What is one thing you can’t do in heaven?
That’s the name of the book I gave Zack, about 45, after an
outreach conversation. Zack had told me
of his faith in Jesus for salvation and interest in sharing the Gospel. The book tells how in heaven we will no
longer be able to share the Gospel with unbelievers, since they won’t be there
with us in heaven. It is written by Mark
Cahill, and he gives very practical and biblical advice on how we can reach out
to unsaved people here, now, while we still can.
But there is something else we really can’t do in heaven.
It was what I was trying to do with Zack – to encourage
fellow believers to share the Gospel themselves and give practical advice on
how to do so. Oh, we will be able to
fellowship and worship with fellow believers in heaven, but it will be too late
to help them be the witnesses for Christ we are called on this earth to be.
Zack works at a police station and has daily interactions
and time with people who have been placed under arrest and are about to be moved
to the county jail. They are at a crisis
point in their lives, and God often has their attention. I asked how he would share the Gospel in a situation like
this. Zack finds it difficult to
articulate his faith and said he would basically tell people they need to go to
church and read the Bible. Fortunately,
the prisoners he talks to will have a prison chaplain and Bibles available, and
plenty of time on their hands to do some reflective thinking, so this might
just be some very timely advice that he gives them.
But I believe God calls us to so much more than that. In addition to an invitation to church and
the word, we have opportunities to bring the good news of Jesus to people right
where there are. But what if they aren’t
interested?
God gives us a way to capture people’s attention, much like
those placed under arrest that Zack deals with.
Romans 3 tells us “Now we
know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so
that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.” Everyone is under God’s law, either
specifically through their exposure to God’s Word such as the Ten Commandments,
or generally through the conscience, which is described as God’s law written on
the heart.
How can people be quiet enough to listen to the Gospel? By exposure to God’s law which has a tendency
to silence excuses and capture the attention of a distracted world when held
accountable to God.
Romans 3 continues by telling us that “Therefore no one will
be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through
the law we become conscious of our sin.”
The purpose of the law in evangelism is to show people their need for
the Savior, the bad news of condemnation which helps give an appreciation for
the good news of salvation.
Let’s share that good news this side of heaven, while we
can!
PS = “Sit in” on my conversation with Zack, click HERE
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