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What is
Salvation?
The word Salvation connotes
a wide variety of ideas, from behavioral alterations to the
recital of a list of teachings until committed to memory,
or the exercise of some ritual. It can be expressed in the
belief that acceptance of certain verses of Scripture in a
particular sequence brings Salvation, often referred to as
The plan of Salvation. Some
would advocate that Salvation comes through adherence to a
particular code or an identity with a certain religious order
or sect. Still others would subscribe to just doing the best
one can do in this life. Some teach that good works bring
Salvation.
The list is endless, but we desire not to
dwell on what Salvation is not, rather on what
Salvation really is.
We could indeed refer to this presentation as
The Plan of Salvation, but while many of us understand
what the use of those words actually reflect, for better
understanding apart from misconceptions arising by the use of
the word plan, I prefer to
use the word Salvation only.
The word plan suggests some system or prescribed action
to be undertaken. While Salvation does involve a
process, it is never the process which saves.
To illustrate this dynamic principle, a family
taking a trip from New York to California with a notion of
visiting relatives whom they have not seen in years does
indeed take the trip. The trip is necessary, but their goal is
not the trip. The goal is the destination where those
relatives dwell. That destination will make interaction
with those relatives possible.
In like manner, the process in
Salvation itself does not bring Salvation. The
focus must not be so much upon the process as upon the
Person. Salvation does not
come through anything we do. Salvation comes only
through God’s grace and is received through faith.
Therefore, genuine Salvation involves a real
personal relationship with God.
Yet, as we focus on the Person Who died on the
Cross, our awareness expands. We begin to see ourselves as we
truly are. In the brightness of the Cross every stain and
blemish becomes black, slimy filth, just as it really is
before a pure, righteous God! We see ourselves as
inexcusable, without any means of justification within
ourselves (Romans 3:23). We deserve death, judgment and hell
(Romans 6:23). But Christ became our death, judgment and hell
(Romans 5:6-10).
Yet, unless we die to self, we can
not receive the new life in Jesus. We must be born again (John
3:1-21). To be born of the water and of the Spirit (John 3:5)
means that we come under judgment. We die to self (water
signifies judgment and death) and the Spirit signifies new
life, a new birth, just as the Children of Israel
became a new nation once passing through the judging waters of
the Red Sea. Those waters closed over the pursuing
Egyptians, thus severing the bondage and setting the Children
of Israel free! As we accept what Christ did, we die to
self; that is, we become totally sold out to Christ. The
word Spirit signifies genuine life, a transformed life.
No longer are we the old person we once were. As with the
Israelites, the bondage of sin becomes severed. Behold,
all things become new to us (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our desires
become new and all things fit together in a different, new
light. God walks with us (Romans, the 8th chapter)
and the presence of His Spirit renews our minds, such that we
become spiritually minded.
Once we are Christ’s we identify
with the things of God and we love to be in fellowship
with God’s people (John 3:14).
After Salvation, we naturally would
have a desire to join the church and become involved in
outreach, that we may share Christ in testimony and minister
to others in need. We also naturally have a
spiritual desire to be discipled and to disciple.
If you understand the need for
Salvation, may we suggest that you study this presentation
along with the references to God’s Word, the Holy Bible, and
seek counsel with a Christian who can help you come to know
Christ as your own personal Savior, should you need additional
information or explanation. If you have no Christian
friend or acquaintance who can help you and pray with you, you
may indeed find a nearby church with those anxious to assist
you.
Also, feel free to contact us.
For those who seek to deal with nagging doubts
and problems with respect to God, Salvation or Moral and Spiritual Questions, we
recommend a couple of books written by a former atheist:
Lee Strobel’s, The Case for Christ and his second book, The Case for
Faith. He now has a third book
which can be helpful, The Case
for Creation.
You
may receive additional insights by clicking here:
House of
Aristocracy and Daring
Journey
....................................
ATTENTION
URGENT
NOTICE
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DISCONTINUATION
With deep regret we find
ourselves with no other choice than to discontinue our
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we have no other choice in this
matter.
However, may we suggest that you
make use of the e-mail to
replace the guestbook to correspond with
us?
