Sharing the Good News!

What greater gift is there than the gift of salvation – eternal life with the Lord God Almighty through His Son Jesus Christ?

If you haven’t yet received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please skip this article and move right on over to the white box at right: “The Good News!”

If you have accepted the gift of salvation through Christ Jesus, then you well know that the Lord commissions us to in turn implore others to be reconciled to Him (2 Cor 5:18-21).

So we wanted to share with you two wonderful resources for sharing your faith. The first is the Pocket Testament. It’s the Book of John, pocket size, and includes a brief message about salvation. It’s an easy-to-use resource to spark a conversation about salvation with both acquaintances and strangers alike. And just as God’s grace is a free gift, so are the pocket testaments – they are free via online ordering.

Another great resource is Ray Comfort’s book “What Did Jesus Do?” – focusing on how Jesus and the apostles used the Law (Ten Commandments) as the starting point to convict men/women about the reality of sin in their own lives and God’s response to it as a Holy and Just God.

So why did Jesus and the apostles use the Law before sharing the message of salvation? The answer is simple … in order for people to rightly understand and respond to the Good News – to call on the Lord to be saved – people have to understand what they are being saved from!

Ask anyone if they think they are a good person and you will be hard-pressed to find a person who doesn’t respond with a “yes.” Most people do not understand sin and the fact that it separates mankind from God. Moreover, most people do not understand God is perfectly just and that He must therefore punish all sin. In other words, God doesn’t grade on a sliding scale, despite the fact that most people are deluded into thinking that he does (i.e. if they do more good than bad, they will go to Heaven).

A good analogy: Looking out the window of your house, you see that a neighbor’s home is on fire. You can see the flames engulfing their home. You know that if they do not get out of the house immediately they will die. Do you call them up and try to persuade them to come on over to your house because it’s more comfortable and enjoyable at your place? Or do you run to their house banging on their door to tell them that their house is on fire and they are going to die unless they get out. In which situation would they best understand their need to be saved, and therefore be more willing to receive it (salvation)?

If we as Christ’s ambassadors do not tell people that “their house is on fire” (they are under the wrath of God because of their sin) and instead spend all our time telling unbelievers about all of the perks of “coming over to our place” (i.e. the benefits of being a Christian), how will they see the fire looming before them and their dire need for salvation?

Ray’s message is a simple, yet profound summation of the numerous examples presented by Christ and the apostles throughout Scripture – “give grace to the humble” (share the Gospel message of salvation with those who are already convicted of sin) and “give the law to the proud” (first share God’s holy standard of righteousness with those who think they are “good,” imploring them to realize that their good deeds cannot reconcile them to God. Only then will the Good News have real personal meaning to them).

We hope these two resources will fill you with the knowledge and zeal to share the Good News with every person the Lord provides you with opportunity! (Romans 1:16)