I don't believe anyone has ever been convinced to join the kingdom of God. Maybe some have been scared into it by the thought of an eternal hell. There is really no way for me to know, but I can share with you what I do know.
When I was 13 years old, I first got a glimpse of who Jesus is. I was saddened over my choices as a young teenager and took a week of my summer to attend a Christian camp with a friend. It was the first time I remember asking for forgiveness. I knew I needed it. I came home from that camp with a changed heart and a changed mind. My sister was frustrated by my disapproval of certain television shows. She felt the need to inform me that my passion for Jesus would soon fade. Sadly, she was right.
I lived a life of constant struggle. In my heart I knew what I believed and I knew I was making terrible choices. But I couldn't stop. I now realize that I couldn't stop because I was trying to do it on my own. Again, I was disappointed with myself. I did ask for forgiveness and I started over. Again, and again, and again. Paul is no stranger to this internal struggle that he describes in Romans 7:15.
Thankfully, my life did change. But it didn't change without devastating heart break. Just a couple of years ago, I stopped being saddened and disappointed by my sin. I reached a point of grieving over it. I began to be sickened by the mistakes that I had made, and I finally admitted that there is nothing I can do to overcome it. The turning point for me was seeing the truth that by trying to do it alone, I am living a life that claims Jesus wasn't enough. Only Jesus can overcome, and He already has.
Jesus was very clear in his communication with others that they aren't expected to clean up before approaching him. It is only after they come into contact with Jesus that they clearly understand how filthy they are. The same can be said of me, you, and every other person with which we come into contact.
When we are trying to share the hope and love of Jesus Christ, our message should not be "you are sinning. Come to Jesus." It should be the complete opposite. We should reach out with the love of Christ and invite others to come to Jesus as they are. Come saddened, broken, unloved, hateful, prideful, judgmental, entitled... just come. It is not until we are in the light that we realize how dark it was.
On the cross Jesus shouted "Tetelestai!" Literally it is translated "it is finished." It also was a term that was stamped on legal documents to denote that the debt had been paid. The term was put on a prisoner's file after he had served his time. It's incredibly amazing to see how Jesus used this word to encompass all He did for us. But it is meaningless to somebody who doesn't know they have a debt that needs to be paid. Someone who believes they have no prison time to serve, can't appreciate that someone else has served the time for them.
It is absolutely not our place to inform others of what debt they need to pay. We are not the debt collectors. We can only show them the love of the one who is and pray that they will meet Him.
No comments :
Post a Comment