The goal and purpose of the Christian life is to see, believe, and follow Jesus. That should be easy enough to explain to others. But we must make sure we tell this Good News as Jesus did, and as He would if He were with us in bodily form today. Our final reading from The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart is found on pages 212 and 213:
“We call on raging sinners – like we used to be (and sometimes, alas, still are) – to see this King, King Jesus, for Who He is, to understand what He has done and is doing, to embrace Him in fear and trembling, and to follow Him with rejoicing and love. That sounds like we are inviting people to make a choice, asking them to compare our offer with their preferred way of making sense out of their lives. They can choose Jesus, but if they want to choose some other ideal of the good life, some other hoped-for bounty and as-yet-unseen boon, some other less demanding and perhaps more lenient deity, well, then, that’s their choice. Have a nice day.
“But that’s not the case. King Jesus, you see, does not invite. He commands. He is commanding all people everywhere to repent and believe the Good News. And in His commands, the only choice He offers is whether the one so commanded will live or die.
“But what Jesus commands is completely in line with how people are by nature inclined. So again, we’re appealing to a receptor and chord in a person’s soul which, in the light of a King so loving and lovable, can make perfectly good sense to many who hear this Word from God to the world.”
For reflection or discussion
1. Summarize your approach to helping people see Jesus and the Good News of the Kingdom.
2. Evangelism is a process, not an event. What are the implications of this for your dealing with the people in your life?
Whatever Jesus commands, Christians are glad to do. Or should be. As much as we want our lost friends to believe in Jesus, we only show that we believe in Him by doing what He commands. And that starts with feeding on His Word in an attitude of prayer and submission. We hope you’ve enjoyed these readings from The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart. Share today’s podcast with a friend, and encourage one another in your witness for the Lord. Your copy of The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart is waiting for you at The Ailbe Bookstore, either in book form or a free PDF download.
T. M. Moore
