It's been a little bit since I last posted, but we'll pretty much just pick up where we left off last time.
We're in the middle of studying Jude 20-25. Like I said in the previous post, this is one of my favorite passages regarding evangelism. In this post, we'll be taking a look at verse 22.
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference.
At this point, we will be discussing one of the most critical truths in regard to evangelism: compassion. I say it is critical because you cannot do without it and be effective in witnessing. If your motive isn't love for God and compassion for the lost, you're doing it wrong. Why? Because we are to emulate our Lord in everything we do (Eph. 5:1-2). Notice that God didn't send His Son to earth because of theology. Christ didn't go to the cross because He was forced to. He came for the sake of His love toward us and His pity toward our condition (Rom. 5:6-8). Looking at God's love doesn't serve to downplay or deemphasize His holiness and wrath against sin. However, love and compassion are integral parts of God's nature that cannot be ignored.
So why do we as witnesses show compassion? We touched on the first one briefly. It is simply this: we have and show compassion towards others in imitation of Christ. Several times throughout the gospel accounts, the Bible specifically highlights Christ's compassion toward those with whom He was dealing. A few of these are Mark 1:40, Matt. 9:35-36, and Luke 7:13. We are to show compassion simply because Christ did.
The second reason we are to show compassion is closely tied to the first. Compassion is to play a major role in our lives once we recognize how Christ viewed the lost. This is seeing people through the eyes of God. In the previous point, we see that Christ had compassion. Now, we go a little deeper and see why Christ had compassion. In Matt. 9, Christ had compassion because the people were scattered and without a shepherd. Is. 53 says that we all like sheep have gone astray. Heb. 2:14-15 says that we were under the power of death. When Christ sees someone who is lost, His wrath is stoked by their sin, but His love is activated by their pitiful condition. This is the way we are to view the unsaved: as lost. This love of Christ is one of the major factors that is to drive our witness (2 Cor. 5:14-15).
Lastly, we are to have compassion for the lost because we know the whole story. God, in His foreknowledge, has revealed to us the destiny of unbelievers. If they do not accept the gift of eternal life through Christ alone, God will not spare them. Once they die, the time for mercy is over. They have rejected the Son of God who gave Himself as their sacrifice. They have rejected the God who sent His one and only Son. God will call into account every thought, word, and action, and they will pay for every one. Read the account of Christ on the cross. Look at His agony in Gethsemane, His cry of "Why have You forsaken me?" That wasn't because of the nails. That wasn't because of the crown of thorns. It was because of our sin. God placed all our sin, past and present, and poured out every drop of His wrath against Christ. Every curse ever put on sinful man's head was heaped on Christ. And here is where the lost come in. If they reject Christ's sacrifice, they will suffer God's wrath for their own sin because they have not come under the blood of the Lamb. They will spend an eternity in Hell receiving the same justice that was placed on Christ. This is the plight and destiny of the lost. Even a casual perusal of the doctrine of Hell should be more than enough to make our hearts ache for those who do not know Christ. And this compassion should drive us to tell them.
As a final thought, the last phrase in verse 22 of Jude is "making a difference." Compassion makes a difference. People can disagree with every word you say, but if you demonstrate genuine compassion, they will most likely walk away with a respect for you that God can use to reach them later down the road. Also, if we honestly witness to someone with compassion as our motivation, that is a heart whose service God can bless.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Your Heart Before Your Service
If you have your Bible, I would encourage you to turn to the book of Jude. Jude is one of the books you would probably turn to if your pastor told you to memorize an entire book of the Bible. Why? The entire book is shorter than many chapters in the Bible. If you are like me, it probably took you about five minutes to figure out where in the world Jude was because it takes up one side of a page in your 1500 page Bible.
Despite its small size, Jude contains a huge amount of truth; truth that includes one of my favorite passages on evangelism. Look toward the end of the book (it's not far). We will look at verses 20-25.
20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
24 Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory,
25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
This is a very short passage of Scripture. Most of you are probably thinking you could read through that in the time it takes for you to sneeze. Nevertheless, over the next couple of weeks, we are going to look at this passage and the truths it contains. You'll see that even these six short lines have huge practical application for the witness.
Right now, we will start with verse 20-21; what it means and how it applies to the witness. There are four main exhortations in these two verses, and all of them lead up to the same point. We see an exhortation to build our up our faith, pray in the Holy Ghost, keep ourselves in the love of God, and look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. In application to the witness, this all leads to one conclusion: we are unable to witness effectively in and of ourselves. We must be prepared.
Let's take a look at each of these individual principles.
For starters, we are called to build up our faith. Taking the other statements and the rest of the Word into account, we cannot neglect time in the Bible. If we are to be effective witnesses, we must pour time into increasing our knowledge of God, seeking His face, and preparing our hearts to be used of Him. Romans 10:17 says that faith comes from the Word of God. We need to spend time in the Word so that we are able to recognize opportunities as God provides them, and so that we are able to communicate His truth clearly when the time comes.
Second, we see the need to spend time in prayer in and with the Holy Spirit.. Romans 8:26 inseparably links the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to our prayer. The Bible is how God speaks to us; prayer is how we communicate back. John 14:13-14 reads,
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. (emphasis mine)
These words were spoken by our Lord. He teaches that if we pray for opportunities to glorify the Father, God will honor those prayers. Not only does prayer open doors for evangelism, the two-way communication of reading the Word and prayer is how we stay attuned to the heart of God.
Thirdly, we are given an exhortation to keep ourselves in the love of God. Where do we see the love of God most. I would submit that we see the greatest display of God's love on the cross. Romans 5:8 says,
8 But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
I've said it before, and I will say it again. If we are to be effective as believers in all areas of life, not just evangelism, we must constantly look to the cross. It is to be the focal point of our lives. Even in the very deep, "theological" books of the New Testament, the authors constantly return to the cross. It is the beginning, heart, and end of everything we do and are. We must constantly return to the cross and be reminded of the love of God so that we can show that love to others. We will look at that a little more in the next post.
Lastly, we are to be looking ahead for the coming of our Lord. We are not of this world. Our Lord is not of this world (John 17:14). When this world sets its face against us, our hope is in the return of our Lord. When trials and tribulations come, our hope is in the return of our Lord. We did not trust Christ for the sole purpose of a better life on earth; our hope is in the return of our Lord. (1 Thess. 4:13-18) We live, not in light of this earh, but in light of eternity with our Lord, glorifying His name (2 Cor. 5).
I know this has been a long post, but I hope that it has been benficial in some way. If nothing else, remember that we cannot expect or even hope to be effective witnesses without being fully attuned to the will and way of the One we serve.
Despite its small size, Jude contains a huge amount of truth; truth that includes one of my favorite passages on evangelism. Look toward the end of the book (it's not far). We will look at verses 20-25.
20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
24 Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory,
25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
This is a very short passage of Scripture. Most of you are probably thinking you could read through that in the time it takes for you to sneeze. Nevertheless, over the next couple of weeks, we are going to look at this passage and the truths it contains. You'll see that even these six short lines have huge practical application for the witness.
Right now, we will start with verse 20-21; what it means and how it applies to the witness. There are four main exhortations in these two verses, and all of them lead up to the same point. We see an exhortation to build our up our faith, pray in the Holy Ghost, keep ourselves in the love of God, and look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. In application to the witness, this all leads to one conclusion: we are unable to witness effectively in and of ourselves. We must be prepared.
Let's take a look at each of these individual principles.
For starters, we are called to build up our faith. Taking the other statements and the rest of the Word into account, we cannot neglect time in the Bible. If we are to be effective witnesses, we must pour time into increasing our knowledge of God, seeking His face, and preparing our hearts to be used of Him. Romans 10:17 says that faith comes from the Word of God. We need to spend time in the Word so that we are able to recognize opportunities as God provides them, and so that we are able to communicate His truth clearly when the time comes.
Second, we see the need to spend time in prayer in and with the Holy Spirit.. Romans 8:26 inseparably links the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to our prayer. The Bible is how God speaks to us; prayer is how we communicate back. John 14:13-14 reads,
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. (emphasis mine)
These words were spoken by our Lord. He teaches that if we pray for opportunities to glorify the Father, God will honor those prayers. Not only does prayer open doors for evangelism, the two-way communication of reading the Word and prayer is how we stay attuned to the heart of God.