Click to go back to top of
page.
Thank you for visiting our website.
Our aim is to serve the needs of those who
search together with us to explore with a desire to
uncover a greater expanse of truth than we can
ordinarily be aware of. Of course, we make no claims
with respect to cornering the truth, for no person can embrace
total truth any more than the lowly ant can reach the sun
and thoroughly explore the entire burning, exploding
surface. Truth will forever remain greater than the
sum total of all populations of earth, past, present and
future!
Notwithstanding, we move in a direction, ever
growing, ever enamored and learning, ever expanding our
horizons and encountering the reality enlightening the
human soul. Such a journey attests to much more
than mere observations, more than meditations, more than
speculations, more than just an adventure. Certainly,
these elements may well be a reflection of the journey in
part, but ultimately, we shall discover that Reality can
be no less than God Himself! We believe that all of
us can come to the dynamic conclusion that in Him all things
consist (are held together with His meaning and purpose).
--Colossians
1:16-17
But we always invite the participation of each
one who visits these pages. You can add much to the
direction and nature of our exploration by bringing your own
thoughts, suggestions, criticism and
questions. You
may wish to send an e-mail.
We do take seriously every person's comments and we are open
to all additional light that may be given such that we can
continuously grow ourselves and seek to improve these pages
significantly.
Again, thank
you, and we trust that you will both explore with us and
contribute to the journey through your
comments.
Click to go back to top of
page.
DARING
JOURNEY
Mr. Christian would not
compromise—not in the least. But that fact did not
mean that he failed to express sensitivity and
understanding.
His strength in conversation always grew from his
respect and care cultivated through a true touch of listening
and encouraging open discussion on any legitimate issue the
other person cared to pursue with him. Perhaps this warmth
along with his unassuming personality proved enough to disarm
most contacts.
And that turned out to be the case with Joe when Mr.
Christian met him as he strolled in the park one
day.
Mr.
Christian:
Hello,
I see you're sitting there in the shade on this very hot
day. If I’m not
intruding, may I rest with you a
minute?
Joe: It’s a
public park. I
don’t own this bench.
Mr.
Christian:
(chuckling
warmly) Oh, I know, but I’ll respect your wishes if you had
rather be left alone.
Joe: Oh, of
course not.
You’re welcome to join me if you wish. I mean, I guess it’s a
nice change of pace to have someone interested in joining me
since most people ignore one another in a public
park—especially in a big city like
this.
Mr.
Christian:
Hi! My name is
Christian—Joe Christian.
Joe: (extending
his hand) Well, what do you know; I’m Joe, too. Joe
Mason.
Mr.
Christian:
(warmly
shaking Joe’s hand) Good to meet you, Joe. You can’t keep from
being a good Joe with a name like that, the same as
mine.
Joe: You
know, you must be new around
here.
Mr.
Christian:
You’re
very observant, Joe.
Joe: Excuse
me, but I think that would be obvious to most people around
here.
Mr.
Christian:
Oh?
Joe: No
offense, but strangers leave other people alone here in the
big city. You
rarely see two people speaking to each other unless they’re
family or previously acquainted or they're just plain con
guys, but they go for obvious new comers to this area. Then, your accent
isn’t… Well, your grammar’s OK, but you just aren’t from this
area, are you?
Mr.
Christian:
You’re
right. I’m really
from the South—Georgia, to be
exact.
Joe: Not
surprising. But
that’s to your credit.
Years ago my wife and I drove through
Georgia on our
way to Florida. Some of the nicest
people I’ve ever met were from that
state.
Mr.
Christian:
Stop me
if I’m prying too much, but how’d your wife feel about
Georgia?
Joe: Funny
that you would ask.
My wife was born in
Georgia. When she was
only eight years old, her family moved to
Florida, but
what memories she had of
Georgia were
fond memories. Anyway, when we both
went through Georgia
together, we were attending the funeral of her mother in
Florida. Since her father
passed away when she was only ten years of age, her mother was
the last living relative—and a very sad time for my dear
wife. She and her mother
were very close and it had been over a year since she had seen
her mother. She felt very guilty when she learned that
her mother had passed away. Yeah, Sarah never
recovered from her mother’s passing. I think that’s what
led to her stroke a couple of years ago. She wasn’t around long
after the stroke.
