September 05, 2003
Persuasion
I'm reminded that part of our purpose, destiny, calling, obedience is to persuade people to be reconciled to God. Does this mean it's our job to talk people into the Kingdom? I hardly think the text says that. Does it say we never have to talk about the Gospel to other people? I don't think it says that, either.
"Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men... For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died... So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view... All this is from God, who reconcilded us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God."
My understanding of Scripture tells me this: God has given us the job (which is a privilege) of persuading people to understand and put into action (relationship) the reconciliation between God and each person. I think the admonition to not "regard anyone from a worldly point of view" partly means not to think that we who believe are better than anyone else. Only pride and arrogance would try to set ourselves up over anyone else (but oh how we like to indulge this tendency, huh?). We cannot force someone to believe. I think that God has given us free will and a choice of whether or not to follow Him. Think back to when you made that choice. What were the factors that gave you the confidence, urgency, or compulsion to believe in God's great act of redemption? I doubt anyone forced you to believe or made you feel like an idiot or a second-class citizen if you didn't believe. Remember that. This can be a lesson in how we try to "persuade" people to be reconciled to God. If we can relax a little bit and remember that God does the work, with the Bible seemingly making it clear that He wants us to instigate the process by appealing to people, maybe it'll happen more often in our lives. Does this mean we have to "witness" to everyone who crosses our path? Hardly. It's possible, but it's more likely that if we submit to God's guidance and ask for His direction, that He will actually step into our lives and orchestrate some seemingly "chance" encounters and situations that'll make it "easy." Sometimes we need to be encouraged to do more activity. There's probably a line someplace where this encouragement is good and necessary and where it can become "guilt." I say "relax, but don't go to sleep."
Some of us argue better or talk more eloquently than others. If I'm not gifted with my tongue, I probably still have the ability to be an incredible friend to others. Sometimes little gestures speak volumes. Sometimes blogs become places of rant, where magazine editors start typing away and...
And then they realize they should stop.
Went to see Type O Negative last night. Was so looking forward to seeing this amazing and original band, but my name wasn't on the guest list as I was told. Drag. I always think it looks bad for someone who's supposed to be on a guest list to throw a fit and make sure everyone around them knows they're important and yada yada, so I took the polite approach, thanked the ticket taker for checking. He told me I was the fifth person that this happened to. I waited around, heard some great sounds from around the corner and outside the backstage door (this band has an amazing sound), and asked a couple more times if any changes to the guest list were made (as if the road manager would remember and come out and add those names to the list), but it wasn't to be. I got to see the end of a well played game between the Jets and Skins on some very large screens in the gameroom side of the club, talk to a couple friends, and leave.
Have a great weekend.
