Posted on 05/14/2013 3:08:38 PM PDT by rhema
I was flying from Los Angeles to Miami when I found myself sitting next to two women. Sarah was sitting closest to me. She was 29, inappropriately dressed, with a ring through her nose, and she wasn’t the friendliest person I have sat next to on a plane. After we took off I couldn’t help but notice that her friend kept kissing her on the cheek, holding her hand, and rubbing her shoulder. They were gay, and that little revelation lifted my planned witnessing encounter up a big notch on the awkward-meter. I really didn’t want an angry gay couple complaining to the airline (and the media) that I was a homophobic fundamentalist, imposing my hate-speech by saying that they were going to Hell because they were gay.
I waited until she had eaten, finished her movie, and simply said, “Sarah. I have a question for you. Do you think there’s an afterlife?” She wasn’t sure, so I asked, “If Heaven exists, are you going there? Are you a good person?” She predictably said she was, so I took her through three of the Ten Commandments—had she lied, stolen, and taken God’s name in vain? She had broken all three, so we then looked at whether or not she would be guilty on Judgment Day and whether she would go to Heaven or Hell. I then shared the cross, and the necessity for repentance and faith in Jesus. I didn’t mention her sexual orientation; I didn’t need to nor did I want to. I simply shared the moral Law (the Ten Commandments)—because the Bible says that the Law was “made” for homosexuals—see 1 Timothy 1:8-10. She wasn’t offended, and I kept her friendship and stayed out of jail.
Trying to witness to someone who is about to take the life of her child is also high on the awkward list. It’s awkward, mainly because the mind of this person is preoccupied with what she is about to do and therefore it’s difficult to get her attention. However, if she would stop and talk I would handle the situation similarly to my conversation with Sarah. The reason for that is that I don’t want to reform people. I didn’t want Sarah to stop being gay and end up in Hell for her lying, theft and blasphemy. I don’t want to just stop a woman from killing her child, and have her go to Hell for her other sins. With God’s help I want to see more than a change of mind. I want to see a change of heart.
Contrary to popular opinion, most who take the life of their child through abortion believe in God. Even the staunchest fundamentalist atheist believes in God. I know because I have an inside source. I have a “Whistle-blower.”
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools…” (Romans 1:20-22).
Those who abort the life of their children are “idolaters,” illustrated in the fact that their god condones the taking of a human life. They have no fear of God before their eyes. So your agenda, with the help of God, is to stir her God-given conscience to do its duty and put the fear of God within her, and you can do that, as I did with Sarah and the gay issue, without even mentioning the elephant in the room—the impending abortion. To put the fear of God in someone means that you will have to stay with the biblical gospel. Do not use the “God has a wonderful plan” message because it is both unbiblical and will do more damage than good. If you really believe that that message is biblical, think for a few moments about how the first eleven disciples were murdered for their faith. If you know Church history, you will know that the foundation of the Church is founded in the blood of the saints. Jesus warned that people would kill Christians thinking that they are doing God a favor.
Imagine you have been asked to preach the gospel to 1,000 people on the 100th floor of the World Trade Center the night before 9/11. You know that within 24 hours every person looking at you will die a death so horrific it defies human imagination. Many will be burned alive. Others will jump 100 stories to their deaths on the unforgiving sidewalks of New York. Others will fall with the building and be so crushed that their bodies will never be recovered. What are you going to tell them—that God has a wonderful plan for their lives? You can’t say that to people who are about to die! Instead you would soberly tell them that it’s appointed to man once to die and after this, the judgment. You would tell them that God is holy, that He will judge them by His perfect Law, that Hell is very real and that they desperately need a Savior. You would tell them that they could die within 24 hours, and plead with them to repent and trust alone in Jesus. If you have to change the message you normally preach, then you are not preaching the biblical gospel. Why would you have a different message for people who are walking the streets of this world, and are about to die? Every day 150,000 people throughout this world pass into death, many of whom will die in terrible ways—through horrific car accidents and through the suffering of cancer.
Think of David and Nathan the prophet. David had coveted his neighbor’s wife, stolen her, lived a lie, committed adultery and murdered her husband. He had violated the Ten Commandments but he wasn’t too worried. His conscience wasn’t doing its duty. God had commissioned Nathan to expose the king’s terrible sin. So what did Nathan say? Did he say, “David, God has a wonderful plan for your life”? What has that got to do with anything? David was a criminal, and Nathan was there to expose his crimes, not speak of some wonderful plan. The faithful preacher began in the natural realm with a story about the theft and slaughter of a poor man’s lamb, and when David became indignant about that man’s sin, Nathan said, “YOU are that man. Why have you despised the Commandment of the Lord!” And that’s when David cried, “I have sinned against God.” Think for a moment as to whether or not the wonderful plan message could never have elicited that response. Why should it? It doesn’t bring any knowledge of sin or the fear of God. It doesn’t stir the conscience. But the Law does. It made David tremble. The Law stirred the king’s seared conscience so that it would do its God-given duty, and we can see its result in the penitent prayer of Psalm 51. And that’s what we must do with those who see nothing wrong with the taking of the life of their unborn child. Their terrible sin must be made personal so that the fear of the Lord causes them to depart from it. The instant someone is converted to Jesus Christ they know that means no more lying, stealing, lust, pornography, homosexuality, fornication, adultery, idolatry and no murdering of your own children.