Mr.
Christian:
I don’t
want to sound insensitive, but do you have the peace of
knowing she is now with the Lord?
Joe: Oh, I personally don’t
put too much stock in that, but she and I didn’t see eye to
eye on belief in God.
She claimed to have some sort of experience after we
married—and she attended and joined a church. If there’s a God, I
suppose you could say she’s in heaven, but, really, I just
don’t buy into that.
Maybe there could be something there, but then I’m not
convinced. I
mean, if there is a God, then why all the trouble, suffering
and even death in our world? It just doesn’t make
sense to me.
Mr.
Christian:
You
really miss your wife, don’t you? I sense the underlying
sadness as you speak of her. You must have had a
great struggle to accept her
departure.
Joe: (his
head dropping and his eyes glaring at the ground) She was all
I had—no children, nobody else with me—nothing, man,
nothing (a tear dropped
to the ground).
Mr.
Christian:
I
didn’t know your dear wife, but even so, I’m touched by your
grief. I know it
may seem difficult for you to understand, Joe, but I do
care. I really
do.
Joe: You’re
a nice man, Joe.
It’s good of you to try to understand. I appreciate that, but
no one could really know what it’s like for me.
Mr.
Christian:
You’re
absolutely right, Joe.
I don’t dare say that I can really know all you’ve gone
through with, but I do have a common ground to share in your
grief in a small measure. You see, about a month
ago I also lost my wife in an automobile accident. An intoxicated driver
slammed into her car head on.
Joe: Oh,
no! How shocking,
and here I have…
Mr.
Christian:
It’s
all right, Joe. I
am just identifying with you, and I want you to know that my
grief for you is
real.
Joe: But you
seem stronger than I.
I know you must be in an awful lot of pain yourself,
and here you are trying to comfort
me.
Mr.
Christian:
Oh, I
assure you that I loved and still do love and miss my sweet
Mildred very much, even though she is now with the Lord. That reality comforts
me. That’s part of the reason that I am now here
in New
York City.
Joe: Forgive
me, Joe, but I just can’t understand why you would be here so
soon after that tragedy.
Mr.
Christian:
Well,
it’s kind of a long story, Joe. You see, my dear wife
and I had decided to come here
to New
York together
before that accident.
We committed ourselves through our church to come with
a group to serve in mission work through a struggling church
in New
York. I’m merely keeping my
commitment to the Lord.
Joe: I must
admit that I cannot understand, but I do admire your
integrity, Joe.
Mr.
Christian:
I
really appreciate your willingness to share with me, my
friend. But I’m
also wondering something?
Joe: I’m
afraid that I have been too wrapped up in my own
problems. Yes, I
do want to hear what you have to
say.
Mr.
Christian:
I’m
wondering how you view the future. Where do you go from
here?
Joe: You
know, I’m retired, no job, no friends to speak of, no plans—I
guess you’d say that I’m really just living minute to minute,
not knowing nor caring what the future holds. I’m just merely
existing. Or
maybe, I’m just locked in the past, living in the misery of my
tragedy. I really
don’t know nor care all that much.
Mr.
Christian:
If I’m
not too nosy, how old are you,
Joe?
Joe: If I’m
around this coming Wednesday, I’ll turn
eighty-two.
Mr.
Christian:
Happy
birthday!
Joe: Thanks,
but it’ll be just another day tomorrow. No one to spend it
with, you know.
And at my age, I’ll do well just to be able to
rest. Really, not
that I don’t have loads and loads of time to do nothing but
rest—only… well,
I just wish I could rest when I’m doing
nothing.
Mr.
Christian:
Tell
me, how’s your health in general,
Joe?
Joe: Well,
you know, I’m no spring chicken. A little slow getting
up and a bit wobbly, slow and uncertain on my feet, but I
manage… Yeah, I
manage. Funny,
though. I don’t
think of that too much.
