I’ve often thought that it would be easier to be a witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ in countries other than our own because it seems to me that people in those countries would have more of a need for a Savior…at least looking in from the outside, it appears that way. As I look at the people I live around, friends of friends, and family members who see Christianity as a religion that limits their life, I feel at a loss of words. They have so much. Life has spoiled them and they don’t even realize it. I know there are only two places for our souls to go. When that time comes, it’s too late for them to change their minds, but even if they’re not completely satisfied with their life, they’re just not in a place where they feel that they need Jesus.
I wonder what in the world would it take to convince them to turn their life over to God, to His Son, the only One who can save their souls from eternal damnation. I’ve had conversations with Christian friends about it. We’ve discussed stories of people who had everything and then tragically lost something or everything precious to them and how God used those circumstances to draw that person to Him. It could be the loss of a loved one, or finances, or maybe even their own health that causes a person to begin to listen to the message of the gospel. It seems logical to me. Wasn’t that what occurred with the prodigal son? Even Jesus tells the story of a man who seemed to have it all, but when he finds his wonderful life not so wonderful anymore, he goes back home to his father.
Does that mean that we should pray for things to occur in the lives of the lost ones we have a burden for? Things that dare I say might be tragic? Maybe so, but I have another question. When we live in a world of instant gratification, wouldn’t most people who are angry at their circumstances, and then begin to understand with their minds the truth of the gospel and so accept it, expect to see instant results in their life? Does going to the Father simply because your luck ran out just as the prodigal son did result in a true life change…a true conversion? If not, what does? I’d like to share a story that expresses what is required in order for there to be a lasting change:
A rebellious youth gets drunk and drives through a small town at a dangerous speed of 65 mph. As everything in the town was horse-drawn, they had no law against speeding. The speedster therefore hadn’t broken the law because there wasn’t one.
The town counsel gathered and passed a law stating 30 mph was the maximum speed. A massive fine would be imposed on anyone who violated the law and endangered lives.
The drunken speedster came through again, this time at 75 mph. When he was stopped, he had no concern about what he was doing wrong because he knew nothing about the law. It was only when the law was read to him that he understood that he was in big trouble. It was the threat of punishment that sobered him. He had no money and no words of defense, so he was thrown into prison.
As he sat in hopeless despair, his father came to the prison door and explained that he had paid the fine in full. The youth was free to go. The man had sold all his worldly goods to pay his son’s fine. Knowledge of his father’s sacrifice left the son broken, and wanting nothing more than to live a life that was pleasing to his father.
To the half hearted Christian or dare I say, the false convert, the Savior is the One who died for his sins. He paid the fine. However, you will find that there is a shallow understanding of the sacrifice of the Father. This is because he has no knowledge of God’s Law. It’s only when he sees his terrible sin (that he is a terrible Law-breaker) and that he deserves consequent damnation that he will understand the unspeakable sacrifice that the Father made in Jesus of Nazareth. Therefore, for him the Law makes grace abound. It then makes Jesus precious to him. (This story was taken from the book, “World Religions in a Nutshell” and was adapted from the book, “Hell’s Best Kept Secret”.)
Apparently, the only way to ensure that not only the people you’re witnessing to wholeheartedly accept the gospel, but also that you yourself have truthfully accepted it, is the understanding of sin. We have to understand that we ourselves are responsible for our own sin, not just that we are victims of a world full of it. The person with the victim mentality will only find more reasons to consider himself a victim even after he has accepted the gospel message. That will only lead to anger and rejection of God. True repentance comes when we realize that we have broken God’s Law and are sentenced to eternal punishment.
the one to explain it to these people I love so dearly.
For all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23
Amie Spruiell 6/3/2011
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