7/4/12 Hugo
about 30
Initiating
a gospel conversation with an
approaching stranger is a lot like flagging down a motorist when you need
help. You smile and make eye contact
early, have the confidence that what you have to say is important, and get to
your point quickly when they stop. That's
what I did when I saw a man named Hugo approaching me on the sidewalk. "I wonder if you have time to answer a
few questions" I said. "Go ahead" "What do you think happens after this
life? What comes next after we
die?" This went on to a long
conversation in which I was able to use God's commandments to help Hugo see his
need for the forgiveness he may have in Christ.
To do this I asked how well he has kept a few specific commandments such
as not bearing false witness. "How many lies do you think you have told in
your life?" "Hundreds" "How
many lies does it take to be a liar?"
"One" "If you
never lied again, would you still be a liar?" I asked. At first he thought he would not, but then he
realized that his repentance wouldn't change the fact of his sin in the first
place. This last point proved to be
important later on, when I told Hugo about his need for repentance and faith in
Jesus. Like so many people, that part
about repentance was such a huge stumbling block that it kept him from seeing
his need for faith. It was then that I
said "Remember, even if you could repent and go the rest of your life and
never sin again, you have already agreed you are a liar and a thief, a
blasphemer and a murderer and adulterer at heart. Your repentance can't change that fact. God's justice requires a just penalty for your
sins, so repentance can't earn forgiveness.
You need faith in Jesus, that He took your punishment in your place. Repentance is just the sign that your faith
is real." I suppose I could have
made things a lot easier for Hugo and watered down that part about repentance. But Jesus never did, so neither should we.
No comments:
Post a Comment