I just keep plugging away, just like it don’t really
make any difference anyway. Yeah, since Sarah left
me, it’s… it’s just kind of like a constant fog over me. I don’t really know
where I’m going—nor do I care. Not really. Maybe I’m like on a
train that goes on and on forever, just going nowhere.
Mr.
Christian:
So,
physically, you’re struggling, but making it, but your outlook
as a whole is dismal.
Right?
Joe: Well,
yeah… You might say so.
Mr.
Christian:
Joe,
what do you think could start changing things around for
you?
Joe: Well,
I’m not in need of money and I don’t put much stock in wealth
anyway. I’ve been
there and it leaves me high and dry. I’ve been married and
spent some good years with Sarah, but that was something of an
illusion, too. It
just all disappeared like some mirage on this desert of
life.
Mr.
Christian:
So,
you’re more or less imprisoned in circumstances which control
your outlook.
Have you ever considered what it would take to put you
in control of your own outlook, to break you free from the
dismal world you see all around
you?
Joe: Control? How I wish I could be
in control. If I
could have been in control, I would have never let my sweet
wife take her flight from my
life!
Mr.
Christian:
I am not going to say
this in an effort to place you on a guilt trip, but have you
considered that, while
you cannot be in control of your circumstances or what happens to you,
it is possible to assume control of the way in which you
respond to them and in some measure control your perspective
regarding circumstances?
Joe: I don’t
understand. No
matter how I respond, the events and circumstances would not change. And
my perspective is shaped by them.
Mr.
Christian:
You’re
absolutely right, but you could be
changed!
Joe: How
would my changing make any difference in my state or any
difference in what happens to me?
Mr.
Christian:
For one
thing, our meeting here together in this park has already in
some measure altered the course of your life by our
interaction with each other. This has taken the turn of
a daring journey in our lives.
Joe: How
so?
Mr.
Christian:
I would
definitely say to you that I
have found a new friend, and I would hope that you have
found in me at least someone you can relate to, someone who
expresses interest in you and who cares what happens to
you.
Joe: I do appreciate your
efforts, but as far as any real progress goes, I’m afraid I am
just a hopeless case.
You’re very kind and… Well, I’m just not
considering any friendship because of the risk and… Oh, I guess I am
trying to say if I have no real relationships, I won’t be let
down by any unforeseen loss.
Mr.
Christian:
I
perfectly understand, but could you allow me just one
pleasure?
Joe: I
suppose it will be the least I could do to show you my
gratitude.
Mr.
Christian:
How
about my wishing you a very happy birthday tomorrow by
inviting you out to lunch with me?
Joe: I… I…
uh… appreciate it, but…
Mr.
Christian:
I
certainly don’t wish to pressure you just for the sake of my
pleasure.
Joe: Oh,
no. It’s not
that, I’m just a little worry of cultivating close
relationships—not because of you, but because of me. I just can’t trust
myself. I mean, I
don’t want to be vulnerable to another fall… to losing all
over again.
Mr.
Christian:
Of
course, you’re just being honest and I do understand, but I
seek gently to encourage you, and I promise to place you under
absolutely no pressure.
After all, I’m asking you to pamper a young man and
make him feel that he is helping you enjoy your
birthday.
Joe: I guess
I’ll stick my neck out—just to show appreciation to you, mind
you.
Mr.
Christian:
Now, a
stranger who's been here less than a week wouldn’t know the
area well enough to pick a good place to have lunch. What would you
recommend?
Joe: In that
I’m an expert.
See that yellow post over there on the
corner?
Mr.
Christian:
You
mean the one just beyond that bin near the park
entrance?
Joe: That’s
right. Well, turn
to the right at the corner and the second door down is Ed’s,
only for all us who eat there, we call it Chamber of
Horror. Don’t ask
me how that name came about. It could be because
it’s a dull, run-down, dimly-lit hole-in-the-wall sort of
place. But it’s
clean and the food is out of this world. You’ll love it, but
you won’t pay an arm and a leg for it,
either.
Mr.
Christian:
Sounds
ideal to me. What
time?
Joe: Oh, if
you’ll meet me there, say, around 1:30, I
think we can try out the joint. By that time the place
will be less crowded.