In Mark 10:17 we are told of the story of the rich young ruler who ran to Jesus, kneeled down and said, “Good master. What must I do to inherit eternal life?” He ran (was earnest), he kneeled down (he was humble), and he asked the question we so wish the world would ask, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” But instead of leading him in a sinner’s prayer, Jesus reproved him of his use of the word “good.” Proverbs 20:6 says, “Most men will proclaim each his own goodness,” and they certainly do. Ask anyone if they think they are a good person and most will say that they are. So Jesus used the Ten Commandments to bring the knowledge of sin to show him that he wasn’t good at all. He, like Nathan, made sin personal. Paul did this in Romans 2 when he said, “You who say you shall not steal; do YOU steal? You who say you shall not commit adultery, do YOU commit adultery?” Such faithful talk will cause the sinner to tremble as Felix trembled when Paul reasoned with him—not about some wonderful plan, but of “sin, temperance and judgment.”
The stirring of the dormant conscience coupled with a knowledge that a holy God will hold her accountable should be enough to put the fear of God within someone who is about to commit the murder of her own offspring. May God help us to be faithful, courageous, and give us wisdom and help us to stop such slaughter.
You can learn how to do this through free resources on www.livingwaters.com
unless we know that we are separated from a holy God by our sin
***Whose job is it to convict someone of sin?
What do you tell to an extreme Liberal who is in the hospital after a suicide attempt (and repeated attempts in hospital)and has asked his wife to hire an attorney to fight mental health committment?
He says he does not believe in God and is close to death even without suicide.
Because the conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment (Jn. 16:9) was already there: the man confessed that he was getting what he was judged and sentenced for, in contrast to Jesus Christ the righteous, and thus he asked for mercy, which finds its appreciation in the light of justice.
The hardest labor of evangelists as instruments of the Holy Spirit is to bring souls to be convicted of sin, righteousness and judgment. Once souls realizes they are drowning, it is easy to tell them how the life preserver works and to get them to use it.
False analogy, as souls are not forgiven before repentance and faith, but are enemies of God in need of salvation. Yes, God loves them but is not crazy about their condition, and thus He convicts them of sin and their need for salvation on His expense and credit. Read sermons in Acts 2, 10, 13.
Jesus said he came not to judge
Out of context. That refers to coming as the judge, which Peter and Paul warned souls of in persuading them to repent, while Jesus manifested judged souls in declaring they were sinners, (Mt. 23) and thus He said that the world hateth me, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. (John 7:7)
Because the conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment (Jn. 16:9) was already there.
***And almost every person to whom I’ve preached the gospel has acknowledged they are not perfect. Only one said she was perfect, without sin. It was obvious she was completely deluded. For all others, the Holy Spirit has already begun that task. We get the distinct honor of telling them that God loves them. They can figure it out for themselves that they have fallen short and need a savior. There certainly are plenty of believers around who are eager to bring up unbelievers’ sinful state.
Also, every single person to whom I’ve preached has already heard that Jesus died for their sins. They don’t care because they don’t know that He is God. The vast majority of people I preach to have not heard that Jesus was put to death because He claimed to be God Himself.
The situation that the thief on the cross was in is the same situation that the vast majority of nonbelievers find themselves in today.
You have a very selective understanding of Jesus then, as His love includes telling souls they are sinners, and you are not preaching the gospel if you do not preach of sin, righteousness and judgment, and call souls to repentance. The Lord and apostles did so and warned souls of the consequences of impenitence, and thus the reaction they saw. Again, read all of Scripture, and such messages as seen in Acts 2, 10, 13.
False analogy, as souls are not forgiven before repentance and faith,
***While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
This is a false dilemma. Loving God and telling souls how they have offended Him are not two different thing, and in Scripture what you see is majoring on judgment and then grace. Peter in Acts 2 tells the hearers that tongues were a manifestation of God shed, but which was a foreboding of judgment to come, and that they crucified Christ, their own Messiah and God's Son, even if in ignorance, and that Christ will make them His footstool, which is definitely not what you want to be. Then they cry, "Men, brethren, what must we do?"
You show sympathy of his condition, but prayerfully work to compassionately but surely bring out the xrays of his soul and thus need for salvation, and what God has done for him.