Thirdly, we are given an exhortation to keep ourselves in the love of God. Where do we see the love of God most. I would submit that we see the greatest display of God's love on the cross. Romans 5:8 says,
8 But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
I've said it before, and I will say it again. If we are to be effective as believers in all areas of life, not just evangelism, we must constantly look to the cross. It is to be the focal point of our lives. Even in the very deep, "theological" books of the New Testament, the authors constantly return to the cross. It is the beginning, heart, and end of everything we do and are. We must constantly return to the cross and be reminded of the love of God so that we can show that love to others. We will look at that a little more in the next post.
Lastly, we are to be looking ahead for the coming of our Lord. We are not of this world. Our Lord is not of this world (John 17:14). When this world sets its face against us, our hope is in the return of our Lord. When trials and tribulations come, our hope is in the return of our Lord. We did not trust Christ for the sole purpose of a better life on earth; our hope is in the return of our Lord. (1 Thess. 4:13-18) We live, not in light of this earh, but in light of eternity with our Lord, glorifying His name (2 Cor. 5).
I know this has been a long post, but I hope that it has been benficial in some way. If nothing else, remember that we cannot expect or even hope to be effective witnesses without being fully attuned to the will and way of the One we serve.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
My Banner Will Be Clear
I ran across something the other day that was both a challenge and an encouragement to me. I hope it does the same for you.
The following letter was found in the study of a young pastor in Zimbabwe, not long after he was martyred for the cause of Christ.
have to be first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean in His
presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer, and I labor with power.
My face is set, my gait fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my
companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought compromised,
detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or decayed. I will not flinch in the face of
sacrifices, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or
meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached
up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach
till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no
problem recognizing me...my banner will be clear."
The passion of this young man effectively puts the apathy of many Christians in our nation to shame. He said that "the die has been cast." He recognized that, when he made the decision to follow Christ, he cast in his lot with the King of Kings. He obviously felt a desire to serve God, but we also see that he felt himself to be under an obligation to serve God.
Look what this young pastor says at the end. "And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me...my banner will be clear." This young man made an on-purpose effort to be clearly identified with Christ. In Hebrews 11, we find what is known by many as the Hall of Faith. In verse 13, we read,
"13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. (italics mine)"
These heroes of the faith did not keep their faith hidden. They didn't "hide their candle under a bushel." They were not afraid to be identified with the One they served. Verse 13 says that they confessed the fact that they were not of this world. Verse 14 says that they declared plainly their pilgrimage to the place to which God was calling them.
I hope and pray that my standard, my affiliation, will be as clear.
The following letter was found in the study of a young pastor in Zimbabwe, not long after he was martyred for the cause of Christ.
"I'm part of the fellowship of the
unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit's power. The die has been cast. I have stepped
over the line, The decision has been made- I am a disciple of His. I won’t look
back, let up, slow down, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes
sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight
walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap
giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no
longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or
popularity. I don’thave to be first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean in His
presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer, and I labor with power.
My face is set, my gait fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my
companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought compromised,
detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or decayed. I will not flinch in the face of
sacrifices, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or
meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached
up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach
till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no
problem recognizing me...my banner will be clear."
The passion of this young man effectively puts the apathy of many Christians in our nation to shame. He said that "the die has been cast." He recognized that, when he made the decision to follow Christ, he cast in his lot with the King of Kings. He obviously felt a desire to serve God, but we also see that he felt himself to be under an obligation to serve God.
Look what this young pastor says at the end. "And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me...my banner will be clear." This young man made an on-purpose effort to be clearly identified with Christ. In Hebrews 11, we find what is known by many as the Hall of Faith. In verse 13, we read,
"13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. (italics mine)"
These heroes of the faith did not keep their faith hidden. They didn't "hide their candle under a bushel." They were not afraid to be identified with the One they served. Verse 13 says that they confessed the fact that they were not of this world. Verse 14 says that they declared plainly their pilgrimage to the place to which God was calling them.
I hope and pray that my standard, my affiliation, will be as clear.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Never Cease
I just thought I would write a quick post and share something with you. Today is an awesome day for me, because it was exactly two years ago that I came to Christ. I was sitting in my Explorer at 0100 in the parking lot of a hotel the day before we were about to move to this base, and I committed my life to my Lord.
As I was thinking about this, I realized how powerful it truly was to look back on my salvation. I felt almost re-energized as I replayed my conversion experience, what Christ saved me from, and everything God did over the course of my life to bring me to Him.
That said, I have found that we never outgrow the gospel. We should never cease to be amazed by it. I was listening to a sermon last night about what it took to purchase our salvation, and I was thoroughly blown away. It doesn't get old! The only reason God could show me mercy was because He showed Christ none. And His only Son! Think about that. One Christ suffered for a few hours on the cross to purchase redemption for all of mankind; past, present, and future. How could this be? Simply because He is worth more than all of us put together. Yet God saw fit to make "Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Tell me that's not incredible.
Think back to when you were saved. Think about where you would be had Christ not gave Himself for you. And never cease to be amazed.
As I was thinking about this, I realized how powerful it truly was to look back on my salvation. I felt almost re-energized as I replayed my conversion experience, what Christ saved me from, and everything God did over the course of my life to bring me to Him.
That said, I have found that we never outgrow the gospel. We should never cease to be amazed by it. I was listening to a sermon last night about what it took to purchase our salvation, and I was thoroughly blown away. It doesn't get old! The only reason God could show me mercy was because He showed Christ none. And His only Son! Think about that. One Christ suffered for a few hours on the cross to purchase redemption for all of mankind; past, present, and future. How could this be? Simply because He is worth more than all of us put together. Yet God saw fit to make "Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Tell me that's not incredible.
Think back to when you were saved. Think about where you would be had Christ not gave Himself for you. And never cease to be amazed.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
His Job...Not Ours
I just wanted take a moment a quickly share something that happened to me the other day. I was meeting up with some people and two of my friends showed up with a guy I had never me before. One of my friends was debating with him creation vs. evolution, and we all kind of got in on it. It got to the point where he wasn't really able to answer questions about how life could begin without design, foundations for morals, and things like that, but he would not budge from his position. For starters please pray for this young man. As a side note, I was reminded something that is easy to forget. There are many different organizations mobilized to help equip believers to defend their faith scientifically, logically, philosophically, etc. These organizations are great and are doing a great work, but at the end of the day, we cannot win someone to Christ by our arguments alone. Without the conviction of the Holy Spirit, no amount of scientific evidence will win someone to Christ. Many scriptures indivisibly link the Holy Spirit to the process of salvation. A few of these are 1 Cor. 6:11; John 3:5; Tit. 3:5; and John 16:7-8. The conviction of the Holy Spirit brings the "godly sorrow [that] worketh repentance" (2 Cor. 7:10). I just thought I would share that with you.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
No Heart too Hard
If you have a Bible, I would definitely recommend grabbing it for this post. I will be running through a lot of Scripture passages, so having a Bible close by will make some of this a little easier to follow and provide good context.
We'll start off in Isaiah 53. For those who haven't done much reading in Isaiah, this chapter deals heavily with prophecies concerning the death of Christ. Let me draw your attention to verse 9. The first phrase, speaking of Jesus Christ, is "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death..." Later, in verse 11, it foretells that Christ would be "numbered with the transgressors..." There are two prophecies about the Messiah in these verses; today we will look at the first. Its fulfillment is mentioned in all four Gospel books. Matthew 27:38 reads, "then were there two thieves crucified with [Jesus], one on the right hand, and another on the left." (Mark 15:27, Luke 23:32-33, John 19:18) These passages are prophecy fulfilled. Christ died in the presence of two thieves; He died with the wicked, just as Isaiah foretold.
