Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Win a Soul, Not an Argument


And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart 
thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. 
Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha 
in the day of judgment, than for that city.
Mark 6:11



God expressly lets us know how we are to share the gospel of the kingdom.  We already know, as evidenced in our own lives and in the narrative of the bible, that everyone is not going to receive the word of God.   
This is something that is sometimes beyond our best and most heartfelt efforts. We can say all the right words and live a shining example and yet some minds have already been hardened and our words and lifestyle fall on deaf ears and blinded eyes.  But, this is what the word of God tells us:

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:14

This scripture is significant because of what it does not say or imply.  It does not tell us that the end will come when everyone has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior or even when everyone believes that Jesus is Lord and Savior.  It says the end is coming when the gospel of the kingdom is preached in all the world.  So then our mission is to publicly proclaim.  How we publicly proclaim is the focus here.


There is a way that the gospel is to be proclaimed.  The nature of patience. as requiring forbearance toward others, is brought out strongly by Apostle Paul to the church in both Ephesus and Colossia. 


With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Ephesians 4:2
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.  Colossians 3:12-13

This exhortation was given within the church, but it extends itself beyond the church.  It demonstrates how 


patience should always express itself 
“in loving forbearance with one another.” 

To bear with another is to put up with his or her faults, differences, and peculiarities (at least as it seems to us). We are to do so 

¨     because we know we have our own, 
¨     because we do not want to harm the unity of the body, 
¨     because we are transformed back to God’s image, and 
¨     because we know God uses these very differences just as the differences of the members of our body are vital to our function:  

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 1 Corinthians. 12:12

There are two other passages that point to another important situation that requires the quality of patience, that of communicating the message of the gospel to others.

Communicating God’s truth very often meets not only with resistance but hostility. This is true with non-Christians in evangelism or even when seeking to teach and train Christians in the truth of the Word. When Apostle Paul preached in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-10), some of the Jews and God-fearing Greeks were persuaded, but many of the Jews became jealous. Then, when he preached the resurrection to the philosophers in Athens, some began to scoff (Acts 17:16-34). Satan, is against the truth and does everything in his power to blind the minds of men to God’s truth:

. . . among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.  2 Corinthians 4:4

Unfortunately, such resistance and hostility may also come from Christians. The church at Corinth not only questioned Apostle Paul’s apostolic authority but they were critical of his person and ministry claiming:

For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. 2 Corinthians 10:10

If you have sought to share the gospel of the Savior or teach others the Word, you too may have run into resistance. Thus, witnessing, teaching, preaching, etc., requires a great deal of patience.

In view of the reality of the coming of the Lord and His judgment, Apostle Paul wrote,

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 2 Timothy 4:2

This is immediately followed by the reason and need for complete patience:

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 2 Timothy 4:3-5

Apostle Paul did not just call for complete patience, but complete patience and instruction. The reality of resistance should not send us into the closet or keep us from being willing to either witness or teach or enter into dialog. Instead, such conditions require even more instruction and dialog where possible, but always accompanied by patience, love, compassion and understanding.

We need to know what we believe and why and to be ready to give a verbal defense for our faith or beliefs according to the evidence of the historical facts of the bible and the clear teaching of the Word, but vital to one’s effectiveness is the spirit in which the communication of the Word is given. 

The goal is not winning an argument, but winning a soul.

And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 1 Peter 3:13-16

Apostle Paul also instructed Elder Timothy regarding the need for patience in a witnessing, teaching situation:

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;2 Timothy 2:24-25

Here Apostle Paul refers to “bearing evil without resentment; patiently affirming a belief in face of mockery. The gist is that of a relentless teacher who firmly overlooks the painful consequences of his affirmations.

Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.   2 Timothy 2:22-26

This passage reveals that coming to repentance and the knowledge of the truth is the work of God and not our skill or methodology. While our responsibility is to present the truth in dependence on the ministry of the Spirit, we also see from this passage that our

attitude does play an important role and can be a tool God uses or a 
hindrance Satan uses in communicating the truth.


Often the messenger must exhort his listeners to sound doctrine or to a level of spiritual action that will require submission, obedience, and spiritual change, so the listeners need to bear with the message and endure it in a positive way. Apostle Paul wrote:

And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words. Hebrews 13:22

But sometimes because of the spiritual hardness and indifference that occurs in the hearts of people, they reach a point where they will suffer or not bear with sound doctrine. Apostle Paul goes on to say:

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 2 Timothy 4:3

Despite this, we continue on spreading the word of God, being good representatives and ambassadors for God, being a beacon of light to a dying world, being good laborers in the harvest.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.  1 Corinthians 15:58








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