WATCHWORD:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. John 1:1
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:15-16
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
Meditation:
No Christ? Know Christ!
I’ve heard from some good friends of Watchwords, that questioned a statement I made in yesterday’s Watchword meditation, entitled ‘Elephant in the Room’. Here are the introductory sentences that caused the question to be raised, appropriately so:
“As Christians, we know that we should not be afraid to share our experience of faith and the gospel. People will not know about Christ by how we live our lives. It is important that we talk and proclaim the good news.”
One commented that “they will know we are Christians by our Love”, while another wondered “how are we to communicate our faith, except by our actions?” Good statements, and, as I said, appropriate comments, to which I happen to agree, but which do not address the matter.
The operable phrasing is in the middle sentence, stating that people will not know about Christ simply by how we live our lives. We might watch actions and behaviors and generosity, and think ‘what good people they are’. We might even think they must be Christians, but, it doesn’t highlight Jesus the Christ.
I like Billy Graham’s statement that faith is strengthened when we share it with others. If we don’t talk about the role that Christ plays in the conduct of our lives, then the whole cause and effect is lost. Christ is the cause for the way we live our lives, but if that is hidden by our own shyness or unwillingness to speak it, the moment is lost.
Most of us would not stand on the street corner and proclaim our faith, but when God places the opportunity before us, and we hear Jesus’ words about sharing the Gospel, then what? We might comfort the person through their grief, but will we equip them to know Christ and be strengthened for this adversity and the next? Lift high the Cross of Christ. Amen.
Faith Comments:
Our faith becomes stronger as we express it; a growing faith is a sharing faith.” — Billy Graham
Lift high the cross, The love of Christ proclaim – Till all the world adore His sacred name.
Gentle Reminder:
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.
1 John 3:1
Pray for Boldness and Strength:
Father, I thank You for calling me to Yourself and making me Your child through what Jesus did for me on the cross. In Him, I am now able to be called righteous, not for anything I have done, but because of His sacrifice. You have called us as believers to go into the world and make disciples of every nation. I ask that You give me a courage and boldness to share Your truth and Your Gospel with those around me, whether that is online or with another person face to face. I pray that those you place in my path would see Your great love for them in the truth that I share. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