Now at this point it is tempting to just move on to the next point. "Okay, He was crucified with two thieves; prophecy fulfilled. Check. Moving on." But this is where we will park for the time being. At first glance, these two criminals are of no incredible consequence; they are just the consummation of another foretelling. Placed there to pay for their crimes and stand as yet another proof that the Scriptures can be trusted, and that Christ really was the Messiah. But God had other ideas.
These thieves were not just fulfillments of another prophecy. They were human. They had wearily trudged up the same road as Christ, had borne an identical cross, and were bleeding from similar wounds. The only difference between their situation and Christ's is their guilt and His innocence.
Whenever these two are mentioned, they are labeled as thieves or malefactors. These guys are the ones your parents told you to watch out for. They hung around the bad side of town, robbed innocent people, and were probably involved in a murder or two. But their crimes had caught up with them, the judge's gavel fell, and they were paying for their actions, crucified on the same hill as Christ.
Despite their own pain and humiliation, their evil nature was alive and well. Mark 15 records the derision of the bystanders, priests, and Pharisees (vv. 29-32). This passage ends with the phrase "And they that were crucified with him reviled him." Matthew says, "The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth." (27:44) They took their pain and anger out on Christ. Unable to strike at their tormentors they heaped verbal abuse and sarcastic derision on Jesus. At this point, the two thieves fade out of the accounts given by Matthew, Mark, and John.
But the book of Luke, written by a meticulous physician by that name, reveals a later episode with the criminals. They have faded out of the other accounts, but these men have one more role to play in the drama of the day (Luke 23:39-43). One of the thieves lets loose another shot at Christ, daring Him to save Himself if He were who He claimed to be. Then, from out of nowhere, the other criminal rebukes the other! We cannot know what caused the change. It may have been Christ's cry of "Father forgive them!" He may have remembered the miracles Jesus had performed. Maybe he had heard the teachings. Whatever his reasons, this condemned thug suddenly came face to face with the reality of his own guilt. The next few verses show a man who had seen himself for who he was and Christ for who He was.
Speaking to the other malefactor, he says "Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds:..." He recognizes that he has earned every stitch of his punishment. He has done everything to deserve it. He realizes that, before God and before men, he has nothing to hide behind. His sin and his shame had been laid bare.
Look at his next words beginning in the latter part of verse 41; "'...but this man hath done nothing amiss.' And he said to Jesus, 'Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.'" This man not only realized his own sinfulness; he also recognized Christ's innocence and perfection.
He also recognized exactly who Christ was. Look at how he addresses Jesus. He says "Lord". This word in the original Greek is not just a recognition of superiority; it is a word used in reference to God Himself. This man, humbled by his own guilt, recognized what the scribes and Pharisees in their religious pride had missed. This thief knew full well that the One hanging on the cross beside him was the perfect, sinless Son of God.
This man has come to grips with his guilt. His pain-wracked body constantly reminds him that death is only hours away. He will soon stand before God and give an account. He knows he has no reason to deserve, expect, or even hope for grace, but he still makes the earnest plea, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." He had reached rock bottom...the only place he could look was up.
Maybe that's you. I have no idea who will find their way to this post. I have no way of knowing where you are in life. Maybe you are at the point where you have come to grips with your sin. You have heard the truth; Christ died to forgive you of your sins and impute His righteousness to your account. Yet you believe God can't forgive you and, what's more, even if He could, why would He want to? I was there once. Face to face with the fact that my "Christianity" was only an act, I truly believed that I had forfeited my right to salvation.
If that's you, listen to the answer Christ gives in verse 43. "Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." Instant forgiveness. Eternal security. Grace. This thief was hours from death; he would not go to Bible college and become a pastor. He would not travel the world sharing the gospel. He had nothing to offer Christ in return for grace. He likely died within the day. All he had was an earnest plea.
It was at this point in my struggle with my own sin, that I read the verse Romans 5:8, which states that "God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (emphasis mine) Christ did not die for us because we deserved it or had somehow earned a favor from Him. He died for us because of our inability to save ourselves. I accepted this verse as truth and accepted Christ as Savior on September 12, 2010. What God did in the day of the crucified thief, He still does today. What God did for me, He can and will do for you.
The application of this account does not only reach to those in need of Christ; it also holds a powerful lesson for the believer. There is no man on earth too far gone or too sinful for God to save. God's grace can crack the hardest heart and build bridges over the deepest chasms of guilt and shame. However, from our limited, finite point of view, it is tempting to pass over certain people in our witnessing for exactly those reasons: they are too sinful to be saved, why would God want anything to do with that person, or those people are just not worth the time and effort. The question I want to pose to you is: where would we be if Christ had said the same about us?
We'll start off in Isaiah 53. For those who haven't done much reading in Isaiah, this chapter deals heavily with prophecies concerning the death of Christ. Let me draw your attention to verse 9. The first phrase, speaking of Jesus Christ, is "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death..." Later, in verse 11, it foretells that Christ would be "numbered with the transgressors..." There are two prophecies about the Messiah in these verses; today we will look at the first. Its fulfillment is mentioned in all four Gospel books. Matthew 27:38 reads, "then were there two thieves crucified with [Jesus], one on the right hand, and another on the left." (Mark 15:27, Luke 23:32-33, John 19:18) These passages are prophecy fulfilled. Christ died in the presence of two thieves; He died with the wicked, just as Isaiah foretold.
Now at this point it is tempting to just move on to the next point. "Okay, He was crucified with two thieves; prophecy fulfilled. Check. Moving on." But this is where we will park for the time being. At first glance, these two criminals are of no incredible consequence; they are just the consummation of another foretelling. Placed there to pay for their crimes and stand as yet another proof that the Scriptures can be trusted, and that Christ really was the Messiah. But God had other ideas.
These thieves were not just fulfillments of another prophecy. They were human. They had wearily trudged up the same road as Christ, had borne an identical cross, and were bleeding from similar wounds. The only difference between their situation and Christ's is their guilt and His innocence.
Whenever these two are mentioned, they are labeled as thieves or malefactors. These guys are the ones your parents told you to watch out for. They hung around the bad side of town, robbed innocent people, and were probably involved in a murder or two. But their crimes had caught up with them, the judge's gavel fell, and they were paying for their actions, crucified on the same hill as Christ.
Despite their own pain and humiliation, their evil nature was alive and well. Mark 15 records the derision of the bystanders, priests, and Pharisees (vv. 29-32). This passage ends with the phrase "And they that were crucified with him reviled him." Matthew says, "The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth." (27:44) They took their pain and anger out on Christ. Unable to strike at their tormentors they heaped verbal abuse and sarcastic derision on Jesus. At this point, the two thieves fade out of the accounts given by Matthew, Mark, and John.
But the book of Luke, written by a meticulous physician by that name, reveals a later episode with the criminals. They have faded out of the other accounts, but these men have one more role to play in the drama of the day (Luke 23:39-43). One of the thieves lets loose another shot at Christ, daring Him to save Himself if He were who He claimed to be. Then, from out of nowhere, the other criminal rebukes the other! We cannot know what caused the change. It may have been Christ's cry of "Father forgive them!" He may have remembered the miracles Jesus had performed. Maybe he had heard the teachings. Whatever his reasons, this condemned thug suddenly came face to face with the reality of his own guilt. The next few verses show a man who had seen himself for who he was and Christ for who He was.
Speaking to the other malefactor, he says "Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds:..." He recognizes that he has earned every stitch of his punishment. He has done everything to deserve it. He realizes that, before God and before men, he has nothing to hide behind. His sin and his shame had been laid bare.
Look at his next words beginning in the latter part of verse 41; "'...but this man hath done nothing amiss.' And he said to Jesus, 'Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.'" This man not only realized his own sinfulness; he also recognized Christ's innocence and perfection.
He also recognized exactly who Christ was. Look at how he addresses Jesus. He says "Lord". This word in the original Greek is not just a recognition of superiority; it is a word used in reference to God Himself. This man, humbled by his own guilt, recognized what the scribes and Pharisees in their religious pride had missed. This thief knew full well that the One hanging on the cross beside him was the perfect, sinless Son of God.