It is the law that shows us our sin. Romans 3:20: “because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.”
Most of the people I talk to don’t know that they are sinners, or that they can’t get to heaven by trying to be good.
False analogy, as souls are not forgiven before repentance and faith
***While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
thus He convicts them of sin
***Exactly. He does it. We don’t have to.
Jesus said he came not to judge — Out of context
***The context is Jesus talking to Nicodemus, right after saying that he needed to be born again and the famous “For God so loved the world”... In that passage He says
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
***See, they’re condemned already. And notice that Jesus doesn’t focus on telling Nicodemus about his sins. Again, He focuses on love.
you are not preaching the gospel if you do not preach of sin, righteousness and judgment, and call souls to repentance
***Prove it. We’ve been talking about the thief on the cross, and Nicodemus. Both famous passages skip that part but focus on God’s love.
Ask them if they think they’re perfect. Almost all people I have talked to know they ain’t. They already know what that means with respect to God. What they do not know is that Jesus is God Himself.
What a sad situation! Just tell him the truth, sharing the gospel as timing and conversation permits. He may say he doesn’t believe in God, but anyone can change and become saved. Be a friend, pray for him, and share the truth.
You might find this helpful: http://deeptruths.com/bible-basics/salvation.html
This is a false dilemma. [Telling them about a] Loving God and telling souls how they have offended Him are not two different thing,
***Yes they are. People already know the one, it makes them sick to hear it — they no longer listen. So, since they already know, take the context of the thief on the cross and Nicodemus and focus on the love of God. Let the Holy Spirit convict them of sin, righteousness and judgement because that is His job.
Honestly, what in the world are you reading, or with what glasses? The Bible certainly does not just tell souls God loves them and leave them to figure out for themselves that they have fallen short and need a savior!
It is not enough to know you fall short, but must realize where this places you, as most believe their good deeds versus bad deeds balance sheet, with some ambiguous idea of mercy, will judge them fit to Heaven, rather than coming to Christ as damned sinners who are destitute of any merit, and who turn in their heart to Christ, wanting a new life with Him.
The vast majority of people I preach to have not heard that Jesus was put to death because He claimed to be God Himself.
That was the charge used to do so, being blind to Him being God, but they did so bcz they hated Him for He convicted them of sin. In addition, He did not simply die to show God's love, but because that is the only way only way damned+destitute sinners can be saved.
The situation that the thief on the cross was in is the same situation that the vast majority of nonbelievers find themselves in today.
That is honestly absurd, unless perhaps you are in some prison, as very very very few souls are convicted of their need for salvation as damned+destitute sinners, being under the burden of sin, as we see in Acts 2, and 16.
In fact a major error today is that preaching a message that targets a suicidal jailer convicted of his need for salvation, and who thus cries out, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
Jesus testified to the world that the things it did were evil, as in warning, "woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep." (Luke 6:24-25) For in contrast, "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." (Psalms 34:18)
False analogy, as souls are not forgiven before repentance and faith, ***While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Your theology is also very superficial, as the fact that Christ died for us does not mean souls are already forgiven, but they must repent and believe in order to be so.
The NT does not just preach that God love them, nor that they are already forgiven because of what Christ did, but tells souls they are damned+destitute and in need of salvation, which is why convicted souls cried out for how.
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: (Acts 2:23)
For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:34-36)
And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. (Acts 10:42)
And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you. (Acts 13:39-41)
And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: (Acts 14:15)
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: (Acts 17:30)
And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. (Acts 24:25)
Honestly, what in the world are you reading, or with what glasses? The Bible certainly does not just tell souls God loves them and leave them to figure out for themselves that they have fallen short and need a savior!
***I heard a statistic that in America, 99.5% of us have heard of Jesus, and that He died for our sins. That part of the bible’s message has already gotten through. The Holy Spirit’s job is to convict of sin and He has done that already. People don’t need to hear what they’ve already heard. They need to hear what they have not heard.
It is not enough to know you fall short, but must realize where this places you, as most believe their good deeds versus bad deeds balance sheet, with some ambiguous idea of mercy, will judge them fit to Heaven, rather than coming to Christ as damned sinners who are destitute of any merit, and who turn in their heart to Christ, wanting a new life with Him.
***Then why did Christ not focus on this with Nicodemus and the thief on the cross? Because they already knew. The vast majority of americans already know that part of the message.
The vast majority of people I preach to have not heard that Jesus was put to death because He claimed to be God Himself.
That was the charge used to do so, being blind to Him being God, but they did so bcz they hated Him for He convicted them of sin. In addition, He did not simply die to show God’s love, but because that is the only way only way damned+destitute sinners can be saved.
***Non sequitur. It does not address the point I made, just glides over it and goes into something else.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.