Mr.
Christian:
Good
deal, Joe. See
you then.
The two newly acquainted men slowly
moved apart, each headed in opposite directions, each
obviously pondering the turn of
events.
The
next day around 1:20 in the
afternoon, Mr. Christian found himself seated at a dingy
little booth looking nervously through a newspaper as he
waited. After
awhile he glanced at his watch again. It was exactly
1:32, but
he smiled as though to dismiss the thought of any problem and
went immediately back to his newspaper. After finishing the
newspaper, he glanced once more at his watch and an uneasy
voice whispered, “1:44!”
Momentarily, he stood to his feet
and stepped toward the door, his eyes keenly fixed at the
entrance. Then
his countenance brightened as the doorway darkened with the
figure of a man hobbling through.
Joe: I apologize, Joe. Really,
I…
Mr.
Christian:
No need to make an issue over it, my
friend. You’re in
the neighborhood of the
time.
Joe: But…
Mr.
Christian:
Come on.
Let’s be seated and order. You look
pale.
Joe: Please, Mr. Christian, what I’m trying to say is
that I pride myself on punctuality, but I had a mishap this
morning as I was preparing to
leave.
Mr.
Christian:
Oh, an accident? Are you seriously
injured? I’ll get
you to the hospital!
Joe: No, I’ll be all right. Honestly. I just conked out for
awhile as I was trying to dress. I sometimes have these
blackouts, but I am on
medication.
Mr.
Christian:
Your heart?
Joe: Honestly, I’ll be OK. I took my medication
before I left.
Mr.
Christian:
Are you
sure?
Joe: Quite so.
Now, if you don’t mind, let’s go ahead and place our
orders before I really pass out from
hunger.
The two men finally placed their
orders.
Momentarily, they casually began to eat. Growing interest,
curiosity and an obvious warm sense of truly caring for each
other caused them to ramble through various fact gathering
details about each other’s background and experiences, Mr.
Christian enthusiastically doing much of the probing.
Some things, however, appeared to
be especially difficult or somewhat awkward for Joe to
divulge. While he
had little difficulty relating his former occupational
details, his stammering revealed some reticence to dwell on
personal matters that would tend to be boastful achievements
for many people.
Some of these facts in which Mr. Christian appeared to
show special interest revealed Joe to have owned controlling
stock in a sizable and profitable corporation in which he
finally served as executive president. However, he
retired at age seventy and from there did some travel
with his late wife, Sarah, whom he had met at
a business convention in Florida
while in his early twenties. In a couple of years from
that point the two of them married, but
were never able to have children. After that retirement
from his occupation, he and his wife
toured such places as Europe, Japan and most states of the
United States and a number of other places. While with
his wife until her death, they had lived in a very
eloquent dwelling in an affluent neighborhood. Following
his wife's departure, however, Joe moved to a very modest apartment where he has continued to live
ever since. That apartment, Joe indicated, was only five
blocks north from where they were eating and situated in
a very old, rundown section of the city. Yet,
Joe loved it there, for it was within walking distance of most
places he needed for shopping, banking, etc.
Even so, Joe did concede that he lived under a cloud,
never able to adjust to his wife’s absence, never cultivating
real friendship with anyone, though he did have a few casual
acquaintances.
But now they had come to the point where conclusions
became the expectation as Mr. Christian apparently felt that
he had an appropriate introduction as he handed Joe a
gift-wrapped package.
Mr.
Christian:
Here, Joe.
Just a little something for you to remember me
by.
Joe: But… But you have already treated me! That was my birthday
gift, wasn’t it?
Mr.
Christian:
Of course, Joe, but that wasn’t all. For someone special,
as I do consider you to be since I have come to know you
better in such short time, I wanted to do something to assure
you wouldn’t ever completely forget
me.
Joe: Not you, Joe. You have opened your
heart to a stranger like me so that I’m beginning to feel that
I have always known you.
I greatly appreciate your kindness.
Really.
Mr.
Christian:
I do have one suggestion about this gift, if I
may. Would you
take it home with you before you open it? You may find it
something you’ll never want to use, but if you’ll just keep it
somewhere so that you could look at it once in awhile to say
to yourself this is
what my friend, Joe, gave
me.