This man has come to grips with his guilt. His pain-wracked body constantly reminds him that death is only hours away. He will soon stand before God and give an account. He knows he has no reason to deserve, expect, or even hope for grace, but he still makes the earnest plea, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." He had reached rock bottom...the only place he could look was up.
Maybe that's you. I have no idea who will find their way to this post. I have no way of knowing where you are in life. Maybe you are at the point where you have come to grips with your sin. You have heard the truth; Christ died to forgive you of your sins and impute His righteousness to your account. Yet you believe God can't forgive you and, what's more, even if He could, why would He want to? I was there once. Face to face with the fact that my "Christianity" was only an act, I truly believed that I had forfeited my right to salvation.
If that's you, listen to the answer Christ gives in verse 43. "Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." Instant forgiveness. Eternal security. Grace. This thief was hours from death; he would not go to Bible college and become a pastor. He would not travel the world sharing the gospel. He had nothing to offer Christ in return for grace. He likely died within the day. All he had was an earnest plea.
It was at this point in my struggle with my own sin, that I read the verse Romans 5:8, which states that "God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (emphasis mine) Christ did not die for us because we deserved it or had somehow earned a favor from Him. He died for us because of our inability to save ourselves. I accepted this verse as truth and accepted Christ as Savior on September 12, 2010. What God did in the day of the crucified thief, He still does today. What God did for me, He can and will do for you.
The application of this account does not only reach to those in need of Christ; it also holds a powerful lesson for the believer. There is no man on earth too far gone or too sinful for God to save. God's grace can crack the hardest heart and build bridges over the deepest chasms of guilt and shame. However, from our limited, finite point of view, it is tempting to pass over certain people in our witnessing for exactly those reasons: they are too sinful to be saved, why would God want anything to do with that person, or those people are just not worth the time and effort. The question I want to pose to you is: where would we be if Christ had said the same about us?
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Lives For Whom He Died
It has been some time since I have had a chance to post; I have been on vacation with limited Internet access for the last month or so.
We were in the middle of discussing some of the main reasons we as Christians should feel an obligation to witness. Recapping, the first two facts that should compel our evangelism were as follows: 1) God Himself has commanded us to do so, and 2) we will give an account for our fervency in this area. Today, I want to share the third point in this series. It differs slightly from the previous two in that, while the former posts dealt mainly with our obedience and accountability before God, this post deals with our relationship and obligation towards the lost. Today we will deal with a sobering reality; people are dying and going to Hell.
Allow me to share some statistics with you. In the time it took you to read the introductory paragraphs of this post, approximately 60 people died and went to Hell. Each time you breathe, on average, ten people die and go to Hell. In the time it takes for you to watch your favorite TV show, 3600 people die and go to Hell. Every night as you sleep, 72,000. Each year, 76,500,000.
These numbers are estimates made to represent a point, not necessarily exact amounts. These approximate figures are based on conservative estimates of the world's population, average life span, and an approximation of how many people truly know Christ as their Savior. If you do the math, it works out to be about 2 people every second that die and are forever condemned to a Godless eternity. Using this number to calculate a final staggering statistic, if you live to be seventy years of age, over the course of your life, 4,415,040,000 people will have died and gone to Hell. That is slightly under two-thirds of the world's population.
There is no way to know exactly how many people are unsaved at death. Not only would the exact number of deaths be a nearly impossible statistic to pinpoint, but, also, only God knows the hearts of men. However, my point is simply this: people, regardless of how many, are dying and going to Hell. Eternal souls for whom Christ bled and died are blindly running full bore into the lake of fire.
Hell itself is a difficult subject for us to dwell on. The Bible paints very dark pictures when referring to this place of judgment. It is described as a place of torment (Luke 16), containing unquenchable fire (Mark 9), where the worm dieth not (Mark 9). It is called a lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 20); and it is a place of eternal, perpetual suffering (Rev. 20).
Such horrors we would not wish on even our worst enemies. This is a place in which God reserves the devil and his angels for judgment (2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6). He is unwilling that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9), however, He makes clear that those who reject Him will suffer the consequences of their decision (Luke 16). This is why Christ came; to, by His death, void the consequences of our rebellion against God by taking the punishment and outpouring of God's wrath against sin on Himself. This is the message with which we have been entrusted. If people do not turn to Christ, Hell is the eternity that awaits them. And we are the only means by which people will hear. Romans 10:13-14 says:
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (emphasis mine and pronouns referring to Christ capitalized)
This passage and others make it clear that people can only be saved by grace through faith in Christ alone, and the only way they will hear the truth is by the faithful witness of those who have accepted the truth. God could very well have sent angels to proclaim the gospel, but He didn't. He could have again sent His Son to proclaim the truth, but He didn't. For some reason that we may never truly understand, He has chosen us. The washed, justified, and sanctified sinners (1 Cor. 6: 9-10). The redeemed (Psalm 107:2). God has chosen to make Christians the instruments by which He makes Himself known to a lost and dying world.
The vast majority of the people around us do not know Christ. We do not have the luxury of watching from the sidelines. God Himself has given you the message, as well as His authority to deliver it (Matthew 28: 18-20). The question is...will you?
We were in the middle of discussing some of the main reasons we as Christians should feel an obligation to witness. Recapping, the first two facts that should compel our evangelism were as follows: 1) God Himself has commanded us to do so, and 2) we will give an account for our fervency in this area. Today, I want to share the third point in this series. It differs slightly from the previous two in that, while the former posts dealt mainly with our obedience and accountability before God, this post deals with our relationship and obligation towards the lost. Today we will deal with a sobering reality; people are dying and going to Hell.
Allow me to share some statistics with you. In the time it took you to read the introductory paragraphs of this post, approximately 60 people died and went to Hell. Each time you breathe, on average, ten people die and go to Hell. In the time it takes for you to watch your favorite TV show, 3600 people die and go to Hell. Every night as you sleep, 72,000. Each year, 76,500,000.
These numbers are estimates made to represent a point, not necessarily exact amounts. These approximate figures are based on conservative estimates of the world's population, average life span, and an approximation of how many people truly know Christ as their Savior. If you do the math, it works out to be about 2 people every second that die and are forever condemned to a Godless eternity. Using this number to calculate a final staggering statistic, if you live to be seventy years of age, over the course of your life, 4,415,040,000 people will have died and gone to Hell. That is slightly under two-thirds of the world's population.
There is no way to know exactly how many people are unsaved at death. Not only would the exact number of deaths be a nearly impossible statistic to pinpoint, but, also, only God knows the hearts of men. However, my point is simply this: people, regardless of how many, are dying and going to Hell. Eternal souls for whom Christ bled and died are blindly running full bore into the lake of fire.
Hell itself is a difficult subject for us to dwell on. The Bible paints very dark pictures when referring to this place of judgment. It is described as a place of torment (Luke 16), containing unquenchable fire (Mark 9), where the worm dieth not (Mark 9). It is called a lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 20); and it is a place of eternal, perpetual suffering (Rev. 20).
Such horrors we would not wish on even our worst enemies. This is a place in which God reserves the devil and his angels for judgment (2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6). He is unwilling that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9), however, He makes clear that those who reject Him will suffer the consequences of their decision (Luke 16). This is why Christ came; to, by His death, void the consequences of our rebellion against God by taking the punishment and outpouring of God's wrath against sin on Himself. This is the message with which we have been entrusted. If people do not turn to Christ, Hell is the eternity that awaits them. And we are the only means by which people will hear. Romans 10:13-14 says:
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (emphasis mine and pronouns referring to Christ capitalized)
This passage and others make it clear that people can only be saved by grace through faith in Christ alone, and the only way they will hear the truth is by the faithful witness of those who have accepted the truth. God could very well have sent angels to proclaim the gospel, but He didn't. He could have again sent His Son to proclaim the truth, but He didn't. For some reason that we may never truly understand, He has chosen us. The washed, justified, and sanctified sinners (1 Cor. 6: 9-10). The redeemed (Psalm 107:2). God has chosen to make Christians the instruments by which He makes Himself known to a lost and dying world.
The vast majority of the people around us do not know Christ. We do not have the luxury of watching from the sidelines. God Himself has given you the message, as well as His authority to deliver it (Matthew 28: 18-20). The question is...will you?
