Subject: Spreading the gospel |
Bible Note: Greetings 4givn! Hey, I just read your post and I can really understand where you are coming from. God saved me five years ago out of a life that was anything but glorifying to Him. With that past, I do many times feel as though my house needs to be in order before I can share with others the Good News of the cross. I have come to realize that idea is self-centered! You see, I can’t save a soul, it is the Spirit of God that regenerates and illuminates a sinful, lost soul unto repentance. I know this from when God pulled me out of the morgue and made me alive in Christ! What made me, all of the sudden, after years of doubt and idols, turn form my wicked ways and start worshipping Christ? Was it something I mustered up in me? Of course not! It was the Spirit of God taking out my heart of stone and giving me a heart of flesh (Eze. 11:19, 36:26). He granted to me repentance and faith (Eph. 2:8-9, Acts 11:18). So, how do these Scriptures tie into spreading the Gospel? Simple, it is God who saves, we are simply the messengers of peace and reconciliation with God. It reminds me of Paul when he was in Corinth in Acts 18. Verse 9-11 says: “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.” You see that! I remember the first time I read that and understood what it meant. God has His people everywhere, we should not be afraid to preach and share the Good News because we know He saves and He has people all over the place. We need to be confident in Him, and not in ourselves to preach. Paul said in 1 Cor. 2:1-2: “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Paul had confidence in the Cross of Christ to save, not himself. I know on a practical level, personal holiness is something I have strived to do, not only because it pleases God, but also because I think it is a good witness. My parents and brother do not know the Lord. They live ”good” lives no doubt, but they don’t know the Savior. Since being saved, it has been difficult to show them who Christ is because they still think of me as the “old” Joe, even though my life has changed. Here is where personal holiness that is pleasing to Christ comes in. They ask questions as to why I do and don’t do things, and they see Christ and His grace. It is a fine line between showing legalism and showing true obedience to Christ’s words. That is a huge struggle for me!! I’ll be praying for you and I hope you will be encouraged that there are many Christians out there with the same struggles. I like Heb. 10:14: “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” This side of glory we are being sanctified into Christ’s likeness (1 Cor. 1:2), so we should also take comfort in Christ’s finished work on the cross because He made us perfect in eternity! In Christ, Joe PS- A really good treatment on the topic of the Christian life is “Holiness” by J.C. Ryle. Here is a link to the book online. It has been a help to me along life’s road… http://www.gracegems.org/Ryle/holiness.htm |