Almost every morning I go through the community passing out tracts, and engaging some small talk. The Lord uses these morning walks to sometimes answer questions about Scripture, or share the Gospel.
Along the way there are two cousins named JJ and Azzi who enjoy listening to Bible stories, and excitedly not only read my tracts, but save them up to read later.
During my stories with them, I explain the Gospel as saying “sorry, please, and thank you” to God. Sorry is confessing our sin, and inability to enter heaven because we are sinners. Please is believing that Jesus died for our sins, and placing our faith in Him, asking Christ to save us. Thank you refers a life of submission to Christ.
I would tell them if they ever wanted to know how they can say “sorry, please, and thank you” to God, then ask me whenever we aren’t having a Bible story. And I’d show them from the Bible how they could be saved.’
Last week Azzi stopped me after I handed him a tract, and expressed interest in knowing how he could be saved. I showed him some Bible verses going along with “sorry, please, and thank you” 1. Then ended with Revelation 3:20, behold I stand at the door and knock.
In the past I would always follow this verse up by asking, “is God knocking on your heart right now? And if the answer was yes, ask if they wanted to accept Christ
I didn’t do that with Azzi though….
Instead I told him when he was ready to accept Christ as his Saviour, let me know.
now it would have been incredibly easy to lead him in a sinners prayer on his steps that morning. But I didn’t because experience has taught me many individuals, and children especially, will say yes and pray just because they respect me. That isn’t a conscious decision on their part, but just something to make me happy, therefore they aren’t truly saved.
This week his cousin JJ asked me to show her from the Bible how to be saved. She seems to be closer to salvation than Azzi, but again I asked her to tell me when she was ready.
This may seem cruel, but there is a method to my madness.
Salvation must be a choice
Often we try to take on the role of the Holy Spirt by convicting individuals, and drawing them towards the Lord. There is nothing wrong with confronting sin obviously, but true conviction comes from the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God.
The dangerous thing about me trying to take up the role of the Holy Spirit is often I will try to persuade individuals with my own arguments. While there is a place for apologetics of course, Scripture is what God uses. Therefore, my job as an Christian is to clearly teach the Word of God, and allow the Holy Spirit draw them to Christ.
It is frustrating to see children so close to accepting Christ, but not quite ready to take the step of faith. The temptation is to help them along the way, but its much better to making the Gospel clear each day.
Slowly but surely as I explain “sorry, please, and thank you” to adults and children, the Holy Spirit is beginning to draw them closer to Christ. And my heart longs for the day that Azzi and JJ along with many other Vincentians choose Christ.
- romans 3:23, romans 6:23, romans 10:9-10, romans 10:13 ↩
Johnhwilburn.org 