Dear Friends,
Augustine was right
when he said, "Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee,
O Lord."
Pascal said it this way: "There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man that cannot be satisfied
by anything but God."
Suppose you go to the
Ford dealership today and see the new Ford Explorers all lined up gleaming in
the sun. You can open the door of one, take your seat behind the wheel, shift
the gears, and pump the brake, but you won't go anywhere because there's a hole
in the car that must be filled. It's called the ignition. Is the Ford
dealership mean to put those cars out on the lot with holes in them?
No, they simply want a
relationship with you. The hole in the car keeps you from cruising away because
they want you to come into their showroom and to sit across the table from
them. So, they can draw up papers for you to sign. New Testament Application
Bible, John Courson, p. 1568
Our God has created a
hole in our hearts, and our life won't work the way it was intended to unless
that hole is filled with Jesus. He wants a relationship with us. He wants to
fill the void in our life with His love.
Yesterday in church I
had the joy and privilege of praying with a high school student who wanted to
fill the hole in his heart. He had recognized that there was something
missing in his life, and he wanted to fill it, so he let Jesus into his
life and now his life is forever changed.
As I prayed for him, I
reminded him that what he had received was meant to be shared with others.
especially those on his school campus.
The Apostle Peter
exhorts us as followers of Christ, "To be ready to give an answer
when someone asks you about your hope. Give a kind and respectful answer and
keep your conscience clear" (1 Peter 3:15, The Promise Bible).
Although my friend was
only minutes into his new life in Christ, and he did know a lot of scriptures,
or possess any real experience in sharing his faith, he was still well equipped
to do so.
Like the blind man who
met Jesus, and suddenly received more than just his sight, he too had a message
to share with any doubters who might question his experience, "I once was
blind but now I see."
I once was empty,
lonely, guilty, addicted, selfish, but now I 'see.'
I am changed; I'm a
new and I'm a different person, for the old man has passed away and the new has
come. (2 Cor. 5:17).
We may feel inadequate
when it comes to sharing our faith. We don't know a lot of scripture or possess
a lot of witnessing experience, but the one thing we do have is a personal
testimony of the difference Christ has made in our life.
A changed life is the greatest
witnessing tool we could ever possess.
Each believer's
testimony will be different for each one who accepts Jesus is different, but
the message always remains the same: "I once was blind and now I
see."
You may not be able to
defend your salvation experience intellectually or express it theologically,
but the changed life you now possess in Jesus cannot be argued or refuted.
You are changed, and
you now have a wonderful story to tell of the One who transformed your life.
It's called your personal testimony.
What I said to the
young high school student is what I would say to you. You are called to be a
witness, and to share your faith with others, and the most important witnessing
tool you possess is your testimony that points to the source of that change: the
saving work of Jesus.
One believer described
evangelism in very simple terms. It's just "one beggar telling another
beggar where to find bread," and anyone can share that story.
Don't ever think you
are off the hook when it comes to sharing your faith with others. If you have
met Jesus, and He has changed your life, you have a testimony, and if you have
a testimony, you have a "reason," and yes, and obligation "to
share the hope that is within you."
It is sad but true
that "At the end of the day, the biggest obstacle to evangelism is
Christians who don't share the gospel" Albert Mohler.
Yours in faith and
friendship,
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