Listening to Charlie Kirk recently, a sincere young man asked Charlie how he, as a believer, could reach people for Christ? Charlie, in a well meaning way, praised the young man for desiring to do so, and gave him encouragement. He also suggested a few things tactically, which were sound.
I could not help thinking about the young man’s question long after the exchange. The reality is, the young man CAN”T reach people for Christ. We as followers of Christ, in our zeal to share our faith often conflate the idea of “Reaching” people with the good news, with “Reaching Out” with the Gospel. They are two very different things.
Christ never instructed us to “Reach” people. He told us to reach out and share our faith. The reaching part is reserved for God Himself. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:18-20
Those words are called the “Great Commission.”In Matthew chapter 10, The Lord gives a more detailed outline of how, what to expect and how we ought to react, when witnessing. Nevertheless, know this, there is nothing you can say, or do, no fact you can relate, no truth you can reveal that can “Reach” a person’s heart for Christ.
I Corinthians 3:
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
Our job is not to convince, but to plant and water seeds. This is a process I can personally witness to—Before I followed Christ, when I was yet a Muslim lost in false religion, people planted and watered seed in my life often. The words spoken by these men into my life nagged at me in the back of my mind literally for years… “Muhammad is dead, Christ is alive!”
It was not until God Himself gave me my measure of grace, as Paul explains in verse 5 above, did my heart soften. We are not capable of believing the truth absent God’s grace, He gives us the desire to respond to His Word. Otherwise, we never would. Christ taught: “For many are called, but few are chosen.” THAT, is what the disciples used to call a hard saying; who can hear it?
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: It is the Holy Spirit who convicts and quickens the Word of God in us, allowing us to hear the Good Shepherd’s voice. Back to I Corinthians: 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
Our job as laborers is to plant and water—God does the reaping. Our mindset should not be what can I do to reach, but rather how can I reach out. We should not be discouraged when someone fails to fall to their knees in our sight in repentance, tearfully reciting the Sinner’s prayer after we lay out some brilliant apologetic for Christ.
Instead, our job is to “…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:” I Peter 3:15 Remembering always faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17
We are commissioned to share our faith, it is through the Lord’s grace we believe and it is our responsibility to plant and water seeds. It is how we boldly stand for the Lord and lovingly reach out that matters. We should not be timid, love is bold IF you care about others.
It is a lovely thing when someone you shared your faith with, at some future date—someone you did not think heard a word you said, later tells you they are now a follower of Christ. When we are faithful, these occasions do occur and we thank the Lord for His grace and the chance to see a little fruit harvested.
The Apostle teaches: But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. I Corinthians !5:10
And:
Philippians 2:13
For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
2 Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
Romans 12:3
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.
WE can’t “Reach” anyone, we CAN and should reach out! When we faithfully labor, God Himself gives grace and belief and always gets the increase. That’s my idea of a labor union.
To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me. Colossians 1:29
Digital Publius
