Humility in Preaching the Gospel

Well over the last few weeks, I have been writing to an old high school friend named Mike Peters in the hopes that he would repent and receive Jesus Christ for eternal joy in heaven that God infinitely desires for Him. The first time, he mocked me about going to hell, the second time, he threatened to beat me up if I wrote to him again, the third time, I am pretty sure that he pretended to convert to Christ in order so that he could mock me. I have been agonizing over the possibility that I have failed Mike Peters because I didn't fight hard enough for his conversion. And that's when I got a humble correction from my good EBC classmates Mike Clark and Dan Morris.

Dan Morris talked to me about the situation and he reminded me that I cannot save anybody which is so true. Only God has the power to save somebody. More specifically, only the Lord Jesus Christ has the power to save. I may have gotten caught up in the idea that I have the power to save people, to give eternal life, to forgive sins, and open people's eyes. All four of these things are different ways of saying that someone is saved. And now I realize that my only role in preaching the gospel is this fact: I am just a nobody telling everybody about somebody (Jesus Christ) who can save anybody. And so I pray that Dan's words grip my heart and bring humility to me in helping me to see that I am just a man who can save nobody. That's why Jesus tells Peter that with man it is impossible but with God EVERYTHING is possible. (Mark 10:26-27) All I can do is preach the living and active gospel to the person. Only God however can open eyes and give new life and forgive.

Michael Clark adds that I didn't fail anybody but rather that Mike Peters failed God by refusing the offer of life. And then he thanked me for having such a good heart but there are many improvements that need to be made to my life. First, he reminded me that preaching the gospel is not just merely doing it with lips, in Greek it means doing it with action!! I pray that God will actually teach me to live the gospel out wherever I am and that He will shine like a blazing sun through me. Second, Mike reminded me that their is a need for patience and God's initiative when preaching the gospel for the battle to save souls. In Galatians 5, one of the fruits of the Spirit is patience and I need to ask the Holy Spirit to give me that power. And finally, Mike reminded me that there is more than just winning over another convert, discipleship is the ultimate goal. Jesus' Great Commission is that we make disciples, not just converts. I realize that I have the goal of getting that person to become more like Christ in all that he or she does. And so I must ask God for wisdom with faith so that Christ's incarnate wisdom can radiate.

I thank these guys for their desire to see me grow in the Christian faith so that I can really actually learn to be Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. I must preach the gospel by pointing them to the one Person who can save their souls and bring them to the eternal God that can satisfy them, Jesus Christ. But that is all I can do, I have no saving power. May God alone be glorified for saving souls.