Sunday, March 11, 2012
God's Plans Above Our Own
I wanted to write a quick post just to tell a story of something that God did last night. Among some of the guys that I hang out with where I live, there's a guy that God had really been laying on my heart for the past few weeks. For sake of this discussion, we'll call him Joe (creativity never really was my strong suit). During those few weeks, I had been trying to get in touch with him while praying that God would give me a good opportunity to witness. Last night, a bunch of us guys met at the bowling alley and this young man was there. I was sitting at a table with him, looking for a chance to talk to him, but there were two other guys at the table, and it just wasn't the right time. We were talking, and at some point in the conversation, Joe got up and said he was going to go grab his stuff that he had left at another table. I grabbed my Bible and followed him. I asked him if he knew what would happen to him if he died that night. He said he would probably go to Heaven because he had led a good life. I asked him if he were wrong, would he want to know and he said yes. So we sat down at a table and I opened my Bible.
At this point, God showed that his plans were different than mine. One of the other guys whom we will call Mike came over and sat down with us. I had just met Mike a few minutes before; I had no idea what to do. The only thing going through my mind at the time was that it was the worst thing that could have happened. Not sure what to do and not wanting to miss the opportunity to witness to Joe, I asked Mike the same question. Then God revealed His plan. Mike said he would probably go to Hell. I asked him if that bothered him and he said "Yeah, it really does." I had the opportunity to witness to both Joe and Mike. They both acknowledged their sin and expressed a desire to be saved.
I don't know if either of these young men truly got saved. The Bible says in Romans 10:9 "that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt beleive in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Neither Mike nor Joe prayed at that moment; they said they would rather do it later at home. But I do know that God's Word does not return void, they both came to grips with their sin, and they both professed a belief that the gospel is true. I can only hope and pray that they truly gave their lives to Christ at that moment or at a later one.
I learned something very important last night. God's plans are not mine, and His are far better. In my planning to witness to Joe, Mike did not enter the equation at any point. When Mike joined, I thought it was over. Joe would not listen with another guy there and it would just be an awkward exchange. But, contrary to my plans, Mike heard the truth and, at least on the surface, even seemed to take it to heart more than Joe did. Especially in this area of evangelism, God has plans that far exceed our own. Around the corner may be another soul that you had no intention of reaching, yet God is still seeking and saving those who are lost in ways we probably would never have imagined.
At this point, God showed that his plans were different than mine. One of the other guys whom we will call Mike came over and sat down with us. I had just met Mike a few minutes before; I had no idea what to do. The only thing going through my mind at the time was that it was the worst thing that could have happened. Not sure what to do and not wanting to miss the opportunity to witness to Joe, I asked Mike the same question. Then God revealed His plan. Mike said he would probably go to Hell. I asked him if that bothered him and he said "Yeah, it really does." I had the opportunity to witness to both Joe and Mike. They both acknowledged their sin and expressed a desire to be saved.
I don't know if either of these young men truly got saved. The Bible says in Romans 10:9 "that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt beleive in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Neither Mike nor Joe prayed at that moment; they said they would rather do it later at home. But I do know that God's Word does not return void, they both came to grips with their sin, and they both professed a belief that the gospel is true. I can only hope and pray that they truly gave their lives to Christ at that moment or at a later one.
I learned something very important last night. God's plans are not mine, and His are far better. In my planning to witness to Joe, Mike did not enter the equation at any point. When Mike joined, I thought it was over. Joe would not listen with another guy there and it would just be an awkward exchange. But, contrary to my plans, Mike heard the truth and, at least on the surface, even seemed to take it to heart more than Joe did. Especially in this area of evangelism, God has plans that far exceed our own. Around the corner may be another soul that you had no intention of reaching, yet God is still seeking and saving those who are lost in ways we probably would never have imagined.
Friday, March 9, 2012
The Way
For the past couple posts, we have been looking at why we as Christians have an obligation to witness, but I want to divert for a moment and share something that I came across in my Bible study a couple of days ago.
I have just recently begun the process of studying through the book of Hebrews. Chapter 1 verse 3 says, speaking of Christ,
"3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high;"
I was studying out that first phrase "who being the brightness of his glory...", and I was reminded of the familiar account in Exodus 33 when Moses asks to see God's glory. The account covers a pretty hefty chunk of verses, so I would encourage you to take a couple minutes and read Exodus 33:7-23. In verse 18, Moses makes the now-famous request, "Shew me thy glory." In verses 21-23, God assents to Moses' request with certain limitations (i.e. Moses was only allowed to see God's back). However, this account comes into conflict with John 1:18, in which the apostle states
"18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."
If we truly believe that the Bible is inerrant, then reconciliation between the Exodus 33 account and John 1:18 must exist. It is believed that Moses saw was not God the Father, but was actually the incarnate Christ. The fifty cent theological word for such an appearance is a "theophany". Charles Ryrie defines "theophany" as a "self-manifestation of God." There are several other such occurences throughout the Old Testament (Genesis 16:7-13; 18:1-33; Judges 6:11-23; 13:3-21)
However, as I reading this passage in Exodus, I came across something that I never seen before. Earlier in the passage, before Moses' request to see God's glory, he actually makes another request. Before he said, "Shew me thy glory", Moses said in verse 13, "If I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee..." In the next few verses, God says that He will grant Moses' request. Then Moses asks to see God's glory, and God describes the manner in which the request will be granted.
It is very possible that I am the only one who had never noticed this before, but look at Moses' original request and God's answer. Moses says "Shew me now thy way," and God reveals Christ.
Remember the famous dialogue between Christ and His disciple, Thomas, in John 14?
"1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
At this point Thomas interjects and asks the famous question.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
As Christ hears the sincere question of His disciple, I can just imagine a smile play across Christ's lips as He remembers another follower, thousands of years before, who also wished for God to show the way. As He turns and looks at Thomas with the eyes that Moses was forbidden to see, fully revealed and in the middle of enacting God's plan of salvation, Christ says, "Thomas, I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me." Christ was the answer in Moses' time, He was the answer in Thomas time, and He is still the answer today. From the time of man's fall to the Millenial kingdom, Christ is the Way.
I have just recently begun the process of studying through the book of Hebrews. Chapter 1 verse 3 says, speaking of Christ,
"3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high;"
I was studying out that first phrase "who being the brightness of his glory...", and I was reminded of the familiar account in Exodus 33 when Moses asks to see God's glory. The account covers a pretty hefty chunk of verses, so I would encourage you to take a couple minutes and read Exodus 33:7-23. In verse 18, Moses makes the now-famous request, "Shew me thy glory." In verses 21-23, God assents to Moses' request with certain limitations (i.e. Moses was only allowed to see God's back). However, this account comes into conflict with John 1:18, in which the apostle states
"18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."
If we truly believe that the Bible is inerrant, then reconciliation between the Exodus 33 account and John 1:18 must exist. It is believed that Moses saw was not God the Father, but was actually the incarnate Christ. The fifty cent theological word for such an appearance is a "theophany". Charles Ryrie defines "theophany" as a "self-manifestation of God." There are several other such occurences throughout the Old Testament (Genesis 16:7-13; 18:1-33; Judges 6:11-23; 13:3-21)
However, as I reading this passage in Exodus, I came across something that I never seen before. Earlier in the passage, before Moses' request to see God's glory, he actually makes another request. Before he said, "Shew me thy glory", Moses said in verse 13, "If I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee..." In the next few verses, God says that He will grant Moses' request. Then Moses asks to see God's glory, and God describes the manner in which the request will be granted.
It is very possible that I am the only one who had never noticed this before, but look at Moses' original request and God's answer. Moses says "Shew me now thy way," and God reveals Christ.
Remember the famous dialogue between Christ and His disciple, Thomas, in John 14?
"1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
At this point Thomas interjects and asks the famous question.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
As Christ hears the sincere question of His disciple, I can just imagine a smile play across Christ's lips as He remembers another follower, thousands of years before, who also wished for God to show the way. As He turns and looks at Thomas with the eyes that Moses was forbidden to see, fully revealed and in the middle of enacting God's plan of salvation, Christ says, "Thomas, I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me." Christ was the answer in Moses' time, He was the answer in Thomas time, and He is still the answer today. From the time of man's fall to the Millenial kingdom, Christ is the Way.
