Trying to have a spiritual
conversation with someone without the Spirit of God will only end in
frustration. Remember, they firmly believe what they believe, even atheists. It
takes much greater faith to be an atheist! To deny creation all around you? To
assign it all away as a random event? How sad. So how do we engage the lost in
a conversation about our hope without theology? Talk about what God has done
for you! That is what people will relate to beloved. There will be plenty of
time for theology later. Take them to the cross -- take them to the cross.
But do so gently and respectfully
the key verses warn us. How well does God know our nature? The Bible is a two
edged sword, not a blunt instrument. We are not supposed to slap someone upside
the head with the Gospel. That is one sure way you can know that the Westboro
Baptist crew are not operating at the direction of God. Picketing funerals of
soldiers is not spreading the Gospel. There has to be love in the Christ we
preach if there is Christ in us. I know well intended Christians who insist on
wrapping Jesus up in barbed wire. Sure you may share Christ like that but you
are going to cut to pieces the very person you are trying to lead to the cross.
It doesn't work that way. Just like you cannot sugar coat everything; you
cannot dress Jesus up in military fatigues. Keep your conscience clean beloved!
The key verses continue by
revealing a key principle we often overlook and forget as Christians. Our life,
if it truly belongs to Christ, is supposed to be seen for its goodness. Let me
say that again -- our lives are supposed to be seen as goodness because we
belong to Jesus. If you put a Jesus fish on your car then you have given up
your privilege to road rage. You can't be cutting people off or be yelling at
someone who cuts you off. If you are going to walk around the office with Jesus
on your sleeve -- He better be in everything you say and do because people will
be watching. Why did Potiphar promote Joseph?
The
Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in
everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed
this and realized that the Lord was
with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal
attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he
owned. -- Genesis 39: 2-4 (NLT)
While the things of God are
foolishness to those who are perishing, they still can see of someone has
favor. They still can see if someone is true or a hypocrite. The number one
reason why people do not go to church is that they feel everyone in church are
hypocrites. I have seen some of the most reprehensible behavior from Christians
towards the unsaved. You will not win hearts and minds with judgment and
cruelty. So often in the church we get judgment all wrong. We see people
constantly misuse Matthew 7 -- "judge not lest ye be judged!" That section is
actually teaching us about hypocrisy -- not judgment. It didn't say to take the
plank out of your own eye and go home:
Hypocrite!
First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal
with the speck in your friend's eye. -- Matthew 7: 5 (NLT)
So what does the Bible instruct us
about judgment? What Scripture reveals is that we often get it completely
backwards:
It isn't my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your
responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God
will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, "You must remove
the evil person from among you." -- 1Corinthians 5:
12-13 (NLT)