The
biggest temptation for church and non-churched people alike is to trust in our
own goodness and good deeds rather than trusting in Jesus for salvation. So does that mean our good deeds aren’t
important? A man named Sergio struggled
with that as I reached out to him in the friendly confines of a Menards
store. Sergio said he believes people “need
to be right with God” in order to go to heaven, so I said “That’s just what the
Bible says! It’s called righteousness –
a right relationship with God – and most people think that they can somehow do
enough good deeds in order to be righteous.”
Sergio responded “No way, you can’t pay your way into heaven, you have
to earn it” I could see Sergio was a
little confused – he knew superficial religious deeds can’t be used to “pay”
for heaven, and some earlier statements he made led me to believe he realized
our good deeds are an important part of repentance, but somehow he believe it
must be “earned” – as if that is different than “paying for it”. This was a great time to tell Sergio that
salvation wasn’t free – it did have to be “earned” – but that Jesus is the one
who paid for it on our behalf. This is a
free gift (is there a such thing as a gift that is not free?) and it need only
be received. So what about our good
deeds, are they not important? I try to
help people like Sergio see that the order of things is what is important – our
good deeds can’t save us, but they are a sign that we have been saved. The best way to respond to the love of Jesus
for us on the cross is with good deeds, because Jesus said “If you love me,
keep my commands.” (John 15) We love
because he first loved us.
A man named Sergio, 30, heavily
decorated with tattoos and body piercings, was stretching out after a jog at
the park when I walked over to ask him about his spiritual beliefs.“I think we just die and that’s it” he
said.“God and religion are just man’s
attempt to control others”.However, he
did talk about other things that make him think there might just be a spiritual
dimension to life – UFO’s, ghosts, and a strong sense of déjà vu.Sergio had grown up Catholic but as we talked
it became clear that he really didn’t have a strong understanding of Christianity
– so I asked if he would like me to explain it to him.“I realize the Christian faith can seem
rather strange to someone looking at it from the outside.Why would people worship a man condemned to
die 2000 years ago and dying on a cross?What’s it all about?” I asked.He
really had no idea and welcomed my explanation with the understanding that he
didn’t necessarily buy into it but just wanted to understand it.As I explained the Gospel Sergio was very
much in agreement – about his sin, his guilt before God and the just punishment
he deserved. He acknowledged that if Jesus was indeed the Son of God who was
crucified for our sins, He would deserve our repentance, allegiance, and total trust.I don’t believe Sergio was just agreeing
mindlessly; intellectually I think he truly agreed with every point I was
making. Where should I go from here? I know many Christians and churches would at
this point press Sergio for a decision for Christ to the point of having him
repeat a prayer for salvation.But just
because someone agrees with the individual parts doesn’t mean they will put it
all together and see the big picture.Repeating
a prayer for salvation that one really doesn’t understand could easily result
in faith in the prayer itself rather than in the One prayed to.I’ve met far too many people on the streets
who believe they are saved because at one point in their life they “prayed a
prayer”, but when I ask them they no longer remember what prayer was about!It can become no more than a sort of magic
spell, a religious ritual rather than a relationship. The well-meaning Christians who have them
repeat the prayer become guilty of giving false assurance of salvation.The false convert, not having been born
again, has no reason to want to grow and follow God further but every reason to
become complacent about their eternal fate.At the beginning of our conversation, Sergio had said he didn’t even
believe in God.We had covered a lot of
ground in 45 minutes, but still I felt he couldn’t see the forest for the
trees.He accepted what I was saying
intellectually but I saw no heartfelt conviction.He hadn’t had time to process it. Toward the end I could see he was trying to do
just that; he said a couple times “You’ve given me a lot to think about!”Where should I go from here?I agonize over how to end conversations like
this.Because there are too many false
converts, complacent because they have at one time been falsely assured of
salvation, I err on the side of caution.