Monday, March 5, 2012
We Will Give an Account
We are in the process of looking at why we as believers have an obligation to witness. The first point we discussed was the fact that it is a command given by God. If we truly are believers we should have a passion and a compassion for the lost, drawn from Matthew 9 and 28 as well as 1 John 2.
Continuing along this line of thought, I want to bring the second point. Today we'll be spending some time in the Old Testament. If you have a Bible, turn to Ezekiel 3. Just for a little context, at this point, Ezekiel is being commissioned by God as a prophet to deliver a message of warning to the people of Israel and Judah. This passage is part of God's commission. We'll start in verse 16.
"16 And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: there for hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not fro his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou has delivered thy soul."
This portion of Ezekiel is potentially one of the most sobering and convicting passages in all Scripture. The point I wish to bring out of this passage, as well as some others we will look through over the course of this post, is the fact that every believer will give an account for their stewardship of God's message of grace before God Himself.
God's first words to Ezekiel in this passage read "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman..." This illustration is not as relevant in today's world of security cameras and radars, but in Ezekiel's time, a watchman was a crucial piece of a city's defenses. Positioned in a tower or on a high portion of the wall, the watchman was given the opportunity and responsibility of seeing farther than the citizens of the town. If a storm or an enemy army was seen approaching the city, the watchman would shout a warning and the people could make whatever preparations necessary to ensure their safety, as well as that of their families and possessions.
What if the watchman was not alert? Those people were his responsibility. If the city was taken by surprise, the chances are pretty good that the watchman was at fault. Worse, what if he didn't care about the city's safety? What it he saw the approaching destruction and willfully chose not to warn the people? Such action (or lack of) would border on treason!
I realize that this passage and the illustration fo the watchman do not directly refer to Christians' sharing the gospel with unbelievers. Ezekiel's message was to God's people, the inhabitants of Israel and Judah. However, there are transcendant principles pertinent to our discussion here. I will deal with three such principles here.
First, like the ancient watchman, we have been given the ability to "see" farther than the vast majority of the people around us. Our extra "sight" comes from reading the Bible. God has given us His Word; in it is written the end of the story for unbelievers. Even a casual perusal of passages like Matthew 25 and Revelation 20 should fill us with trepidation at the destiny of those who reject Christ Jesus as Lord.
Second, we have the responsibility to sound the warning. If we honestly believe the Bible to be true, then we cannot ignore the fact that the majority of the world's population will stand before God and pay the penalty for their own sin instead of coming under the covering of Christ. Just like it would be unthinkable for the watchman to remain silent if he saw an enemy army approach his city, how much more unthinkable is it for believers to remain silent when we see the approach of a Godless eternity for the unsaved?!
Lastly, we will give an account for our stewardship of the message of God's grace. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul describes the reckoning every believer will have with his Lord. Verses 10-11 say,
"10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men: but we are made manifest unto God: and I trust also are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your conscience."
"Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord..." We will stand before God and He will thoroughly review our lives; whether or not we used our time, talents, and opportunities to accomplish His will for our lives. A large part of this is our evangelism. Notice the phrase, "we persuade men". Paul "persuaded men" because he knew the "terror of the Lord". God will hold each and every believer responsible for every opportunity we miss to speak the gospel to those around us.
Don't misunderstand; every person must make his or her own decision to accept or reject Christ. They will stand before God and be judged for their own life, however, God will hold us accountable for those opportunities of which we did not take advantage. We can not afford to take this responsibility lightly.
Continuing along this line of thought, I want to bring the second point. Today we'll be spending some time in the Old Testament. If you have a Bible, turn to Ezekiel 3. Just for a little context, at this point, Ezekiel is being commissioned by God as a prophet to deliver a message of warning to the people of Israel and Judah. This passage is part of God's commission. We'll start in verse 16.
"16 And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: there for hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not fro his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou has delivered thy soul."
This portion of Ezekiel is potentially one of the most sobering and convicting passages in all Scripture. The point I wish to bring out of this passage, as well as some others we will look through over the course of this post, is the fact that every believer will give an account for their stewardship of God's message of grace before God Himself.
God's first words to Ezekiel in this passage read "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman..." This illustration is not as relevant in today's world of security cameras and radars, but in Ezekiel's time, a watchman was a crucial piece of a city's defenses. Positioned in a tower or on a high portion of the wall, the watchman was given the opportunity and responsibility of seeing farther than the citizens of the town. If a storm or an enemy army was seen approaching the city, the watchman would shout a warning and the people could make whatever preparations necessary to ensure their safety, as well as that of their families and possessions.
What if the watchman was not alert? Those people were his responsibility. If the city was taken by surprise, the chances are pretty good that the watchman was at fault. Worse, what if he didn't care about the city's safety? What it he saw the approaching destruction and willfully chose not to warn the people? Such action (or lack of) would border on treason!
I realize that this passage and the illustration fo the watchman do not directly refer to Christians' sharing the gospel with unbelievers. Ezekiel's message was to God's people, the inhabitants of Israel and Judah. However, there are transcendant principles pertinent to our discussion here. I will deal with three such principles here.
First, like the ancient watchman, we have been given the ability to "see" farther than the vast majority of the people around us. Our extra "sight" comes from reading the Bible. God has given us His Word; in it is written the end of the story for unbelievers. Even a casual perusal of passages like Matthew 25 and Revelation 20 should fill us with trepidation at the destiny of those who reject Christ Jesus as Lord.
Second, we have the responsibility to sound the warning. If we honestly believe the Bible to be true, then we cannot ignore the fact that the majority of the world's population will stand before God and pay the penalty for their own sin instead of coming under the covering of Christ. Just like it would be unthinkable for the watchman to remain silent if he saw an enemy army approach his city, how much more unthinkable is it for believers to remain silent when we see the approach of a Godless eternity for the unsaved?!
Lastly, we will give an account for our stewardship of the message of God's grace. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul describes the reckoning every believer will have with his Lord. Verses 10-11 say,
"10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men: but we are made manifest unto God: and I trust also are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your conscience."
"Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord..." We will stand before God and He will thoroughly review our lives; whether or not we used our time, talents, and opportunities to accomplish His will for our lives. A large part of this is our evangelism. Notice the phrase, "we persuade men". Paul "persuaded men" because he knew the "terror of the Lord". God will hold each and every believer responsible for every opportunity we miss to speak the gospel to those around us.
Don't misunderstand; every person must make his or her own decision to accept or reject Christ. They will stand before God and be judged for their own life, however, God will hold us accountable for those opportunities of which we did not take advantage. We can not afford to take this responsibility lightly.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
We Cannot But Speak
The focus of this entire blog has been to inspire and equip believers to evangelize a lost and dying world. But a challenge should only be given when accompanied by a reason to accept it. That will be the goal of my next several posts: to show from Scripture some of the different reasons we as Christians have an irrevocable responsibility to witness to those around us.
This first post will cover the primary reason for our obligation to witness. This first point is the fact that it is a command. If you have a Bible close by, take a look at Matthew 28:19-20. It reads, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." I challenge you to find a request in this verse. There is none. It is an express command given by our Lord. It does not say "If you have a spare moment...", "Unless you feel tired...", or (surprisingly) "Unless the Steelers game is on...". There is no "please" or "if you don't mind" in this verse. The fact of the matter is that if you are a believer, you have an unchallengeable commission to witness.
The question could be raised, "Why are we obligated to obey this command?" Again, if you have a Bible on hand, turn to 1 John 2. Verses 1-6 say
"1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth His word in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him.
6 He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked." (pronouns referring to Christ capitalized for clarity)
I wanted you to see the whole passage for context, but the main point I wish to draw out is found in verse 3-4. John says that the litmus test for a true believer is if we keep Christ's commandments. In verse 6, John also declares that whoever claims to be a follower of Christ will walk as Christ Himself walked. How did Christ view the lost? Turn to Matthew 9:35-38.
