We are engaged in a spiritual battle. There is no escaping it. The question is: do we want to win or lose on the battlefield of life?
Let's consider the breastplate of righteousness. If this piece of our spiritual body armor is missing, we will be cut down quickly in the spiritual war.
Paul speaks of the breastplate of righteousness in Ephesians 6:14: "Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness" (NKJV).
For the Roman soldier, the breastplate was essential. It was basically a tough piece of leather with animal horn or hoof pieces sewn into it.
The piece went from the neck to the abdomen, and it protected the vital organs, including the heart. One well-placed blow here or to the head and it's done—party's over—and you just became a casualty.
Our modern equivalent would be body armor or the bulletproof vest.
To wear the breastplate of righteousness is simply recognizing we have Christ's righteousness in our life. The Bible says, "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:19 NKJV).
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Come and See
One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).
— John 1:40–41
You would think the endorsement of Jesus by John the Baptist would be enough. But not for Andrew. Andrew was the cautious type. He didn't do something just because someone else did it. He had to know for himself.
I can almost see a comical situation when Andrew began following Jesus—literally. Maybe he was following a little too closely. Have you ever had someone walk so closely behind you they were almost breathing down your neck? There was Jesus, walking along with Andrew right behind him, along with another disciple of John's. Finally Jesus stopped, turned, and said to them, "What do you seek?" (John 1:38). Andrew didn't know what to say, so he asked Jesus where He lived. Jesus invited them to come and see.
Andrew went and saw, and from that time on, he never stopped following Jesus. The thing about Andrew is that once he knew something was true, he wanted to tell others. So he went and told his brother, Simon Peter.
We all will meet people like Andrew. You tell them about Jesus, and they will say, "I don't know."
So we will say, "Well, you need to know. You need to decide." But be patient with people. Don't try to rush the conversion process. The Bible says, "And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient" (2 Timothy 2:24). Sometimes we want to put the pressure on. We want to get a result. But if a person can be pressured into a decision, they can be pressured out. If they can be argued in, they can be argued out. Let God convert them. Let's just live the life and be the example. They will follow Jesus when it is time for them to follow.
I can almost see a comical situation when Andrew began following Jesus—literally. Maybe he was following a little too closely. Have you ever had someone walk so closely behind you they were almost breathing down your neck? There was Jesus, walking along with Andrew right behind him, along with another disciple of John's. Finally Jesus stopped, turned, and said to them, "What do you seek?" (John 1:38). Andrew didn't know what to say, so he asked Jesus where He lived. Jesus invited them to come and see.
Andrew went and saw, and from that time on, he never stopped following Jesus. The thing about Andrew is that once he knew something was true, he wanted to tell others. So he went and told his brother, Simon Peter.
We all will meet people like Andrew. You tell them about Jesus, and they will say, "I don't know."
So we will say, "Well, you need to know. You need to decide." But be patient with people. Don't try to rush the conversion process. The Bible says, "And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient" (2 Timothy 2:24). Sometimes we want to put the pressure on. We want to get a result. But if a person can be pressured into a decision, they can be pressured out. If they can be argued in, they can be argued out. Let God convert them. Let's just live the life and be the example. They will follow Jesus when it is time for them to follow.
Friday, October 29, 2010
We Have to Care
My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them.
— Romans 9:2–3
Why is it that Christians don't share the gospel? Is it because we are afraid we may not have the right answers? Perhaps. Is it because we don't know where to start? Maybe. Is it because we think we may get shut down? It could be. But maybe we don't care enough.
I suggest that one of the reasons we don't share the gospel is because we don't necessarily care that much about lost people. Only one in 20 Christians have ever shared the gospel with another person, and only one in 10 think they should. A study by researcher George Barna found that only half of the people in American churches today can even articulate the gospel.
D. L. Moody, the great evangelist, once said, "Winners of souls must first be weepers of souls." Preacher and evangelist George Whitfield said, "Lord, give me souls or take away my soul." The idea is that we have to care.
After Jonah reluctantly preached to the people of Nineveh, he sat down outside the city and waited to see what would happen. He sat in the blazing sun, just hoping that God would still destroy Nineveh. God graciously provided a large, leafy plant to grow over Jonah, which provided him with some shade. But early the next morning, a worm came and ate the plant. Jonah was so upset about losing the plant that he wanted to die. But God told him, "You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn't I feel sorry for such a great city?" (Jonah 4:10).
If we are ever going to be used by God to reach out to people, then we have to care.