10/2/14 Sergio about 30
Sometimes I try to sow seeds of doubt rather than hope! Why? Because some people have hope, lots of hope, but a false hope that can only distract them from the real thing. They won’t place their hope where they should because they see no need to. This is why I spent time today at Home Depot talking with Sergio, a Jehovah’s Witness. Sergio actively makes witnessing house calls as JW’s do, so he was used to talking about his beliefs. Our conversation was friendly enough, so I got right to the point: “I’m sure you know the basic differences between Christians and Jehovah’s Witnesses. We believe Jesus is God’s Son, Creator, not creation, but you believe He is just an angel – Michael the Archangel, in his earthly form.” Sergio agreed so I continued. “But if Jesus is just an angel, He wouldn’t be a worthy sacrifice for our sins against an infinitely holy God. Hebrews says “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” This is because they are only created beings, and would be an unworthy sacrifice for our sins against an infinitely worthy Creator.” This is why JW’s believe Jesus death isn’t enough, that to be forgiven they must add to it with good deeds like witnessing door to door. One is rewarded for a combination of belief in Jesus and a lifetime of service, rather than being saved through faith alone, so I challenged Sergio with this question: “If I had a knife in my back with just minutes to live, and I asked you how I could be saved, what would you say? At this point Sergio began saying that we need to meet and go through the Bible together – because he had no answer – no hope – for someone with only minutes to live. My prayer is that I have helped raise some doubts in Sergio that he has any true hope at all, because only by losing that false hope can gain the true hope that is Jesus alone.
"What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade." -Luke 17
7/15/09 Steve about 55 At our neighborhood weight room this morning I ran into Steve, who I have heard a lot about but never actually met in the 20 years I’ve lived here. Steve is a renovator and landlord, and people have told me “he owns half the neighborhood”. I figured now is my chance, since I probably won’t run into him for another 20 years, so after talking a while I told him I had a question he probably never expected to get asked while lifting weights. “What do you think happens to us after this life?” He told me he used to be a very devout Catholic, but said “I got tired of hearing the same sermons over and over. They all sounded the same.” He now believes that God is like an energy source, and our souls are energy and will join in with all energy when we die. I reminded him that the Bible teaches there is a day when we must give account to God, who has revealed the standard by which he will judge us in the Bible. Steve nervously said he needed to get back to his weights. In hindsight, a simple question – “What if the Bible IS true – how would you be judged?” has often helped conversations at this point. I don’t know why I didn’t think to ask it today. Maybe we will meet again sooner than in 20 years, and can continue to talk.
7/16/09 Nick about 25 There are opportunities for evangelism all around us. At Home Depot today I gave a million dollar track to a fellow shopper. Nick said “I had one of these on the wall at my store in New York.” “Did you read the back?” I asked. He hadn’t, so I proceeded to explain the message about our inability to be good enough to earn heaven because we have broken God’s laws. Nick agreed that on judgment day he would be found guilty of breaking God’s commandments, but felt that he would be forgiven if he confessed his sins everyday. I explained that a good judge doesn’t allow crime to go unpunished and neither does God. Sin has a tremendous price, which we can’t afford to pay, but fortunately God paid it himself through Jesus on the cross. Nick agreed to all this, and seemed to respond most to the analogy about the parachute – believing in a parachute won’t save you unless you put it on, and in the same way, many who say they “believe” in Jesus Christ haven’t really “put Him on” in their life. Those who really do trust in Jesus will be changed by Him. Nick was thankful for the conversation and will hopefully read the info I gave him.
7/17/09 Paul about 70 In the parking lot as I left Target I gave an elderly man named Paul a million dollar tract with a caricature of Barack Obama on the front. That was a mistake. Paul is very bitter toward Obama and his policies and he let me know it. When I finally got a word in edgewise to let him know that the tract wasn’t political but had a question on the back about eternity, he seemed apologetic, but not for long as he complained about the church and problems with priests. He agreed that we would all stand before God on judgment day, but as I asked how he felt he would be judged he changed the subject again to talk about declining morals in our society. Try as I might, Paul clearly wanted to blame others for everything he was unhappy about. His heart has clearly become calloused as I was reminded of in Ephesians 4: “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.” Please pray for Paul, that God will soften his heart.
