Acts 26:13-18 “I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ ‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. You are to tell the world what you have seen and what I will show you in the future. And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’
When I think about Jesus’ personal visit to Paul (the Apostle to the Gentiles) on the road to Damascus , I am drawn to his initial words of response. Those four words seem to be the same asked by so many today. How many in the world today know the Lord Jesus? One church in our area, and undoubtedly thousands of others, has a motto “to know Jesus and make Him known”. Like the great Apostle Paul, our Lord has commissioned and sent all of His disciples to open the eyes of the spiritually blind to the truth of the Savior and His gospel that turns the darkness of sin and unbelief into light of righteousness in faith, from the power of Satan unto death and eternal punishment to God unto forgiveness of sin to a truly full life now and life eternal in heaven, being given a place among God’s people. There is a definite discrimination here; not in a “holier than thou” attitude, but in redemption, forgiveness, salvation and adoption into the family of God because we know and understand Jesus, believe and accept the free gift of eternal life by His atoning death and resurrection, and therefore are set apart by faith in Him. In this truth, we can witness and minister with compassion to the spiritually blind and lost. 2 Peter 3:9
1 John 5:20 “We know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”
Jesus tells Paul, “You are to tell the world what you have seen and what I will show you in the future.” He did. Are we to do any less? Jesus gives us the very definition of a witness "tell what you have seen and know", what the Lord has done for us personally this side of heaven, and as a witness for Christ to tell of the future to come in glory, instead of hell, for the Child of God is a citizen in the kingdom of heaven. There is a world around us asking: “Who are you Lord?”. John 3:16 opens the door to John 14:1-7 - Jesus, the Savior of the world.
Let’s tell them.
In Christ, Brian
5 comments:
AMEN! ☺
I pray that we have opportunity and speak boldly, with love!
Hi Brian,
Yes, amen!!
My husband did a little exercise with the youth from our church. He paired them up and told them to practice evangelizing on each other. Well after painfully watching them for about 10 minutes, he pulled them into a group and asked them how it was. Each of them said they had no idea what to say or how to approach each other. He then proceeded to show them and then took them out into the street to give them a first hand eyewitness.
It is hard to witness if we don't know how to go about it and the only way we will learn is first knowing God's word, then watching others who know how to witness and then go out and just do it.
Blessings brother,
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Larri and Ma, For so long I've heard church members say that they never want to offend anyone by telling them the gospel message that we all have sinned against a just & holy God so condemned to spend eternity in hell, but by the grace of God, He provided a way for forgiveness by redemption in the sending of His Son Jesus Christ to pay the price of death in our place, if we repent and accept His free gift. A fear of being called "holier than thou" by those who are not holy at all and reject their Savior? Don't be intimidated by the darkness of unbelief and boldly follow the Lord's words in love (as Ma says). I heard a Pastor ask if we care more about offending people or God? Is it true love & compassion to not tell those on the road to destruction for eternity about God's plan of Salvation through faith in Jesus? or is it love tell them the truth to save them? Who are we afraid of, really?
Thanks for getting me thinking.
Child of God, my wife just said that we assume that basic Christian facts and functions are known, but surprisingly not. Our Lay-leaders at my old church once brought this fact up to the Pastor, but he said that he had a congregation of Bible believing Christian, but when we suggested testing them, he said "don't you dare". We have got to get back to "basic fundamental" truths found in the Word of God. I'm happy to heard of your husband checking the knowledge of his students and teaching them how to witness as Jesus commanded us to. You are correct that it is hard to evangelize when you do not know how t go about it, unless you are given the gift of evangelism from the Lord, but everyone can tell their personal story of experiencing God's grace and mercy in their life, from the level that they are at and the Holy Spirit will speak through them. True Christians do not want to see their family & friends to to hell, so will naturally tell the gospel message and plead for them to go to the Lord to save them. Knowing God's Word is a key because the Holy Scriptures develops and strengthens faith and His children thirst for growth and maturing by biblical knowledge and wisdom from above. But you are so right that noting beats experience, so going out with and learning from experienced brothers and sisters then prayerfully and compassionately approaching others with the gospel message and how the Lord affect our life is where the rubber meets the road, touches lives for Christ. Excellent point. Thanks for writing.
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