"35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
37 Then saith He unto His disciples, 'The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest.'"
How did Christ view the lost? When He saw their condition, He was moved with compassion. Based on these passages, what then should our attitude be toward the lost and the command to witness? The only conclusion that can be drawn from these Scriptures is that if we as believers do not obey this command and if we are not, like Christ, "moved with compassion" at the plight of the lost, we need to seriously check our hearts; we need to ensure that they truly do belong to Christ.
We have been given a directive from our Lord. If we truly call ourselves followers of Christ, ignoring this command is not an option.
This first post will cover the primary reason for our obligation to witness. This first point is the fact that it is a command. If you have a Bible close by, take a look at Matthew 28:19-20. It reads, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." I challenge you to find a request in this verse. There is none. It is an express command given by our Lord. It does not say "If you have a spare moment...", "Unless you feel tired...", or (surprisingly) "Unless the Steelers game is on...". There is no "please" or "if you don't mind" in this verse. The fact of the matter is that if you are a believer, you have an unchallengeable commission to witness.
The question could be raised, "Why are we obligated to obey this command?" Again, if you have a Bible on hand, turn to 1 John 2. Verses 1-6 say
"1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth His word in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him.
6 He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked." (pronouns referring to Christ capitalized for clarity)
I wanted you to see the whole passage for context, but the main point I wish to draw out is found in verse 3-4. John says that the litmus test for a true believer is if we keep Christ's commandments. In verse 6, John also declares that whoever claims to be a follower of Christ will walk as Christ Himself walked. How did Christ view the lost? Turn to Matthew 9:35-38.
"35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
37 Then saith He unto His disciples, 'The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest.'"
How did Christ view the lost? When He saw their condition, He was moved with compassion. Based on these passages, what then should our attitude be toward the lost and the command to witness? The only conclusion that can be drawn from these Scriptures is that if we as believers do not obey this command and if we are not, like Christ, "moved with compassion" at the plight of the lost, we need to seriously check our hearts; we need to ensure that they truly do belong to Christ.
We have been given a directive from our Lord. If we truly call ourselves followers of Christ, ignoring this command is not an option.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Focal Point
A spear without its head is pretty close to useless. A sword without its blade isn't much of a weapon. Try hunting with a rifle but no ammunition. When the deer has a decent chance of winning, you know something's wrong.
What about the gospel without the cross? What about the miracles without the sacrifice? What about the magnitude of God's love without the appeasement of God's wrath? Our message is powerless without its thrust. If the cross is removed, what are we left with? A worthless spear, an broken hilt, and a futile mission. Sin has won, we are still objects of God's wrath, and the gospel is rendered ineffective to reconcile love for the sinner and hatred for sin.
Yet the gospel is not rendered ineffective. In Galatians 6:14, the apostle Paul says, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world (emphasis mine). Matthew 27:35 says "And they crucified Him..." Our message is not futile because Christ was sacrificed; God was appeased. I am probably not sharing any new information here, but I think that it is necessary for a Christian to revisit Calvary and remember what took place there over 2,000 years ago.
It all starts in the Garden of Gethsamane. Jesus has revealed to his followers that the time for His sacrifice has come. He also foretells that they will abandon Him to the Romans. In Matthew 26:34 Peter emphatically states "'Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.' Likewise said all of the disciples." They were all standing with Him when Judas came over the hill to "greet" Jesus, but when the Romans topped the hill with their swords drawn and torches held high, all that stood behind Jesus was a cloud of dust. They had all abandoned Him at about 40 miles per hour. The ultimate irony? Jesus died hours later for sins the disciples had committed.
Christ was brought before the prominent religious and political leaders in that area. False witnesses hired by the Pharisees came and testified against Christ. They accused Him of being who He was, the Son of God. For the crime of saying exactly who He was, He was condemned to die a murderer's death, although innocent.
In preparation for His crucifixion, Christ was handed over to Roman soldiers to suffer at their hands. He was mocked, spat on, beaten, slapped and humiliated. Pilate ordered Him scourged with a whip called a scorpion. Secured to the handle were nine leather strands embedded with pieces of bone or metal. It was laid across the victim's back and torn away, ripping away pieces of flesh. Thirty-nine times this instrument of torture was laid across the Messiah's back and torn away. As a final token of derision, the soldiers fashioned a crown of two-inch thorns and twisted it onto Christ's head.
This done, the soldiers loaded a 100-pound crossbeam, His crossbeam, onto His back to be carried a mile outside the city gates. he was so weak from the beatings and loss of blood that He could not go the distance. He had to be helped the rest of the way.
When He finally reached Calvary, nails were driven through His wrists and feet, securing Him to the cross. Ropes were attached, and the cross bearing the Christ was pulled to an upright position. It is believed that the joints in His shoulders and hips were thrown out of socket from the jolt. But the worst was yet to come.
All humanity past had waited for this very moment; all humanity to come would look back at this crucial event. These minutes were the focal point of all history. "All have sinned..." (Rom. 3:23). "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins" (Heb. 9:22). The "fulness of the time" had come. God, as His Son hung on a cross, gathered together the guilt of all sins, past, present, and future, and placed it on Christ. As God's wrath towards ungodliness was unleashed against His Son, "Jesus cried with a loud vioce, saying 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' which is, being interpreted, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'" (Mark 15:34) "...He said, 'It is finished:' and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." (John 19:30). By Christ's death, the wages of sin had been paid. A spotless Lamb had been sacrificed for our sake. Of His own volition, God became man and died for our redemption. That was the price for our freedom. As a result, how now shall we live?
What about the gospel without the cross? What about the miracles without the sacrifice? What about the magnitude of God's love without the appeasement of God's wrath? Our message is powerless without its thrust. If the cross is removed, what are we left with? A worthless spear, an broken hilt, and a futile mission. Sin has won, we are still objects of God's wrath, and the gospel is rendered ineffective to reconcile love for the sinner and hatred for sin.
Yet the gospel is not rendered ineffective. In Galatians 6:14, the apostle Paul says, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world (emphasis mine). Matthew 27:35 says "And they crucified Him..." Our message is not futile because Christ was sacrificed; God was appeased. I am probably not sharing any new information here, but I think that it is necessary for a Christian to revisit Calvary and remember what took place there over 2,000 years ago.
It all starts in the Garden of Gethsamane. Jesus has revealed to his followers that the time for His sacrifice has come. He also foretells that they will abandon Him to the Romans. In Matthew 26:34 Peter emphatically states "'Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.' Likewise said all of the disciples." They were all standing with Him when Judas came over the hill to "greet" Jesus, but when the Romans topped the hill with their swords drawn and torches held high, all that stood behind Jesus was a cloud of dust. They had all abandoned Him at about 40 miles per hour. The ultimate irony? Jesus died hours later for sins the disciples had committed.
Christ was brought before the prominent religious and political leaders in that area. False witnesses hired by the Pharisees came and testified against Christ. They accused Him of being who He was, the Son of God. For the crime of saying exactly who He was, He was condemned to die a murderer's death, although innocent.
In preparation for His crucifixion, Christ was handed over to Roman soldiers to suffer at their hands. He was mocked, spat on, beaten, slapped and humiliated. Pilate ordered Him scourged with a whip called a scorpion. Secured to the handle were nine leather strands embedded with pieces of bone or metal. It was laid across the victim's back and torn away, ripping away pieces of flesh. Thirty-nine times this instrument of torture was laid across the Messiah's back and torn away. As a final token of derision, the soldiers fashioned a crown of two-inch thorns and twisted it onto Christ's head.
This done, the soldiers loaded a 100-pound crossbeam, His crossbeam, onto His back to be carried a mile outside the city gates. he was so weak from the beatings and loss of blood that He could not go the distance. He had to be helped the rest of the way.
When He finally reached Calvary, nails were driven through His wrists and feet, securing Him to the cross. Ropes were attached, and the cross bearing the Christ was pulled to an upright position. It is believed that the joints in His shoulders and hips were thrown out of socket from the jolt. But the worst was yet to come.
