Reality CheckSample

Paul has quite an interesting conversion story. Once persecuting the church, going from town to town to throw Christians in prison, he now writes letters of Christ-glorifying truth to churches that he helped plant through the preaching of the Word. What can cause a church-hating man to change so drastically? Paul was once dead in sin, and now he is alive in Christ, and he is compelled by the life-changing love of Christ to share this good news with everyone.

When we are saved by the Gospel message we are no longer living a reality of “me-first.” The unholy trinity sitting on the throne of our lives, “Me, myself, and I”, is replaced by God the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. God now sends us out and empowers us to live for Him by loving others. This love involves building relationships and sharing God’s message of hope with them, even when it’s difficult. We can suffer for the glory of God through persecutions and rejection, because we know that anything that comes our way is filtered through the hands of a sovereign and loving God.

Sometimes God might take you into the nations, sometimes He might keep you in your neighbourhood. Wheresoever He may lead us, He empowers us by the Holy Spirit that “mightily works within us” to share the good news with those around us. Some will reject it, that’s between them and God, and some will accept it, and we will rejoice with them when that happens. We aren’t expected to change hearts, but to love boundlessly and live boldly in proclaiming the live-saving message of the Gospel! 

Application: Who are you going to interact with today/tomorrow, or how can you go out and intentionally interact with someone? Sharing the Gospel looks different in different situations. Sometimes it’s asking someone a direct question about what they believe about God, other times it involves building relationship first. Pray that the Holy Spirit leads you in all wisdom.