does a lot of pushing, pleading, and asking for us to come to him. "All day long I have held out my hands to a wicked an obstinate people." Isaiah 65:2 and "Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden." Romans 9:18 referencing Exodus 33:19. On the other, it is our decision to make. Any pleading in any of the scriptures to believe, any call to action, assumes power lies with the reader. Nowhere does the bible ask us to sit back and let God take us, for that would make useless the bible itself.
Likewise our part in the conversion of others is part pleading initiative, part respect for the mind of the individual. For when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden saying in effect, "No, we are going to follow what we say is true.", God did not plow them over and force them to believe him, that would be to strip them of their humanity. Rather he let them go astray, however much it pained him, and stood beside them pleading as a lover might.
And this is what we are to do for not-yet-Christians. Plead but respect. Love them not in the way you would love them, but truly "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Think from their perspective. Love others as God loved and loves you.