All humanity past had waited for this very moment; all humanity to come would look back at this crucial event. These minutes were the focal point of all history. "All have sinned..." (Rom. 3:23). "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins" (Heb. 9:22). The "fulness of the time" had come. God, as His Son hung on a cross, gathered together the guilt of all sins, past, present, and future, and placed it on Christ. As God's wrath towards ungodliness was unleashed against His Son, "Jesus cried with a loud vioce, saying 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' which is, being interpreted, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'" (Mark 15:34) "...He said, 'It is finished:' and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." (John 19:30). By Christ's death, the wages of sin had been paid. A spotless Lamb had been sacrificed for our sake. Of His own volition, God became man and died for our redemption. That was the price for our freedom. As a result, how now shall we live?
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Service and Surrender
This post is brought to you by the mattress...striving to make the world a bedder place.
All lame jokes aside, I want to share with you some thoughts from the life of a man who dedicated his life to God while lying in his bed at night. His name was Samuel, a young boy who would one day grow to accomplish great and mighty things for the Lord.
While still young (probably early- to mid-teens), Samuel was dedicated by his mother to service in the temple. One night, while he slept, God called out to him. This event was rare; 1 Samuel 3:1b says that "the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision." At this point, God did not directly speak to man, making Samuel's experience unique to his time. Why would God speak to a young boy when He spoke to no other? A couple of verses indicate God's reasons.
Chapter 2 verse 21 says " the child Samuel grew before the Lord". "Before" in this instance bears the idea of an overshadowing or a close association. Samuel, though at this point he had never heard from the Lord, had grown under the watchful eye of God and had proved himself a faithful servant in the temple.
The familiar story of Samuel's surrender to God is preceeded by the phrase "...Samuel ministered unto the Lord..."(3:1). God spoke while Samuel was busy serving. God saw in Samuel a boy who was obedient and faithful in service.
So we see faithful obedience from Samuel prior to God's call. We also see total surrender. When Samuel audibly heard the voice of the Lord, he ran to Eli, thinking it was he who had called. This was repeated three times. Eli, at that point recognizing that it was God who had spoken, told Samuel to answer "Here am I". And when God called for the fourth time, Samuel did. God proceeded to give the boy a foretelling of judgment against the house of Eli. Samuel had a decision to make. Eli was the one who had, for all intents and purposes, raised him. No doubt Samuel felt some reluctance to proclaim God's message. Despite any reluctance he may have initially felt, the next morning, Samuel "told [Eli] every whit, and hid nothing from him" (3:18).
Samuel not only was used of God that night, but when he answered "Here am I", he surrendered his entire life to God. "And all Israel...knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord." (3:20).
What can we learn from Samuel? The first lesson is to be constantly busy serving God and putting ourselves in a place to hear from and be used by God. The Christians in Antioch put this principle into practice. "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, 'Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work wherunto I have called them'" (Acts 13:2). If we wish to be greatly used by God, in evangelism or in any other area, we must be busy wherever God has placed us. We must serve where He has put us and, at all times, be constantly nurturing our relationship with Him.
Second is total surrender. Samuel was given a difficult message to relay. So are we. 1 Peter 2:8 refers to Christ and His words as "a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence...". 1 Corinthians 1:23 says "we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness:". The message that "all have sinned" and "no man cometh unto the Father but by [Christ]" will offend. You can take that to the bank. Yet we have been given this message to deliver by God Himself. Like Samuel, He has given us the message, but He will also give us strength as we deliver His words. We are merely called to service and surrender.
All lame jokes aside, I want to share with you some thoughts from the life of a man who dedicated his life to God while lying in his bed at night. His name was Samuel, a young boy who would one day grow to accomplish great and mighty things for the Lord.
While still young (probably early- to mid-teens), Samuel was dedicated by his mother to service in the temple. One night, while he slept, God called out to him. This event was rare; 1 Samuel 3:1b says that "the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision." At this point, God did not directly speak to man, making Samuel's experience unique to his time. Why would God speak to a young boy when He spoke to no other? A couple of verses indicate God's reasons.
Chapter 2 verse 21 says " the child Samuel grew before the Lord". "Before" in this instance bears the idea of an overshadowing or a close association. Samuel, though at this point he had never heard from the Lord, had grown under the watchful eye of God and had proved himself a faithful servant in the temple.
The familiar story of Samuel's surrender to God is preceeded by the phrase "...Samuel ministered unto the Lord..."(3:1). God spoke while Samuel was busy serving. God saw in Samuel a boy who was obedient and faithful in service.
So we see faithful obedience from Samuel prior to God's call. We also see total surrender. When Samuel audibly heard the voice of the Lord, he ran to Eli, thinking it was he who had called. This was repeated three times. Eli, at that point recognizing that it was God who had spoken, told Samuel to answer "Here am I". And when God called for the fourth time, Samuel did. God proceeded to give the boy a foretelling of judgment against the house of Eli. Samuel had a decision to make. Eli was the one who had, for all intents and purposes, raised him. No doubt Samuel felt some reluctance to proclaim God's message. Despite any reluctance he may have initially felt, the next morning, Samuel "told [Eli] every whit, and hid nothing from him" (3:18).
Samuel not only was used of God that night, but when he answered "Here am I", he surrendered his entire life to God. "And all Israel...knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord." (3:20).
What can we learn from Samuel? The first lesson is to be constantly busy serving God and putting ourselves in a place to hear from and be used by God. The Christians in Antioch put this principle into practice. "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, 'Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work wherunto I have called them'" (Acts 13:2). If we wish to be greatly used by God, in evangelism or in any other area, we must be busy wherever God has placed us. We must serve where He has put us and, at all times, be constantly nurturing our relationship with Him.
Second is total surrender. Samuel was given a difficult message to relay. So are we. 1 Peter 2:8 refers to Christ and His words as "a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence...". 1 Corinthians 1:23 says "we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness:". The message that "all have sinned" and "no man cometh unto the Father but by [Christ]" will offend. You can take that to the bank. Yet we have been given this message to deliver by God Himself. Like Samuel, He has given us the message, but He will also give us strength as we deliver His words. We are merely called to service and surrender.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Power Unseen
Some time ago, I heard a sermon illustration using the following historical event. I decided it also had pertinent application to this area of evangelism.
Almost 170 years before Christ's birth, a king by the name of Antiochus IV found himself heavily involved in a war of conquest against the king of Egypt. He was nearly victorious; all of Egypt had fallen to his army except for the city of Alexandria. Antiochus placed himself at the head of an army and marched against the city. On the road, however, he was stopped and confronted by a man named Laenas, an aged Roman ambassador. The Roman senate, concerned about Antiochus' growing power, sent the ambassador to give Antiochus' an ultimatum; withdraw from Egypt or face war against Rome. In an attempt to buy himself time, Antiochus told the ambassador that he would discuss the decision with his counselors. The Roman envoy boldly strode forward and drew a circle around the king. The ambassador told Antiochus that if he stepped out of the circle without agreeing to withdraw his armies, Rome would declare war.
On one side stood a king, backed by a mighty and numerous army. On the other, a solitary old man. What was the result? The king backed down before the ambassador and agreed to withdraw. Why would a sovereign supported by a host of loyal followers surrender his will to that of an aged ambassador? Because Antiochus' feared the power of Rome. He feared the power the ambassador represented.
The field of evangelism is a very literal battlefield. Ephesians 6:11-12 says "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Christians fight, not in a physical contest, but in a spiritual war for the souls of men. Those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb are arrayed on one side of this field. On the opposing side, marshalled against us are the world, the ungodly culture and unbelievers; the flesh, the inherent sin nature that still resists the work of God in our lives; and the devil, Satan and all his host. With governments, media, and popular feeling turned oftentimes against us, our efforts to reach "lives for whom [Christ] died" seems hopeless indeed...until the force supporting us is revealed.
"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ..." (2 Cor. 5:20) Such are the words of Paul as he unveils the power by which we fight. We do not fight alone and by our own strength; we are sent as representatives, fully empowered, equipped, and enabled by God to do what He has called us to accomplish. The result? "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." We fight with power unseen, yet so potent that victory is assured.
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