You know, the question “what do you believe” can be the question that leaves you with your pants down. I have seen it happen to many people-and if you can say what you believe, if you are a select few, then can you defend yourself against attacks? Recently, some Christian friends and I were approached by someone who caught us with our pants down-they believed in the same God and bible, but we differed in a crazy way as to how you are saved from your sins. I’ll spare the details, but the bulk of what happened was that he knew the scriptures and hit us with not one verse from memory, but what seemed like an eternity of verses supporting his views. I was left to defend myself from what I know to be true about God (deep down from what I’ve been taught), and I didn’t have a good defense from memory verses on the fly. But since then, God keeps showing me from his word that I can soak in scripture, commentaries, and teaching to have a deeper defense for what I believe.
Here’s a journal entry of mine written today that is what I want to get across to you, I went back and filled in where each verse was found later:
Lord, today I feel that child-like excitement at the truth of the gospel-it is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe (Romans 1:16). Wow-Jesus Christ, who never sinned, took all of my dirty sin onto himself-and all (insert your name here) sin too. He took all the consequences of them onto himself-from us (http://kevinivy.com/2009/04/wrath-of-god-conclusion.html). Already, not will. But who has believed this message? The one who will see eternal life in Heaven (Acts 16:31). Oh, but the power of the Gospel, who can resist the true gospel? Only those who the Devil has blinded (2Corinthians 4:4). God, take off the many veils at Basin Harbor, among my friends, and give us workers (Christians) the opportunity to pour the gospel into their lives.
Why?
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16.
Does salvation change you?
It was said long before he lived on earth: “…he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (http://www.abetterhope.com/whois/titles.html)
What to do?
But who will believe this message?
What an amazing testimony Joe! Thank you. Isn’t it awesome how God used that experience (flurry of Scripture supporting his views) to bring you even deeper into His Word? I love that the Gospel is the power unto salvation. I also love how Jesus, on the road to Emmaus (fitting this time of year!) He tutored the people through Scripture! Christ could have expounded new revelation, never before revealed Truth, but Jesus shared Scripture with them, already revealed Truth, superintended by the second person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit.
That just blows me away every time I think of Jesus’ role as Rabbi, teacher of Scripture – the God Man teaching the word of God. How much more, then, are we to exalt Him through the sharing of His word? Of late, I have found myself with my “Shield” down, attempting to fathom circumstances, offering counsel by the impotence of my own understanding, a flailing attempt to approximate God’s revealed Truth about a given circumstance or topic at hand. Is it pride? That I can conceptualize all that I claim to know about God and just talk it through? Is is laziness? That I am too busy to dwell in His Word? Is it fear? That I may hold up the Mirror and see the plank in the eye for what it truly is?
Easter represents a wonderful opportunity for evangelizing. I love sharing the truth that Christ died on the cross as a demonstration for His love for us. That’s a great message. But, I love going deeper that it was our wretched sin that put Him upon that cross by the Father. I’m finding that there is far less and issue of divided messages when the mirror of God’s law is held up as evidence of a perfect God who is divinely good and just.
Thanks for being out there in the field, Joe. Thanks.