It is a most interesting job to go forth with the gospel. One is sent out under the direction to cause people to do/be something which they have no power to cause them to do/be. Have you ever tried to cause someone to love something they by nature despise, or to cause them to hate something they by nature love? Try it and you will soon find out the impossibility of the matter; yet this is precisely the position the Christian is in when they bear testimony of a Saviour to the world. The world by nature hates the Christ of the Bible and loves sin, but the Christian goes forth in an attempt to cause people to love Christ and hate sin, having no power in and of themselves to bring about this great change in anyone. We cannot even bring forth this great change in ourselves, it is simply a work of the Holy Spirit.
Being that the motive force required to cause someone to love a Saviour they were born hating is more than a mere man can bring about, how on earth should the Christian go forward? The simple answer is that they must go forward in faith, trusting God for the increase. This is easily said, but hard to do. The reason is that even regenerate man retains his fallen nature and sometimes wants to think he is in charge of the salvation of souls, rather than just a courier boy with a simple message from the King. The message of the King sent out by a mere courier boy carries with it the power of salvation, and is the means the King prefers to use for the salvation of men. When the Christian realizes that they are just a courier boy in the King’s court, it is then that the King is honoured and blesses the message with power from on high. Nothing short of this, is the power required to change the heart of man to love something he now hates, and hate something he now loves.
If this message is intended as a wake-up call – it succeeded. My husband said it is concise and clear. It takes all the pressure off of face to face witnessing. Where I have been fearful of saying or doing the wrong thing, I now know all I have to do is deliver the message my Lord sent.
Looking forward to the next message.
white stone & husband
INDEED, never fear what man may say or do, just bear out the message of the King in faith.
Well said. I look forward to reading more
What a concise, truth filled post! There has been many times I was discouraged after speaking His truth and seeing nothing…I too soon forget I am not responsible for the outcome, just the delivery.
Thanks for the nice comment Lyn!
As courier boys (or girls) we are to humbly submit to the working of God in our own lives and then bear out the truth of these matters both in word and deed. We can lead a horse to water yet we can’t make it drink, but those who preach the gospel with the right heart will at least try and beg the horse until they get kicked several times!