I suggest that one of the reasons we don't share the gospel is because we don't necessarily care that much about lost people. Only one in 20 Christians have ever shared the gospel with another person, and only one in 10 think they should. A study by researcher George Barna found that only half of the people in American churches today can even articulate the gospel.
D. L. Moody, the great evangelist, once said, "Winners of souls must first be weepers of souls." Preacher and evangelist George Whitfield said, "Lord, give me souls or take away my soul." The idea is that we have to care.
After Jonah reluctantly preached to the people of Nineveh, he sat down outside the city and waited to see what would happen. He sat in the blazing sun, just hoping that God would still destroy Nineveh. God graciously provided a large, leafy plant to grow over Jonah, which provided him with some shade. But early the next morning, a worm came and ate the plant. Jonah was so upset about losing the plant that he wanted to die. But God told him, "You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn't I feel sorry for such a great city?" (Jonah 4:10).
If we are ever going to be used by God to reach out to people, then we have to care.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Ready to Answer
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.
— 1 Peter 3:15
As Christians, the Bible tells us we are to give an answer to every man who asks us: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15). That phrase "give an answer" is from the Greek word apologia, from which we get our English word "apologetics." It means a legal defense, as in a court of law.
But we are to keep in mind that as we make our case in the courtroom of public opinion with those we are speaking with, we are not there as prosecuting attorneys, but as witnesses. And witnesses simply testify to what they have seen.
Yet sometimes Christians, armed with all the information they can get, assault unbelievers with what they know and effectively blow them out of the water. They have won the argument but lost the soul, and that is not the objective. Even though we may know a great deal, we should present the information with love and humility. In 2 Timothy 2:24–25 we are reminded that "a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition. . . . "
When you are telling others about Christ, often you will be barraged with questions. Sometimes people ask questions they actually want the answers to. And sometimes these questions are intended to get you off track. They are intended to get you to go away. So when we are dealing with these questions, it is important to address what we are being asked, but also remember that our core message for the unbeliever is the gospel.
But we are to keep in mind that as we make our case in the courtroom of public opinion with those we are speaking with, we are not there as prosecuting attorneys, but as witnesses. And witnesses simply testify to what they have seen.
Yet sometimes Christians, armed with all the information they can get, assault unbelievers with what they know and effectively blow them out of the water. They have won the argument but lost the soul, and that is not the objective. Even though we may know a great deal, we should present the information with love and humility. In 2 Timothy 2:24–25 we are reminded that "a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition. . . . "
When you are telling others about Christ, often you will be barraged with questions. Sometimes people ask questions they actually want the answers to. And sometimes these questions are intended to get you off track. They are intended to get you to go away. So when we are dealing with these questions, it is important to address what we are being asked, but also remember that our core message for the unbeliever is the gospel.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The True Gospel
I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel.
— Galatians 1:6
What is the gospel? I don't think most people know. Some people may think most Americans have heard the gospel, but I beg to differ. I don't think they have. I have heard a lot of preachers talk about the gospel and not give the gospel. We have to be very careful that we give an accurate presentation. Otherwise, it could have a disastrous effect. We don't want to edit God's Word. We don't need to try to make it more appealing by taking things out of it. Nor do we need to make it more complex by adding things to it. We just need to declare it for what it is and let God do His work.
As much as possible, we should seek to build a bridge and be tactful. Then, having established that, we need to share the truth of the good news of Jesus Christ. The Bible warns of a different gospel that people can believe. The apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel" (Galatians 1:6). Let's make sure we give out the true gospel.
Here is the problem: People are not going to fully appreciate the good news until they first know the bad news. The bad news is that we have all have sinned against God and have fallen short of His standards. And if we don't turn from that sin, the Bible says that we will spend eternity separated from God in hell.
Someone once asked C. H. Spurgeon to sum up the Christian faith in a few words. C. H. Spurgeon did it in four: "Jesus died for me." If you know that much, then you are ready to share the gospel.
As much as possible, we should seek to build a bridge and be tactful. Then, having established that, we need to share the truth of the good news of Jesus Christ. The Bible warns of a different gospel that people can believe. The apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel" (Galatians 1:6). Let's make sure we give out the true gospel.
Here is the problem: People are not going to fully appreciate the good news until they first know the bad news. The bad news is that we have all have sinned against God and have fallen short of His standards. And if we don't turn from that sin, the Bible says that we will spend eternity separated from God in hell.
Someone once asked C. H. Spurgeon to sum up the Christian faith in a few words. C. H. Spurgeon did it in four: "Jesus died for me." If you know that much, then you are ready to share the gospel.
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