Joe: I don’t know what to say. But of course I’ll
respect your wishes.
Thanks, Joe.
Thank you very
much.
Mr.
Christian:
Oh, yes, and one more thing. While I’m here in this
city for only a few weeks, wonder if we might see each other
once or twice a week.
Joe: By now you know me, Joe. I have no certain
schedule. If you
want to set a time you can be available, just give me the day,
the time and the place.
Mr.
Christian:
Well, the rest of this week I’m pretty well tied
up, but Tuesdays and sometimes Thursdays are open. If it’s OK with you,
suppose we say next Tuesday for lunch right here at the same
time we met today?
Joe: I’ll agree to that if you’ll let me do the
treating.
Be that as it may, a week can change things in more
ways than one.
This quickly became evident during the next meeting
when Joe spoke up,
Joe: I’m going to be perfectly frank and candid with
you, Joe. That
gift you presented to me threw me into shock when I first
opened it.
Really, I… Well, I felt betrayed. I felt used, as though
you were trying to force your values down my
throat.
Mr.
Christian:
I assure you, my friend, my intentions were
fully above board.
I wanted to give you something which reflected my true nature, not
try to conform to another set of values which would make me a
hypocrite.
I…
Joe: Just a moment, Joe. I really started out
that way because the Bible you gave me also linked me to a
sense of guilt.
You see, when my dear wife passed on, among her
possession I gave away was her cherished treasure, a greatly
worn Bible. At
that time it represented a kind of god who took my dear
treasure, my Sarah, from me. I wanted no linkage to
that sort of god.
Mr.
Christian:
I understand. Believe me, I do. You reacted out of
deep hurt.
Joe: Just a moment, my good friend. That’s only the
start. That night
I struggled and struggled with sleeplessness. Finally, I fell
asleep—or thought I did.
I’m not really sure, because as realistically as I can
see you, I looked at a figure near my bed. It… It… uh… was my
dear wife, with a sweet, radiant smile on her face, very
bright face, like some glow emitting from her. And… And she was
pointing. Her
finger pointed directly to the Bible, but as I turned to look
at the Bible, she vanished. Just like that
(Joe snaps his fingers).
Ever since that, I have been pondering the significance
of that dream, or whatever it
was.
Mr.
Christian:
So, you must feel it has some meaning beyond the
mere event, right?
Joe: I don’t really know, Joe, but I do have this
deep sense of peace within my heart every time I think there
could be something much deeper than the occurrence, like my
wife calls from the grave trying to show me another way to
find the meaning of life
itself.
Mr.
Christian:
As I see it, Joe, my friend, you have felt
trapped in this prison of mere existence. Now, you have caught a
glimpse of real liberation from that prison you find yourself
in. Am I
right?
Joe: (wiping a tear from his cheek and with a
trembling voice) I… I just can’t remain the same, Joe. I need a different
course.
Mr.
Christian:
As we
normally experience it, life often throws us curves. It’s unfair and
sometimes very cruel.
But there’s much more to life than existence, more than
all the hardships, frustrations and loneliness. We do not find lasting
solutions in wealth, prestige, friendships or anything
inherent within what we refer to as the natural
order.
Joe: How well I know, but there’s another factor I
haven’t mentioned to you—and I hesitate even to do so. But I gotta know if
someway, somehow it’s related to my vision—or hallucination—or
dream or whatever
it was. You
recall last time we met and I was late because of a
blackout? Well, I
didn’t go into details regarding my ailment. You see, doctors have
discovered a small tumor—benign, but critically located and
life threatening.
Well, I’ve been on a treatment regimen that has
successfully put the tumor into remission. Possibly, it has even
shrunk a bit.
Surgery would be too risky and is out of the question,
except as a last resort.
Mr.
Christian:
And you’re wondering whether your experience had
any reflection of reality whatsoever.
Right?
Joe: Truth is, I’d very much like to believe it was
real, but how can I know.
Mr.
Christian:
Joe, why would it really be crucial that you
know for certain.
Let’s just say hypothetically that the natural order
can be all there is.
