Faith in the News Christian News
Here are three simple ways to be used by God to win some to Christ.
By our Love
There is no excuse for Christians to be grumpy or short-tempered with people because we’ve been saved from the wrath of God, so we should feel compelled to love others as God loved us. In fact, Jesus said that it is by our love that people will actually know whether we’re His disciples or not. When Jesus was speaking with His disciples, He gave them a new commandment. They were to love one another in the same way that He loved them, saying, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). Jesus is essentially saying, people will know who His disciples are by the love that they show to one another, and I think this includes the love they show to the world; even their enemies. Who are the “all people” Jesus is referring too? Clearly it is anyone, because it includes “all people,” so if Christians are unkind to one another and to the unsaved, people won’t be able to recognize them as truly being Jesus’ disciples. That’s a lost witness opportunity.
By our Witness
When we live lives that are pleasing to God, we’re going to make some people unhappy. They will see you living out your life in the way the Bible says and it’s like this; the truth will set you free, or it will make you really angry. Christians understand that people may not like us, but it’s not we who they don’t like; its Jesus Who lives in us. Even so, we are to pray for our enemies, as Jesus commands, “bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:28). When non-believers see you respond in love to their hate, it’s a powerful witness for Christ. I believe when Stephen the Deacon was being stoned to death, and as he was dying, he asked God to not hold this sin against them (Acts 7:60). Since the Apostle Paul was in charge of the stoning, this may have been the first seed planted in the heart of Paul. Paul would later write “in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2nd Cor 5:19), so “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt 5:44-45), making you more like God, as Jesus says, “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt 5:45). Responding to hate with love; cursing with blessing; bad with good; persecution with prayer.
By God’s Word
When I give the message on Sundays, I remind them that part of the sermon will be perfect; the part where I read out of the Bible. My part? It’s not even close to perfect, but I did find a true source of power and it’s in the Word of God. It’s certainly not in me. If I ever spoke and didn’t refer to Scripture, then all I would be doing is giving you my opinion, and you can’t hang your hat on human opinions. It’s not enough to have human understanding…we need (I need) the very Word of God. That’s where the power is. I supply the weak vessel and God supplies the power of His Word and the inspiration of His Spirit. Paul was certainly not timid about sharing the gospel. He went anywhere there were people, so he was not ever ashamed of the gospel. He knew Scripture was its own source of power, not him. He writes, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16), and even though “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing” (1st Cor 1:18a), “to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1st Cor 1:18b). Don’t ever think like this; “I can’t convince my brother to believe in God. I can’t show that my sister she needs Jesus.” If you do, you’ll get frustrated, because the children of God are not born of the will of the flesh, but of God (John 1:12-13). He gave us that right; we didn’t earn it.
Conclusion
I hope you understand that we don’t really win anyone to Christ. It is God working through us as a means to save some. All of my converts are probably still in the gutter, but whom God saves, He keeps (John 6:37-39, 10:27-29). God grants repentance (2nd Tim 2:25) but He might use our love, our witness, and the Word of God to make them into the children of God and it’s all for the glory of God; never about us. Here is the focal point; “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness” (Psalm 115:1)! Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this” (John 11:25-26)? By the way, we should include the necessity of prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with the saints, but if we are loving, if we are living, and if we are speaking His Word, God may use us as a means to save someone. When that happens, not only can we rejoice, but I believe all heaven rejoices with us (Luke 15:7, 10).
May God richly bless you
Pastor Jack Wellman
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