Repent and Be Saved! I Said, REPENT AND BE SAVED!

[Andy C]

By Jack Kinsella

I believe that the Bible calls us to be witnesses of Christ, and that there is no more perfect expression of God’s will in the life of a Christian than when he works to lead others to Christ.

That said, what does one do, as one of our readers related recently in one of our forums, when somebody is clearly not interested in hearing the Gospel?

The forum comment describes an experience we’ve all shared in some variation. You strike up a conversation, and somehow, Jesus comes up in the discussion.

Your conversation suddenly stalls, and when you try to revive it, you meet a wall of stony silence.

Eventually, you come to recognize the signals and past experience tells you its time to say something cheery and take your leave.

But then it bothers you all the way home…“why didn’t I press the issue? Am I a coward for Christ? Jesus endured the collective hatred of the human race. Am I so weak I can’t bear a little rejection?”

You are convinced you failed Him. You had a chance to share the Gospel, and you blew it.

Maybe if you had tried a little harder, they might have listened. But no, you were too chicken!

It isn’t like you don’t know what is at stake — especially if you have been an OL member for any length of time at all.

You know that every person you meet is destined to spend eternity somewhere. You already know that they will either spend eternity in the joyful presence of Christ.

Or they will spend a Christ less eternity alone, tormented by the punishments of hell and their memory of rejecting their chance to escape it.

You know it because I remind you of it every chance that I get to do so. The redemption of a single sinner is worth the whole world, the Scriptures say. When one sinner repents, the angels rejoice.

Repent and Be Saved! I Said, REPENT AND BE SAVED! - Rapture Forums

I believe that the Bible calls us to be witnesses of Christ, and that there is no more perfect expression of God’s will in the life of a Christian than when

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[Batman]

I think that you back off and not try any harder, but do not completely withdraw the information, testimony, and dialogue. You try to continue forward easy and non-invasive and build trust and the ability to witness. If you dust off and move on as is listed in a very commonly known Bible passage, you leave them to the world and hopefully others that have or get opportunities to build trust and witness. In all things, praying for them (and for guidance/opportunity) is needed.

 

[Andiamo]

I think so many of us, probably most of us, screw this up in some way. But thankfully it’s the Holy Spirit who works on a person’s heart. I am glad that I am not the one responsible for the results.

 

[Margery]

I love that article. I have felt that guilt. Did I do enough? What if it's my fault they didn't believe? What if I presented it wrong? All the things.

I struggle.

Did I imagine it that fil got saved in that last few days before his death at 103? Maybe I screwed up how I presented things and and and and....

The thief on the cross that believed. His was a belief born suddenly at the last moments of his life. Like my father in law. He finally came to that point where he was scared of death and wanted assurance of salvation.

I wonder if I missed earlier cues, with him and with my own father. But I don't think I did. God had me in both their lives, and with my dad, there were multiple times I shared. With fil it was just the once. With both of them, the moments or moment was obvious. Equally obvious was the "I don't want to hear that" coming from both of them that said the door is shut for now.

I think fil is saved unless I really did screw it up royally. I'm sure dad isn't saved. He refused every single time, sometimes nicely, sometimes not. I waited till God opened the door with both of them, always praying on the inside about what to do, what to say, if this was the moment.

Fil was 103 and dying of heart failure and finally ready to talk about salvation. He brought it up by explaining his fear of death.

Dad was younger, and dying by assisted suicide the next morning- his choice. I tried and tried and tried to talk him out of it. Many many times my mother before her death and then me both presented the gospel. He simply refused every single time. There were many others I knew who tried.

There for both men. But the choice was always theirs. God gave them free will. I prayed for them always. The prayer covering was there. But God gives free will.

I'm earnestly praying for my sister in law, her 93 year old husband and my 2 nephews, plus a number of other family members not yet saved. Some on my side, some on George's. They have all had moments where they've allowed me to share the gospel, and for the most part remain closed off. But I pray.

I remember one of my cousins on dad's side of the family. We were 8 years old, sleeping in a tent together and I remember explaining salvation to her as best I could at 8, and the saddest thing that I still recall was her saying, It sounds good but I'm not ready. She's not dead yet, and may God open her heart. Where there is life there is hope.

Something Jesus said comforts me

Matthew 7:
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

It reminds me that we cast the gospel seeds far and wide, but not all that hear it will believe. God is not willing that any should perish, but He gave us free will. So if He won't over rule people's free will, neither can we. But we can pray, and be ready to speak when the door opens. And rely on the Holy Spirit because it's His work from beginning to end.

Thanks for that article. It's a good and comforting one.

If only a precious few find salvation, then God help us to be there ready to share when that opportunity opens.

 

[Hol]

But we can pray, and be ready to speak when the door opens. And rely on the Holy Spirit because it's His work from beginning to end.

Thanks for that article. It's a good and comforting one.

It is painful to want to yank loved lost ones out of the burning building they face. Prayer comforts so much and reminds me that the Holy Spirit alone can convict them.