How do we bring the truth of God’s radical grace to the to the unsaved AND the saved?
Part 1.
Not only do we as Christian need to reach the lost for Christ but we also need to try to reach the religious with the message of grace. Too many born again believers think that we are extreme in what they like to call “hyper grace” theology. The command from Jesus found in Mark 16 tells each of us to “… Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” and the good news of that gospel is the truth that God no longer is holding our sins against us.
Certainly the result of Christ’s death and resurrection should be the focal point for all our evangelistic endeavors but in many ways and all too often a “do this” so God can “do that” methodology is followed.
As if the sinner's prayer only works through our good works.
Salvation becomes a “do” message rather than a “done” message, partly because we have such a hard time accepting the saturation of grace poured over us from the fountain at the cross. Instead we sit at the fountain at Bethesda waiting for another encounter with Jesus at our next revival meeting.
So… How do we reach others, the saved and unsaved, with the truth of God's amazing radical grace?
God is the initiator of salvation, not us. God devised the plan, God provided the sacrifice, God first loved us, God is the initiator of our salvation.
At the baptism of Jesus, John announces that one greater than he was coming, who would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and with fire. John clearly knew that Jesus was this coming one, the one greater than he. The Gospel of John tells us that John the Baptist was told that the one on whom the Spirit would descend would be the one who would baptize people with the Holy Spirit--He would be the Son of God; He would be the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world John 1:29-34.
God is the initiator of salvation, not us. God devised the plan, God provided the sacrifice, God first loved us, God is the initiator of our salvation.
God acts first, always.
Part 1.
Not only do we as Christian need to reach the lost for Christ but we also need to try to reach the religious with the message of grace. Too many born again believers think that we are extreme in what they like to call “hyper grace” theology. The command from Jesus found in Mark 16 tells each of us to “… Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” and the good news of that gospel is the truth that God no longer is holding our sins against us.
Certainly the result of Christ’s death and resurrection should be the focal point for all our evangelistic endeavors but in many ways and all too often a “do this” so God can “do that” methodology is followed.
As if the sinner's prayer only works through our good works.
Salvation becomes a “do” message rather than a “done” message, partly because we have such a hard time accepting the saturation of grace poured over us from the fountain at the cross. Instead we sit at the fountain at Bethesda waiting for another encounter with Jesus at our next revival meeting.
So… How do we reach others, the saved and unsaved, with the truth of God's amazing radical grace?
God is the initiator of salvation, not us. God devised the plan, God provided the sacrifice, God first loved us, God is the initiator of our salvation.
At the baptism of Jesus, John announces that one greater than he was coming, who would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and with fire. John clearly knew that Jesus was this coming one, the one greater than he. The Gospel of John tells us that John the Baptist was told that the one on whom the Spirit would descend would be the one who would baptize people with the Holy Spirit--He would be the Son of God; He would be the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world John 1:29-34.
God is the initiator of salvation, not us. God devised the plan, God provided the sacrifice, God first loved us, God is the initiator of our salvation.
God acts first, always.
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