Suppose we conjecture that the supernatural simply
arises from imagination.
Of course, I don’t believe that is true. There’s compelling
evidence that such belief is false, but if it were true, what
difference would it make if people believe in the
supernatural. The
end would be the same irrespective what they believe or don’t
believe.
Joe: You know, I’d never thought of it that way, but
you make good sense.
Mr.
Christian:
All any of us can do is to get beyond ourselves,
our little
box we call our world and acknowledge the
resonance with the eternal. I’m not going to push
you, Joe. Lord
only knows what struggles you’ve already been through, but I
can share where I am with you without bombarding you with
pressures to act.
But the Bible has been my security. It’s a book of the
supernatural and it rings true. It speaks to me on the
deepest level and brings me into oneness with the Author, God
Himself. Joe, I
personally find my fulfillment and delight in the great God of
the universe, that same God Who brought me through tragedies,
tragedies like the horrible loss of my wife and the loss of my
parents. But
really, I haven’t lost my wife or my parents;
they’ve only preceded me into the glorious presence of the
King of kings and Lord of lords!
Joe: Great!
It’s a miracle, I mean a real miracle that you
mentioned the Bible in that context. You see I… I…
(Joe paused, his lips and
chin trembling uncontrollably with the heaviness of his
emotions) started reading that
Book. I started
last night, and… and you gave me the perfect Bible—a study
Bible. It’s… It’s
just overwhelming!
Joe… Joe, I’m ready. I want to know your
God!
(Then another pause
as Joe leaned over the table, his face buried in his hands as
he sobbed freely).
Mr.
Christian:
(moving
to Joe’s side, placing his right hand on Joe’s shoulder and
drying tears from his own eyes with his left hand) God loves
you, my friend.
He wants to draw you to Himself and embrace you in His
love. He made
every provision for you on the Cross and conquered death, hell
and the grave that you may escape those tragedies. He cleansed all your
sins and cleared all your debts at Calvary.
You can repent and accept what
He did for you!
That memorial day in the life of the two men, Mr.
Christian spent several minutes discussing the nature of
Salvation and the
relationship aspects that brought oneness with God. Mr. Christian claimed
a new brother that day.
Time revealed the degree of commitment and absolute
seriousness Joe demonstrated. He quickly prepared
himself, constantly reading and studying the Scriptures while
sharing Christ with everyone he came into contact with. Not only that, but he
gave himself to mission work and strengthened the weak church
Mr. Christian had worked with. Joe even liquidated
his investments and helped people in the ghettoes or depressed
areas, and even supported a broad range of missions and
ministries.
Joe continued as long as his health permitted him, but
after about a year he struggled more and more to keep pace
with his self-imposed schedules. However, after that
time someone discovered him unconscious in his two room
apartment. He was
rushed to the hospital where he regained consciousness and
witnessed to doctors and nurses, seriously impacting everyone
with the power of the gospel. But his tumor had
taken its toll and Joe finally succumbed and went home to be
with the Lord.
Mr. Christian did correspond with Joe frequently and
sometimes called him.
In sharing his story he expressed his confidence that
he would one day meet Joe in the
hereafter.
Although this account is
fictitious, the witnessing principles find fairly common usage
among Christian groups and are based to some degree on actual
approaches observed from time to time.
However,
having noted this approach, we should be sensitive to the
leadership of the Holy Spirit, as was Mr. Christian, and never
hesitate to establish a relationship under the Spirit’s
prompting to plant the seed whether the person responds or
not. The seed may
take time to germinate and sprout, but not in every case will
it bear fruit.
Some people never wholly respond, as in the case of the
parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-9).
Also, as
Christ did with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:4-30)
when Jesus started with her interest in securing water by
asking her for a drink for Himself, so Mr. Christian began
with Joe where he found himself and through conversation
learned Joe’s interests (or lack of interest) that influenced
his outlook on life.
Mr. Christian built upon the mindset of Joe to broaden
his understanding and establish a solid
relationship.
Whatever else
may be pursued in seeking to be effective soul winners, the
Bible provides us profound insights into the scope and method
of witnessing.
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