Often times, over Facebook I will find a thread with those who are unsaved, to share the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with them. Facebook is a great mission field, if you can't be out and about on the street due to health, or don't yet, feel comfortable face-to-face witnessing."Do you hate me?"
I recommend sharing the Gospel over the internet, through various different means. Just plant a seed, the Lord will do the rest. (1 Cor. 3:6-8) Just share Bible verses! As it states in Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Perhaps my favorite thing to call the Living Word of God is the "Sword of the Lord." (Judges 7:20) What thing of more importance is there? Ask the Lord to give you a heart for people, that Loves the lost like He does; ask the God of Love to fill you with Himself - you need not be a fluent speaker. I know I'm not!
If you don't know what to say, there are many great resources, to help you out in the beginning of how to Biblically present the Gospel, to a lost and dying world. This world needs Jesus!
"Do you hate me?"
I was recently holding a conversation with a lady who I will call, "Karen". She was rather bitter and hateful; it was obvious she hated the God of the Bible and at points was difficult to hold a conversation with due to the mockery and hatred that she put forth. After a while, the only thing worthwhile doing is telling these dear people to "Repent and trust in Christ." To respond to foolish
arguments, will only pull you down to their level of foolishness. The Bible says, "Do not answer a fool according to his folly lest you also be like him. (Proverbs 26:4)
I was about to tell her I needed to go, and for reasons unknown to me, she told me she was a lesbian and then asked, "Do you hate me? Christians are hypocrites!" Her question came across as genuine and now I understood a bit more, why she was so hardened and hateful. I told her, " No, 'Karen', I do not hate you. Christians are called to love people, to warn you about Hell, to you of the forgiveness found in the Lord Jesus Christ..."
I think 'Karen' was a bit shocked by my response, and must have been treated very poorly by Christians in the past. They have claimed the name of Christ, and yet did not imitate Him. How very sad. How do we expect the world to accept our message, if we do not "speak the Truth in love"?
Christian, if you try and imitate Jesus Christ in your own strength, you will be a miserable replica. However, if you allow Jesus Christ to fill you with Himself, He will, and Jesus is very good at being God. You can't manifest enough Love on your own, to love those who hate you and spit upon your face; but God can! You can't keep your human pride from showing up and showing "partiality" to other people, but God can!
Often times hidden behind all that bitterness and hatred is a searching heart, such as in the case with 'Karen'. A person who is searching for someone to Love them. We are all people and after a while, of being treated wrong, by so-called Christians, you become bitter.We aren't called to accept people's actions, or sins, but we ARE called to Love people enough to tell them of Jesus and warn them of their sins. No one goes to Hell because they are homosexual, you end up in Hell for ALL your sins against a Holy God and ultimately rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ, as the only Savior. Christians are guilty of putting sins such as homosexuality on the "top-of-the-sin-list" when in reality sins such as homosexuality aren't even listed in the top six things the Lord hates! (Proverbs 6:16-19) Pride is number one! Don't you think we ought to pay attention to Scripture more? I'm not claiming to perfect, and I have a lot to work on. One thing I do know is that Scripture proclaims we are ALL sinners, that we all need Jesus, and the Lord puts forth a list of sins that we will have to give an account for; one of which is the sin of pride.
Christian, are you guilty of the sin of pride, by looking down on other peoples' sins?
If so, you need to repent and ask forgiveness. Continually examine yourself against God's Word, to be sure that you are in right relationship with God. Ask the Lord to give you a Love for people, regardless of what their sin may be. Point out sin, righteousness and warn of Judgment and the forgiveness offered in Jesus Christ alone, by faith alone.
Do we all not suffer from the same human condition called sin? It's just different levels of depravity - that's it. Period. We were ALL created for God's Glory, and are made in the Image of God.The only difference between others and myself, is I have been Justified though Christ Jesus. I have been "Redeemed from the power and penalty of sin." -- I am a former slave to my sin -- but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory in Christ Jesus our Lord! I AM NO better than anyone, I'm just justified. If you hate someone, God sees you as a murder. We all struggle with pride. The number one sin God hates is Pride - which is looking down on people - regardless of the sin. We need to examine ourselves, dear Christian, that we do not put ourself as having a "lofty-eye" towards the unsaved, or a respector of persons...why? Because God is not.
Don't trust your heart, to tell you if you are in right relationship with God, and loving others. Your heart will deceive you. Jeremiah 17:9/ “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
Acts 10:34-35/ Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
James 2:1-13/ My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.
2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,
3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,”
4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? 7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;
9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
"Do you hate me?" words that will play in my heart and mind for a long time. It breaks my heart the way others have been treated, by Christians, who are called to Love people. We're all guilty of it. May someone warn me, if I slip into the sin of pride. Do you truly love the lost, dear Christian? Ask Jesus to help you.
This song speaks of not having a high-and-lofty look, or pride about how much better you are than other people. We all need Jesus. As Christians we are allowed to make a righteous judgment. Love the lost like Jesus does.
"A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when the forget-me-nots have withered. Carve you name on hearts, no on marble."
~Charles H. Spurgeon
Luke 6:31-32 and 35, “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. ...But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”
In the love of Christ,
Rachelle ~ Abolitionist ~ A//A
What is the gospel?
“Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you're not saved yourself, be sure of that!”
― Charles H. Spurgeon
No comments:
Post a Comment