7/18/09 Sergio, 24 Coming down the sidewalk was a heavy-set young man with his pit bull. I asked him if I could ask an interesting question, which he agreed to. After befriending his dog, Thumper, I asked him what he thought was on the other side after this life. Sergio had been baptized in a Catholic Church and received his first communion, but said he had stopped believing in God during high school. He believes in a “higher power” but not a God with a personality as described in the Bible. Nonetheless, I asked him how he would be judged if God and judgment day DID exist. This helped to circumvent an argument about God’s existence and instead our conversation focused on the possibility of Sergio being held accountable for his attitudes and actions toward God. Sergio said that he works as a nurse and that God would say he is a good, but not perfect person. Through a long conversation he saw that our good deeds are rightfully expected of us, and our guilt for breaking God’s commandments won’t go away simply because we confess them. God’s justice requires a penalty for sin, and Sergio began to understand what Jesus has done on the cross for us. I didn’t sense heartfelt conviction, but I believe I saw the light of understanding on his face as we parted ways.
7/19/09 Two Lawyers about 30 I live near Cellular Field, and during today’s White Sox game I went to talk to people who were in the smoking area – an area outside the stadium enclosed by a low fence. I gave out “celebrity million” gospel tracts which have a movie star caricature on the front and make great souvenirs. This helped start a conversation with two ladies, one Methodist and one Catholic who asked “Are you one of those ‘born-again’ Christians?” I asked what the term meant to her and she said she knew people who said they were “born-again”, including an old boyfriend who lied, cheated, got drunk and abusive, etc. yet said they were going to heaven because they had prayed and accepted Jesus when they were young. She thought they were hypocrites and I agreed because that’s not what Jesus taught his followers to do. The Methodist woman was very proud of her welcoming attitude towards gays, believing herself to be a much better person than “those evangelicals” because of her “enlightened” beliefs that the Bible had not been translated accurately. I tried to focus on our accountability to follow the Ten Commandments – for Romans 3 says that “through the law we become conscious of sin” - but they both maintained very pious and self-righteous attitudes. “You know, we’re both lawyers” they told me, expecting this to silence any disagreement as they left to see the game. “Law to the proud” applied to them, but not “grace to the humble”.
7/21/09 Hugh about 60 I’m on vacation at a Minnesota lake, and began a conversation with two men at the end of the dock. One quickly left, and I think I know why. His friend, Hugh, talks too much. I soon found out the hard way that he loves to tell long pointless stories. When I finally shifted the conversation to his spiritual beliefs, I heard his many theories about end times from Nostradamus to the Mayan calendar. He believes way too much of what he sees on the Discovery channel and, though he told me his wife is an evangelist, he disregards much of the Bible. He told me of searching for hidden messages and codes in the scriptures. I challenged him to try to follow the clear teachings of the Bible and he won’t have time to theorize about any hidden ones. This was a long conversation that was hard to keep on a spiritual track, because I may have spent too much time on informal chit-chat, giving him the impression that he had a listener for his opinions on any topic that struck his fancy. I’m reminded that, although it’s important to be a good listener, I must also provide leadership and direction in witnessing conversations; otherwise people go off on any one of a variety of tangents. Pray for Hugh and his “evangelist” wife. He said “She gave up trying to convert me a long time ago.”
