“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:17)
We often do not associate this verse with the Christmas season, but the truth is there could not be a better verse. Indeed, Jesus came to save, not to condemn.
We are living in the final days. But until Jesus returns to judge, he is still here to save. Hope is not lost, and that includes the hope you still have for that unsaved loved one sitting just across your Christmas dinner table.
Most of the time, we’re reluctant to talk about Jesus to our friends and neighbors, even our family. It’s no longer fashionable. Our culture has trained us that we should never make someone feel uncomfortable about their religion, or lack thereof. “Live and let live,” the world tells us.
The problem with that maxim is if we really want them to live, then how we can ignore the fact that how they are living will not eventually let them live. They have no chance for an eternity filled without worry and suffering. And we just sit there, saying nothing, thinking we’re letting them live.
I think the mistake we make is we try to reach out to them in old-fashioned ways that rarely work anymore. Asking someone where they think they will spend eternity, or worse yet, asking them if they’re saved, will likely turn them away from Christ, not towards him. We simply must find a way that draws them to Christ.
One way is to casually testify to them about the peace that you have. Live your life out in front of them and wait patiently for the opportunity to point out something you have that they don’t. The one common denominator for those who don’t know Christ is they have no peace. This is the same peace the Apostle Paul mentioned when he described it as “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.” (Philippians 4:7) Those who don’t know Jesus don’t have this peace, but you do. Let them see it. They’ll eventually ask you about it.
Finally, when the opportunity comes your way, remember that the Gospel story is hard to believe to those who don’t know Jesus. My wife helped me through that doubt with some of the best advice I ever received.
I had the hardest time believing the Gospel story. It made no sense to me. No sense that God came here in the form of man and suffer crucifixion on the cross so that I, over two-thousand years later, might have the peace and the life I saw in her. Even though I was under conviction, it was just too hard to believe.
Robbie recognized that I was about to turn away from Christ. She pointed out that I didn’t need a lot of faith to turn to Christ – just the faith of a mustard seed. My new faith, she promised, would grow once I came to know Christ.
How did she get me to turn my life over to him with all that doubt I was expressing? She told me what the 20th Century French author and philosopher Albert Camus once said: “I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn’t, than live my life as if there isn’t and die to find out there is.”
That was a startling revelation for me. Rather than continuing to think, “It can’t be true,” my thoughts turned to, “What if it is true?” Salvation seemed reasonable, and that’s how it must appear to your lost loved ones or friends to keep them from turning away from Christ. It must be the reasonable thing to do!
Most of the hard sales pitches don’t work in the world of the lost, not in this day and time. You have to softly engage them to consider how they are living and what can happen if they change. And you have to wait for the right opportunity.
Christmas is a time of great stress for many of us, saved and lost. But the peace we have can be a beacon to draw the lost to us. Who knows? The person sitting across from the Christmas dinner table just might ask you: “Tell me how you can have such peace in times like these?”
Start thinking and praying for the opportunity to look in the eye of your loved one. What will you say? I don’t know, but I sure hope you say something!
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1 Comment
Just found your site a few days ago and just love it. Have shared several of the devotionals that brought tears to my eyes (like Misha’s) with my family; all Christians; I’m 77.
Your wife offered you good advice to consider where you did not want to spend eternity; sharing with family’s is tough.
I use her logic along with information I learned from Ray Comfort at http://www.livingwaters.com that will get to those hard to reach souls when they understand they will be judged by God’s standards; not theirs.
Once I understood I was sinning against God, and that He loved me so much Christ paid my sin debt, how could I say no and surrender my life to Him.
To see God all we have to do is open our eyes and heart and look at His creation; a big bang distroys; not create.
My God continue to bless you and yours as you continue to serve Him where you are at.
John
Mark 4:14
P.S. have you seen the http://www.180movie.com yet? It has saved lives and souls.