Step 1 of Evangelism:
Remember where you came from
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:4-9 NASB)
One of the main reasons we're not compelled to reach out to others is that we're comfortable in our "new skin" and find ourselves either looking down on those still under deception or we simply look away.
In time we're boastful and "thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to," setting ourselves up to be brought low.
But God is gracious in that though it pains Him to watch us walk in the pride of "our own accomplishments," He is yet patient and kind. He will speak to our hearts about compassion and wait for a response. He will set opportunities before us to compel us and sit patiently by as we see...and walk by on the other side of the road. He may even so much as pour out His Spirit, capturing our hearts, as if audibly sharing wonderful deep truths of His grace and mercy over our own lives, only to watch it fade into the cold as we walk out the door.
But even a God as gracious as this will lovingly discipline His children in order to train us up in the way we should go...
"Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table.
And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.
Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner."
And Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he replied, "Say it, Teacher."
"A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both.
So which of them will love him more?" Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."
And He said to him, "You have judged correctly."
For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." (Luke 7:36-43,47 NASB)
Much better to humble yourself than to be humbled (let alone suffer public humiliation.)
Even Jesus' rebuke was done with loving intentions to open Simon's eyes. He didn't slap him on the wrist & say "forget it. You'll never get it..." Instead His hope still was to change his heart.
Remember where you came from.
Remember where you came from
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:4-9 NASB)
One of the main reasons we're not compelled to reach out to others is that we're comfortable in our "new skin" and find ourselves either looking down on those still under deception or we simply look away.
In time we're boastful and "thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to," setting ourselves up to be brought low.
But God is gracious in that though it pains Him to watch us walk in the pride of "our own accomplishments," He is yet patient and kind. He will speak to our hearts about compassion and wait for a response. He will set opportunities before us to compel us and sit patiently by as we see...and walk by on the other side of the road. He may even so much as pour out His Spirit, capturing our hearts, as if audibly sharing wonderful deep truths of His grace and mercy over our own lives, only to watch it fade into the cold as we walk out the door.
But even a God as gracious as this will lovingly discipline His children in order to train us up in the way we should go...
"Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table.
And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.
Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner."
And Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he replied, "Say it, Teacher."
"A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both.
So which of them will love him more?" Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."
And He said to him, "You have judged correctly."
For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." (Luke 7:36-43,47 NASB)
Much better to humble yourself than to be humbled (let alone suffer public humiliation.)
Even Jesus' rebuke was done with loving intentions to open Simon's eyes. He didn't slap him on the wrist & say "forget it. You'll never get it..." Instead His hope still was to change his heart.
Remember where you came from.
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