7/22/09 Phil, Zach, and 3 friends - all about 20 At the gas station I walked over to a group of “muscle car” guys hanging out by their cars and gave them million dollar tracts. I pointed out the million dollar question on the back and asked them if they believed in eternal life. All did except Phil, who said it would be like before we were born – we wouldn’t exist. The rest said they would be in heaven. I asked them what would happen if, God forbid, they died today, but then they weren’t so sure. Apparently they trust they will be good enough later on in life to make up for the way they live now. One said he had gone to Catholic school and has heard it all before and wasn’t interested. For a while he kept trying to change the subject but Phil said he wanted to hear what the Bible said, because he had no church or Bible background. Zach, puffing his cigarette, said “I go to church and I believe in God and all that, but I don’t talk about it to others”. I said “It took me a long time to get bold enough to talk to complete strangers about God, but you have to start somewhere, so do you read the Bible?” He said he didn’t. Phil kept asking great questions and was obviously very interested, so I took him through the “good person test” about the Ten Commandments. In the end he could see he would be guilty on judgment day, and that Jesus had taken the punishment that he deserved. He was glad to get more info and thanked me sincerely for the conversation.
5/23/10 Sergio. about 40
I brought my son early to church this morning and had some extra time on my hands so I went out to see what sort of conversation the Lord would allow me to have. Half a block from church a middle aged Latino man seemed to be waiting for something on the corner, so I asked if he had a few minutes to answer a few questions. He did, and we went on to an interesting 20 minute conversation. Sergio grew up in a Catholic church but has long since stopped attending. A few months ago he had a conversation about God with a young lady who impressed him with her sincere faith. He has been reading the Bible she gave him and has attended a few more Bible-based churches and was impressed with the sincere worship he witnessed, yet the strange thing about him today is that although he said he believes in God, he doesn't believe there is life after death. Why? "Because there is no evidence of it." I pointed out that there is no direct "evidence" for God either, yet he believes in Him. This really seemed to get Sergio's attention, and he wanted to hear what the Bible has to say about eternal life. By the end of our conversation, Sergio was all smiles, thanking me for taking the time to talk and telling me he would read what I gave him. He was running late to meet someone and had to get going, and for me church was just starting.
5/2/10 Sergio, Cordell, 17
Two gangbangers, a wannabe friend and a girlfriend were sitting talking on a park bench, away from the distractions and drama of the street corners so I went over to find out about their beliefs. They all said they believe in God and were confident that they would go to heaven when they die - one because he is a good person, one because he prays and asks for forgiveness every night, and two said they say the rosary every night and don't really think that hell exists anyway. I told them that the Bible teaches there is a day of judgment after we die and we will be held accountable to God, and I challenged them to take my "good person test" to see how they'd do, which Sergio volunteered for. First I asked how many of the Ten Commandments he knew (2) and then just for fun I asked how many brands of beer he knew (13). Just asking about five of the Ten Commandments found Sergio to be a liar, thief, blasphemer, and a murderer and adulterer at heart. Is he guilty? "Yes". What would his punishment be? "I'd still go to heaven" By this time, two of the four had drifted away to answer cell calls or whatever, and Sergio and Cordell weren't quite sure what they should do with this adult who didn't water down the harsh truths of God's judgment. They said they needed to catch up with their friends. I wanted to run after them and tell them the good news of Jesus but they weren't ready to hear it.
11/29/10 Sergio (again) mid 40's
Today after work I stopped in a residential area for a walk, and came across a middle aged man doing push-ups and stretching out before a run. I congratulated him for his ambition and he brightened up, recognizing me. "I remember you! You're Jeff, right?" We had a conversation across the street from my church one Sunday morning, (5/23/10) but I had to admit I didn't remember him. I asked what impact our conversation had on him. He happily told how he is turning his life around. He had given up a drug habit for a gambling habit, but recently gave them both up and has been attending his Catholic church again. He told how happy his wife and kids have been with the changes he has made. As we talked further, however, I could see he is still in the trap of thinking he can earn a place in heaven through good works, and I realize he has basically repented of his sin without the flip side of the same coin - belief in Jesus unto salvation. Repentance and belief can't exist without each other so I did all I could to help Sergio realize what was missing. He promised he would read more carefully the booklet I had given him a few months ago and start reading his Bible. I was glad to see the progress in his life and it was good to run into someone I had talked to months before.
